DAVAO CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) XI, through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), led the conduct of the ribbon cutting and blessing ceremony of the poultry farming project of the Pusokkaroy EO70 SLP Association last February 22, 2022 at Sitio Luyan, Barangay Tambobong.

The Department aims to reinforce Executive Order No. 70 by giving livelihood interventions to conflict-affected communities such as the said barangay.

DSWD, together with its partners in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), City Government of Davao, BLGU, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and PILMICO, will work together to continuously monitor and provide technical assistance and capacity-building to the group to ensure the sustainability of the project.

The association received P300,000 worth of livelihood assistance which will help improve the lives of its forty-four members.

Datu Samuel Pandian, the association president, expressed his gratitude to the government and assured the same that they will do their best to succeed in their chosen livelihood project. He also added that they will no longer support and fall victim to the false ideology of the CPP-NPA terrorist group. 

“Ako nagpaabot kaninyo sa among dakong pasalamat sa DSWD, sa mga kasundaluhan ug mga pulis, kay sila ang nakadiskubre sa amoa ug sa mga panginahanglanon sa among sitio. Sauna, ngitngit kaayo ang among kaugmaon diri tungod sa mga nakapalibot nga mga armadong katawhan. Sa pila ka tuig nga sila nagdumala sa among lugar, nga nakadungag sa among kabalaka sa matag-adlaw, wala silay nabuhat nga kaayohan sa amoa. Karon, nakita namo nga ang gobyerno nagpaluyo ug andam mutabang sa amoa,” he said.

Datu Samuel also shared that the meaning of ‘pusokkaroy’ is “united” which he hopes to achieve together with his members in running their poultry business.

The Chairperson of the Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Conference for Peace and Development (MIPCPD) Lipatuan Joel Unad was also present to express his support to the government’s effort in providing various program services in their community. He also reminded the members to never let go of the opportunity that is given to them by the agency.

The Pusokkaroy EO70 SLP Association is one of four SLP-funded associations in said barangay.

The SLP is a capability-building program that provides access to opportunities to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized communities.###