BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The provincial government has required individuals and organizations seeking livelihood assistance to prepare their business plans “to ensure the progress and upliftment of their economic status.”
Through the Livelihood and Enterprises Development program, officials have high hopes the provincial government’s investment capital mechanism will succeed.
“There was strong resistance to this policy at first. But various stakeholders later realized the importance of this regulation,” said engineer Jonem Gacad, rural development action officer.
A business plan is part of the basic requirements that should be submitted for an aid recipient to be considered for the program. The Office of the Governor will then assess the project proposals and endorse them to the appropriate provincial bureau “for sustainability and customer satisfaction.”
Gacad said the provincial government will be strict in monitoring the beneficiaries and making background investigations on the groups or organizations being funded to ensure their legality and good standing in their respective communities.
“There were instances in the past that a certain beneficiary will ask for assistance other than the project previously identified. There are also tendencies that the funds provided will be doled out,” she said.
With this scheme, Gacad said the government can track the direction of the various livelihood projects based on their business plan through their regular and periodic monitoring of the projects funded.
“We are concerned about the business plan because it is important to see if the livelihood project is earning or losing. The plan helps beneficiaries to implement their projects properly,” she added.
In one of the recent livelihood assistance distribution programs, it was learned that members of the national government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program were the recipients of at least P10,000 livelihood capital assistance each.
These recipients are constantly supervised and monitored by both the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.
A local program of the 4Ps was also conceptualized by the provincial government designed to instill good family values of poor families as a key for their success.
The “Idol Kong Pamilya” program is one of the focuses of the provincial government’s programs designed to promote good family values of various communities towards progress and development.
The IKP program, for one, prohibits the presence of any form of vice among family members.
“This will ensure their success in everything that the family does for their own good,” Gacad stressed.
Since 2013, the provincial government’s LED has benefited more than 100 organizations with projects; over 50 barangay-based women’s groups; 100 individuals; two forest-based projects such as soft brooms, baskets, and furniture; 28 entrepreneurial projects from cooperatives; 21 poultry and livestock projects; and over 15 crops and fisheries projects.
These recipients are being assisted in partnership with the provincial government’s rural development-related services of the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Nueva Vizcaya State University, Land Bank of the Philippines and SN Aboitiz Company.
Nine cooperatives will benefit this year through the Credit Surety Fund, while 206 poor families also received “Idol kong Pamilya” livelihood assistance packages, including the product exposure of farmers’ groups in Quezon City through the Farmers to Consumers Project.
The LBP has also introduced to the province an Agri and Fishery Financial Program, a soft loan for small farmers and fisherfolk. The DOST is likewise offering a small enterprise technology upgrading, technology acquisition loan with zero interest for three years.
As an incentive, beneficiaries of the livelihood assistance are given addition aid once they progress in their chosen livelihood project.
“This is a big challenge for all of us because it will all depend in our total transformation from being influenced by the dole out mentality into a truly responsible and accountable citizens worthy of government’s help,” Gacad said.