ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 25 (PNA) -– The Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has recently released P9.7 million to
42 Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) associations comprising of
close to 1,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in this city.
The SEA-K is a capability building program of
the DSWD and local government units (LGUs) which aims to enhance the
socio-economic skills of poor families through the organization of
community-based associations for entrepreneurial development.
DSWD Regional Director Zenaida Arevalo said
Wednesday that 30 of the 42 SEA-K beneficiary-associations comprise of IDPs who
are presently housed in the different transitory sites while the remaining 10
groups are home-based IDPs.
The transitory sites serve as temporarily
shelters for families displaced by the September 2013 siege while the
home-based IDPs are those who sought refuge with their relatives.
Arevalo said SEA-K associations in the
transitory sites are as follows: Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Incorporated
(PTSI) transitory site in Barangay Upper Calarian, three; Rio Hondo transitory
site, eight; Tulungatung transitory site, nine; and, Taluksangay transitory
site, 10.
The 12 home-based IDPs are from the barangays
of Rio Hondo, Mariki, Sta. Barbara and Sta. Catalina.
Arevalo said the 42 SEA-K associations they
have formed from the different transitory sites and home-based have a total of
970 IDP-members.
Arevalo said each of them received P10,000
financial assistance, which is payable in one year with zero interest.
She said the financial assistance, which was
released last Friday, is to be used to jump start livelihood programs to enable
the IDPs to earn a living.
She said the IDP-members of the 42 SEA-K
associations have undergone six-month Community Driven Enterprise Development
(CDED) process “where all of them were trained on Financial Literacy, Time
Management and Basic
Budget Management during Social Preparation and Capability
Building Training phases.”
“This compliance will ensure the effective
delivery and readiness on the livelihood activities they have chosen,” she
added.
She advised the
IDP-beneficiaries to be responsible enough in managing their livelihood
undertaking they have chosen “as this can be replicated for the rest of the
IDPs who also intend to avail of the same assistance.” (PNA)
LAP/TPGJR/UTB
LAP/TPGJR/UTB
