Sulop, Davao Del Sur (DSWD XI) -For travelers, municipal employees, and local residents, Tsibugan sa Sulop, situated just along the highway of the Poblacion, near the municipal hall, has just become the go-to place for food here.

Located 79.1 kilometers from Davao City, the tsibugan (eatery) is managed by the graduates of the Cookery NC II through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

Thirteen members from the original 22 participants of the technical vocational training organized themselves into the Sulop Food Vendors SLP Association that presently handles the eatery in its 24-hour operation.

The group prepares 20 dishes a day including tinolang manok, humba, giniling, monggo, and all the lutong­-bahay recipes a person can think of having, during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All the members do their shift every day and receive one hundred pesos as allowance. In return, theTsibugan sa Sulop earns an average of Php 9,000.00 every day.

The kitchenware, freezer, and refrigerator were all provided by the program as part of the starter kit. The structure, however, was donated through the initiative of the Local Government Unit of Sulop in coordination with DSWD which provided another modality to complete it.

The members of the association were also trained by different National Government Agencies like the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Trade and Industry in the management, basic bookkeeping, food safety, and food processing.

“Pinaagi sa suporta sa among lokal nga panggamhanan, nakatukod mi sa among tsibugan (With the support of our local government, we were able to establish our eatery),” Murde C. Gumera, the president of the association said during their association’s meeting with the members of the Regional Program Management Office of SLP. “Dako pud among pasalamat ilabi na sa SLP kay kung dili tungod sa programa, dili mi makaskwela ug makasugod sa among negosyo diri sa Sulop (We are also thankful especially to SLP. If not for the program, we would not have learned cooking and start a food business here in Sulop).”

The Tsibugan sa Sulop prepares a whole new level of dishes which departs from the ordinary “lami ang pagkaon diha bai” because of the camaraderie that the members share, from being just classmates to becoming co-owners and now more like family, which is what welcomes the different customers and what makes them eventually come back.

The Sustainable Livelihood Program aims to enhance the capabilities of poor Filipino households and individuals by strengthening their skills, competencies, abilities and resources in accessing income-generating opportunities to help improve their socio-economic well-being. (DSWD)