ZAMBOANGA CITY – Four beneficiaries, mostly farmers, in Dona Josefa, Municipality of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay received support from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 9 Kabuhayan Program to commence their rice retailing business.

DOLE 9 Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe, in an interview said that the support was in the form of kabuhayan starter kits (KSK) worth PHP 100,000.00 which were released to said beneficiaries on May 24, 2022 at the DOLE Zamboanga Sibugay Field Office.

The Kabuhayan Starter Kits Project under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) is a livelihood formation strategy that is intended to bring about improved socio-economic well-being of workers in the informal economy, in groups/sectors with special concerns, and displaced wage workers (local and overseas) and their families.

“Each KSK is worth PHP 25,000 and consists of 24 sacks of rice, weighing scale and plastic bags,” said DOLE ZSFO Chief Elamsalih Ungad.

The beneficiaries were identified by the Danlugan Farmers Cooperative (DCP), DOLE’s accredited co-partner. The livelihood project will enable the beneficiaries to begin selling rice in their respective communities.

“We are quite optimistic that the project will prosper in Dona Josefa because the recipients are knowledgeable about rice retailing,” Chief Ungad expressed.

Annie Jean Paseo, one of the recipients thanked DOLE for the starter kit,

“Dako akong pasalamat sa programa sa DOLE nga Kabuhayan Starter Kit, kani makatabang sa akong pamilya hilabi na sa akong mga anak sa pag-iskwela. Akong paningkamutan ang negosyo na gitabang sa DOLE. (Thank you so much DOLE for the livelihood starter kit, this will greatly help my family specially for my children’s education. I will strive to expand my business.)” END