More than 200 beneficiaries of the Pampanga provincial government’s joint livelihood program with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) benefited from the package of information services provided of partner-agencies during the forum conducted for workers in the informal sector.
Provincial Cooperative and Entrepreneurial Development Officer (PCEDO) Mamerto Gatus said that the one-day event aimed to provide the concerned livelihood beneficiaries with adequate knowledge and information on various development programs and services of partner –agencies which they can avail themselves of, their family-members included.
Officers and members of Negosyo king Panyulung Program (NPP) Associations in barangays Sta.Maria and San Esteban in Macabebe; San Antonio, Guagua; Sapang Maisac, Mexico; San Isidro, Magalang; Sta. Monica, Lubao; Sta. Lucia and Sto. Rosario, San Luis; and Sta. Monica in Sta. Rita participated in the said information forum.
“All of the participants are beneficiaries of the P1 million peso grant given by DOLE to the beneficiaries of the livelihood program of the provincial capitol to further enhance their small-scale business,” Gatus said. Each of the 216 beneficiaries received P4,629.20.
During the forum, Social Security System (SSS) Regional Manager Corita Gaduang explained to the participants that employed, voluntary and self-employed individuals like them are eligible to become members of the SSS.
Gaduang said that at present the SSS has a total of 29.3 million members, 20 million of which are employed, 5.9 million self-employed; 2.6 million voluntary and some others are overseas workers.
SSS members enjoy short and long term benefits such as sickness and maternity, disability, retirement pension and funeral. They could also avail themselves of its educational loan assistance program which provides P15,000 per semester for four-year college courses and P7,500 per semester for vocational/technical courses.
Right after Gaduang’s discussions, SSS membership-applications forms were distributed to the participants, 30 of which readily filed their applications. Members of the Mother’s Club NPP in San Isidro, Magalang also signified their willingness to sign up as members.
As members, the small entrepreneurs who declared P3,000 monthly earnings would be paying P312 monthly contributions, the SSS said.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Provincial Director Ben-Hur Baniqued also shared with the participants the technical projects and services provided by TESDA including its scholarship program for qualified individuals who want to pursue vocational and technical education courses in private institutions.
DOLE Provincial Director Rima Hernandez said that this is precisely the objective of the forum – to bring the various services of partner-institutions directly to the needy sector.
The provincial government and the DOLE have been working closely for the past several years to provide livelihood opportunities to the marginalized sector in Pampanga, Hernandez concluded. (Erlinda T. Yutuc, Pampanga PIO)
