The Department of Trade and Industry launched its livelihood assistance program, Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa on Jan. 20 when President Rodrigo Duterte’s visited the evacuees in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.
The program will aid the micro entrepreneurs affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. The DTI will soon roll out the program as an assistance package for victims of fire, typhoons and other calamities nationwide.
Under the PBG program, DTI will provide financial assistance of P10,000 and educational materials after profiling and giving business training to existing micro entrepreneurs.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez awarded gift checks to the initial 20 entrepreneurs who are mostly street food vendors, market vendors and sari-sari store owners who want to continue their businesses. Those interested in the PBG Program may go to the DTI Batangas Provincial Office in Lipa for an initial assessment.
Among the recipients were aspiring entrepreneur Carito Ginil, a 45-year-old habal-habal driver and barangay kagawad, who wants to use his PBG funds to put up an eatery or a sari-sari store. Meanwhile, 35-year-old worker Joel Cruz plans to use his to start a manicure/pedicure business for his wife.
“PBG is an initiative of the government and DTI to help the smallest of entrepreneurs who were affected by the Taal volcano eruption. The program gives a fast and easy source of initial capital to help microentrepreneurs regain normalcy in their livelihood after the incident,” said Lopez.
Lopez encouraged entrepreneurs to visit the DTI Negosyo Centers and provincial offices to help them restart or grow their businesses. He said that after this initial assistance, the awardees can get free training from DTI as well as low-interest loans through the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3) program.