At least P44,410,000 cash aid was turned over by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to Batangas local government units (LGUs) as support for its implementation of the agency's social assistance programs.
This amount will be dispensed to individuals who are part of DSWD's Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), and Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program in the province.
In an advisory on Friday, Nov. 4, DSWD said that 148 SLP beneficiaries from the municipalities of Lian and Calatagan received P15,000 cash aid which can be used for their micro and small enterprises.
Meanwhile, the agency also handed P12.61 million to the Municipality of Lian; P14.16 million to Nasugbu; P12.27 million to Calatagan; and P3.15 million to Balayan for its implementation of SFP and Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens.
The turnover ceremony, held last Oct. 27, was led by DSWD Operations Group Undersecretary Jerico Javier.
"The assistance that we are providing is just the beginning. Continuous assistance is only possible because of the capacity and trust in local government," Javier said.
The dispensed fund will serve 16,945 beneficiaries from the province, DSWD said.
SLP is a "community-based capacity building program that seeks to improve the program participants’ socio-economic status."
It is implemented through two-track programs namely Microenterprise Development Track which supports micro-enterprises and Employment Facilitation Track which helps participants gain employment opportunities.
SFP, on the other hand, is a supplementary feeding program for children enrolled in daycare centers while the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens is a P500 monthly stipend for indigent senior citizens' daily and medical needs.