Legazpi City - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Bicol region has distributed PHP 20.2 million in livelihood assistance to families in Albay province affected by Mount Mayon's unrest. Ram Joseph Zaragoza, the DSWD-Bicol project development officer for the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), reported that over the weekend, at least 1,014 households from various towns and cities received the grants.
According to Zaragoza, each family received PHP 20,000 through the SLP, aimed at restoring and continuing their disrupted livelihoods. The beneficiaries, identified and assessed by the agency, were evacuees whose livelihoods were impacted during the five-month evacuation due to Mayon's infusive eruption. Zaragoza emphasized the program's commitment to monitoring and ensuring the sustainability of these livelihoods.
One of the recipients, Gina Nebreja, a sari-sari store owner from Barangay Sua in Camalig town, shared how the assistance has been crucial. She had to close her business and sell livestock during the evacuation. The PHP 20,000 grant will serve as capital for her store, providing much-needed support for her family of eight. Nebreja, who has struggled to find stable income since returning from the evacuation center, expressed her gratitude to the DSWD and those who provided support during their time of need.