Livelihood aid aims to ease COVID-19 impact

A P2.8-million financial assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Kabuhayan Program was released recently to beneficiaries in five barangays of Barbaza, Antique to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

The beneficiaries are from the disadvantaged sectors such as marginalized farmers, small vendors, farm laborers, livestock raisers, senior citizens and low wage earners of barangays Igtunarum, Jinalinan,  Solingao, Cadiao and Baghari.

Kabuhayan Program provided P360,000 to 18 beneficiaries at Igtunarum for a cattle fattening project.

The 26 beneficiaries of Jinalinan received P520,000 for various livelihood projects such as hog fattening, sari-sari stores and poultry raising.

At Soligao, a P480,000financial assistance was released to 24 qualified recipients for rice retailing, sari-sari store, swine and cattle fattening projects.

The program also provided P940,000 worth of livelihood projects to 47 identified beneficiaries of Baghari. Three beneficiaries will venture into hog and poultry supply projects, 4 in frozen foods retail, 30 for hog fattening, 1 for rice retailing and 9 for sari-sari stores.

For Cadiao, the P500,000 financial assistance was provided to support the various livelihood projects of its 25 beneficiaries. Among the beneficiaries, 22 will engage in swine fattening, 1 in rice retailing and 2 in sari-sari stores.

DOLE is positive that the assistance will alleviate the effect of the current economic crisis among the beneficiaries and their families who are mostly residing in remote and mountainous areas of the Province, and whose source of income was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

DOLE also took the opportunity in providing an alternative source of income that will help them feed their families and meet their basic needs amidst these trying times.