ZAMBOANGA CITY, February 7, 2022 – Some 122 informal sector workers of Barangay Datu Tumanggong, Tungawan Municipality, Zamboanga Sibugay expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 9 after receiving livelihood starter kits on February 7, 2022.

DOLE Zamboanga Sibugay Field Office (ZSFO) in coordination with LGU-Tungawan, MILF 113th Base Command and the Barangay Council of Datu Tumanggong facilitated the turn-over of Kabuhayan Starter Kits (KSK) composed of tools and jigs for carpentry, gardening, commercial cooking, bread and pastry making, vulcanizing, small engine repair, welding, dressmaking, E-Loading station,commissary store, and Piso-WIFI station.

The Labor Office released the amount of 2,564,464.00 pesos to fund the KSK project.

“The assistance is part of DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) where we aim to give opportunities to skilled workers, decommissioned combatants and home based workers to earn a living and augment their incomes to help their families.

This would also help decommissioned MILF combatants to start life anew and prepare them for mainstreaming into the community,” said Atty. Roy L. Buenafe, DOLE 9 Regional Director, who personally handed the kits to beneficiaries that day.

“Dili kini mahatag sa atong igsoon, dili kini mahatag sa atong ginikanan. Ang gobyerno lang ang nakahatag nato niini mao nga ampingan nato kini (Our parents and brothers cannot provide this for us, only the government. That is why we must take care of these.)”, said Ustadj Aylan Jalal after receiving the assistance.

Present during the turn-over ceremony were Atty. Buenafe, Mayor Carlnan C. Climaco of LGU-Tungawan, Accredited Co-Partner TECMPC Manager Dante D. Ibarra and Mr. Suaib A. Edris, MILF 113 Base Commander, Camp Salman.

DOLE ZSFO and PESO Tungawan led by Manager Gaudencio Abejero will spearhead the monitoring of the project implementation. END/With reports from DOLE ZSFO