KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- A group of former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their beneficiaries received financial assistance from the government as a start-up capital for their livelihood project.

The P360,000 financial grant was given to Libertad Successful OFW Family Association (LSOFA) on Thursday, August 19 as part of the Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Pag-Unlad ng Samahang OFWs (TULONG PUSO) Program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

According to OWWA 12 Regional Director Marilou Sumalinog, this amount will be used by LSOFA for their food processing business.

Sumalinog said TULONG PUSO aims to provide assistance for the formation, enhancement or restoration of livelihood undertakings of OFW organizations.

It also strengthens coping mechanisms in response to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the displacement of OFWs, Sumalinog added

TULONG PUSO is a one-time livelihood financial grant that supports the proposed business plan for both start-up and expansion of OFW groups, duly recognized by the Department of Labor and Employment, Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

To ensure that the organizations have enough skills to manage their new venture, OWWA also provided a bookkeeping and basic accounting seminar to the members before the release of the grant.

The awarding of the livelihood grant was witnessed by Surallah Mayor Antonio Bendita.  (With reports from CDIP Surallah)