MAASIM, Sarangani -- A total of 75 beneficiaries availed of the Department of Trade and Industy's Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PPG) Program here on September 26. 

PPG is the government’s post-disaster response mechanism for micro-enterprises that are affected by fire incidents and calamities, including health disasters like the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some of the beneficiaries that have availed of the assistance were rebel returnees. 

According to DTI provincial office PPG program support staff Anna Christina Canoy, the main objective of PPG is to assist the beneficiaries to recover and start their business.

Beneficiaries of the program were identified by the assigned business councilor in every municipality, in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Army, through a list of eligible beneficiaries they could interview for profiling and further validation to determine the type of starter kit that fits them.

The livelihood kits provided were for a community store, bigasan station, puto cheese station, carpentry, etc. amounting to P8,000 per kit for each beneficiary. 

Eligible beneficiaries had to comply certain documents like business permit. 

In Sarangani, the DTI has assisted a total of 525 beneficiaries through PPG. 

It was launched in Sarangani on May 30 in Alabel, followed by Malapatan, Malungon, Kiamba, Maitum, Glan in different schedules, and in Maasim on September 26. 

To ensure the sustainability of the project, the business counselors will monitor each beneficiary on the progress of their business. 

Marife Labao, 50, a mother of five and a resident of San Juan, Kablacan, expressed her gratitude to DTI. “Malaki ang pasasalamat ko dahil nasali ako dito lalong-lalo na ngayon na ang hanapbuhay namin ay pangingisda at may bagyo. Wala kaming kita.” 

Marife’s house was trampled down by a fallen coconut tree during a typhoon that hit Maasim in October 2021. (Beverly C. Paoyon/ SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)