The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launched on Friday, May 26, the new and improved Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) which aims to innovate its intervention and response to the needs of its applicants. Courtesy of DSWD
The new program, called "Sibol: the New SLP", integrates a five-year livelihood sustainability plan that enhances its implementation process, rationalizes cost parameters, and provides new capacity-building activities for its beneficiaries. "Like a plant, we grow with you. We make sure that we plant the seed, we nurture it, we water it, we watch it grow, and we watch it turn into something bigger than what it was. Iyon ang (That’s the) bottom line," said DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian. "We want to make sure that our development programs are not one-shot deals – that we provide the cash and we say goodbye. But rather, we want to make sure it is sustainable and that we partner, monitor and grow the economic enterprise with you," he added.

Changes and improvements

DSWD noted that under Sibol, participants will be a part of a five-year incubation period, where they will receive "intensified capability-building activities and additional livelihood incentives." Sibol will start with Punla, where they will be taught basic knowledge for starting up their micro-enterprise or securing employment. It will be followed by Usbong and Sibol, where they will focus on maintaining their livelihood and securing positive gross sales and net income, to be followed by Yabong, where they are expected to "prosper and bring their products to a wider and multi-faceted market." Lastly is Ani, or the actual graduation of participants. Once they reach this final stage, Sibol participants will be provided with not more than P250,000 worth of livelihood grants and incentives per association.