250 4Ps beneficiaries, others in Legazpi City start small businesses

• Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=842926
• Sunday, January 3, 2016

By Emmanuel P. Solis [(PNA), SCS/FGS/EPS/CBD/SSC]

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 3 (PNA) -- At least 250 recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and 240 women belonging to the poor sector in this city have started embarking on their micro-enterprises.

These individuals were trained by the Entrepinay Legazpi City Chapter on making powder soap and fabric conditioner as well as food products like puto pao, siomai and polvoron.

The training also had values formation, basic cash management and simple bookkeeping as components.

The participants were divided into eight groups, with about 30 persons for each session.

Aside from the training, the participants also received starter kits like materials and equipment in making the products which were distributed before Christmas.

The project is part of the ANTI-POVERTY (Addressing basic Needs Through Initiatives that Provide Opportunities and Viable Economic Resources That Yield income) Program of the Legazpi City Poverty Reduction Action Team (LCPRAT) conceived and spearheaded by the Entrepinay Legazpi City Chapter with the assistance of the Legazpi City government, the DSWD and the Department of Interior and Local Government under its Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Process (formerly Bottom-Up Budgeting System) of the government under the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

It is envisioned to provide livelihood for the beneficiaries to give them a source of income or at least save on the cost of buying these products.

The DSWD provided an amount of PhP2 million for the project while the Legazpi City government contributed PhP400,000 as its counterpart.

“As we all know, soap is one of our basic needs. We need to wash our hands as often as necessary. We have to wash our dishes and utensils at least three times a day. We have to wash family members’ clothes, sometimes daily,” Irene A. Solmirano, Entrepinay president, said.

Business establishments, especially hotels and restaurants, Solmirano said, need soap to maintain cleanliness.

“And, of course, food is indispensable from our tables,” she added.

ANTI-POVERTY is a joint project of Entrepinay-Legazpi Chapter, as the main proponent, and five other civil society organizations that are members of the 2014 LPRAT, namely: Legazpi City Senior Citizens Organization Inc., Legazpi City Slum Dwellers Federation Inc., Legazpi City Finest Retirees Association Inc., Legazpi City Women’s Federation Inc. and Bicol Consortium for Community Development Inc.

This project aims to contribute to the overall national goal of reducing poverty from 26 percent to 16 percent by 2016.

The Entrepinay-Legazpi will conduct a regular monitoring of the groups to guide them on their respective selected endeavors.

It further plans to form the trainees into a cooperative and conduct business clinics in 2016 with the support of the DSWD and the city government of Legazpi.

“We will also strengthen the marketing aspect of the program to strengthen and ensure the demand side of these micro-economic endeavors of our new entrepreneurs from the poor sector of our society,” Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal said.