Maclyn A. Somoza, 40, has been making both ends meet to earn enough money for her family. After her husband died, she was on her own in taking care of her two children who are in college. 

She started raising hogs as a source of income. In her free time, Maclyn would also provide reflexology services, going from one home to another in Barangay Tulapos, Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor where she lives. 

From these, she earned only around P800 per week. 

In December 2023, Maclyn decided to apply for the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) after she learned that it provides financial assistance for the informal sector. 

Under the SLP, she was able to get P15,000 as a financial grant to improve her livelihood. The money went to her hog raising business, most of which she used to buy feeds. 

After four months, she was able to sell off the hogs and earned P4,000. 

Maclyn said the SLP has helped relieve some of the financial burdens that she faced as a solo parent and allowed her to provide for her family’s needs without having to seek employment elsewhere. 

"Nagpasalamat ko sa ayuda sa SLP kay nakadugang sa akong panginabuhi. Ikaduha pud, dako gyud pud kaayo siyag ikatabang nako kay nakabuhi kog baboy unya dili nako kinahanglan mobiya sa akong mga anak," Somoza said.

(I am very thankful to SLP because it helped a lot in my livelihood. I was able to use it for my hog raising business and I don’t have to leave my children anymore to look for another job.)

Flagship program

A flagship poverty alleviation program of DSWD, SLP has released P3,575,000 as financial assistance to over 300 farmers, individuals, and groups in Siquijor province. 

The program aims to improve the socioeconomic conditions of poor and vulnerable households by providing them with opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.

Beneficiaries receive various forms of assistance such as skills training, seed capital or financial assistance for livelihood projects, access to market linkages, and other support services to enhance their capacity to generate income and become self-reliant.

“SLP has had a significant positive impact on the lives of the people in the province, particularly the residents of Siquijor,” said provincial development officer II and evaluation and monitoring officer Abelardo M. Pusod. 

The program has facilitated trainings and resources for beneficiaries to engage in various income-generating activities, such as sewing and handicraft production.

"Naa tay mga  paisda, mga production sa mga mag-uuma, naay mga kurtina, mga punda, dayun mga handicrafts nga hinimo sa mga benepisyaryo sa SLP," said Pusod.

(Our SLP beneficiaries are engaged in fishing, farm production, sewing curtains, and handicrafts.) 

Sari-sari store

Another beneficiary in Siquijor whose life has changed due to SLP is Maricel C. Dabodabo, 39, from Enrique Villanueva town. 

Her husband’s work as a carpenter was not enough to sustain her family’s needs, so Maricel decided to open a little sari-sari store. 

Her store provided her with an income of around P3,000 per month, which is not enough for her family with 5 children all in grade school. 

She applied to be an SLP beneficiary in December 2023 and received P15,000 as livelihood assistance. She infused this to boost her store’s capital. 

Maricel’s monthly earnings increased to around P4,000, which she credits to SLP. 

"Dako gyud to gikatabang kay nakahatag man to ug additional puhunan para sa among panginabuhian,” she said.

(It really helped a lot because it provided additional capital for our livelihood.) 

Maclyn’s and Maricel’s stories are some of the examples of how SLP has led to tangible improvements in the economic activity and livelihood opportunities of Siquijor communities. (CAG/PIA7- Siquijor)