ILOILO City – A total of PHP505.5 million Livelihood Assistance Grants (LAG) under the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Assistance (SLP) was released for the livelihood projects of 52,435 beneficiaries, regionwide.

Of the amount, PHP57.9 million released to 4,622 beneficiaries in Aklan, PHP103 M for 7,315 beneficiaries in Antique; PHP43.9 million for 4,135 beneficiaries in Capiz; PHP12.6 million for 1,587 beneficiaries in Guimaras; PHP8.9 million for 1,725 beneficiaries in Iloilo City; PHP177 million for 21,619 beneficiaries in Iloilo, and PHP101 million for 11,432 beneficiaries in Negros Occidental.

This was reported by SLP’s Regional Program Coordinator Mary Ann Masculino, as she presented the updates on the LAG implementation during the 2nd Episode of Dagyaw: Open Government Virtual Town Hall Meetings, recently.

Masculino reported that the sectors served through LAG consist of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs), fisherfolks, transport providers, market vendors, and micro-entrepreneurs whose source of income had been affected by the imposition of community quarantine.

The meeting was organized by the Department of Interior and Local Government VI (DILG-6) and Philippine Information Agency 6 (PIA-6) purposely to discuss the current status of the different programs for health and economic recovery in the region. The activity also identified concerns and programs for the different sectors on COVID 19 and highlighted the citizen’s role as implementing partners.

Total funding in the region, top livelihood projects funded, and implementation strategies were also presented to provide event participants with an overview of the LAG process. Representatives from DOH, DOST, DTI, and DPWH also presented their accomplishments, updates, and current initiatives to address current challenges.

The participating agencies are looking forward to more partnerships with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Local Government Units (LGUs), and other stakeholders in promoting a collective approach in the implementation of the government’s different programs.