Vendors, farmers, fisherfolks, drivers, and other workers can now avail themselves of financial assistance of P20,000 up to P1 million to start their own businesses under the Department of Labor and Employment’s “Kabuhayan Program,” Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglungsod said Monday.
The DoLE official said the department would prioritize workers who belong to the most vulnerable sector to avail financial assistance from the department as part of the Duterte administration’s unemployment and anti-poverty programs and to shift their vocation from informal to the formal economy.
“Qualified workers can avail [themselves of] the DoLE’s Kabuhayan program, one of the components of the DoLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program,” Maglungsod said.
DoLE’s Kabuhayan program enables the workers to build a viable employment option through income-generating livelihood activities.
DoLE’s Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns Director Ma. Karina Trayvilla said the department could grant livelihood assistance to workers in the informal economy under two categories—group and individual projects.
Under individual projects, workers can avail themselves of the Starter Kit or Negosyo sa Kariton (Nego-Kart) up to P20,000.
For group projects, an organization with 15 to 25 members could avail itself of a maximum financial assistance of P250,000.
An organization composed of 26 to 50 members could avail itself of up to P500,000.00; while an organization composed of more than 50 members could be granted a maximum assistance of P1 million.
Eligible beneficiaries of the DoLE’s Kabuhayan Program include those who are self-employed with insufficient income; marginalized and landless farmers; marginalized fisherfolks; unpaid family members; women and youth; low/minimum wage earners and seasonal workers; workers displaced or to be displaced as a result of natural disasters or closure of establishments, retrenched and terminate workers; persons with disability; senior citizens; indigenous people; parents or guardians of child laborers; rebel returnees; and victims of armed conflict.
For those who want to avail themselves of the program, the workers or group can go to the Department main office in Manila or to their nearest DoLE regional offices.