The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office XI has distributed 3.3 million worth of financial assistance to Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) program beneficiaries for the year 2021.

A total of 67 families from the municipalities of Carmen, New Corella, and Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte have received Php 50,000 under the Livelihood Settlement Grant (LSG) of the Family Grants sub-component of the program.

In a statement, DSWD XI BP2 focal person Lee Mecris Berdos said the financial grant will be utilized by each family to put up their business of choice after having returned to their respective provinces.

“One of the benefits for the BP2 family beneficiaries is the Livelihood Settlement Grant (LSG). This is a start-up financial assistance to the families to help them establish their sources of income after they return to the province permanently. They get to decide their business of choice, as long as they are in accordance with the policies of the program,” she said.

Some of the common businesses chosen by the families were poultry farming, hog raising, general merchandise, and frozen products, among others.

“It is with great joy to witness how the returned families started their business even amidst the pandemic. They are formed as SLP Association (to be registered in DOLE) wherein the members will assist each other’s needs and concerns. The livelihood project will help them sustain their daily needs and eventually lift their economic status.” she added.

100% on LSG disbursement

DSWD XI is the only regional office to hit 100-percent on the disbursement of livelihood assistance to its target number of beneficiaries for the previous year.

Aside from LSG, the regional office has also provided other assistance to the displaced families such as transportation, transitory family support package (food and non-food items), transitory shelter, and stakeholders’ training, among others.

The BP2 efforts and initiatives of the agency were made possible through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) with the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

Both programs aim to deliver assistance to Filipino families who are in need, in the form of livelihood assistance and construction of disaster-resilient community-building projects, most especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).

The BP2 is a government-funded program that aims to promote balanced regional development by decongesting highly urbanized areas in the country, through the assistance of individuals and families wanting to go back to their respective provinces, with services ranging from transportation assistance to livelihood grants.

Furthermore, the program aims to provide comprehensive services to families returning to their provinces as well as funding assistance to local government units (LGU) to improve access to basic services.

The program is chaired by the National Housing Authority (NHA) while DSWD is one of its implementing government agencies. ###