PAST ROTARY GUVS EXTEND AID TO TYPHOON-HIT SURIGAO PORT WORKERS

Port workers in the typhoon-ravaged Port of Surigao got a much needed aid as past district governors of the Rotary Year 2006-2007 in the Philippines pooled resources and stepped up to provide some of the basic needs of typhoon Odette victims in the Surigao waterfront.

Facilitated by Rotary District 3860, former district governor Fernando ‘Jun’ Almeda,

who is based in Surigao City, along with the Rotary Club of Metro Surigao and the Surigao ROTARACT Clubs, around 250 relief packs containing essential items such as bottled water, canned goods, clothing items, rice and a box of vitamin C capsules were distributed among porters, dockworkers, utility workers, and security guards in the Port of Surigao. A former port manager of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)’s Port Management Office of Surigao, Almeda said that when his fellow past district governors informed him that they are sending help for Surigao, he immediately thought of allocating something for the Surigao port workers. (PPA-PMO/PIA- Surigao del Norte)

More Odette-affected MSMEs in PDI receive livelihood kits from DTI Caraga

Completing the first batch of store owners assisted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office in the Province of Dinagat Islands, 24 micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) affected by Typhoon Odette received livelihood kits worth PhP8,000 each on February 8, 2022.

Since the onslaught of typhoon Odette on December 16, 2021, a total of 64 MSMEs in the province have already received their livelihood kits under the department’s Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSPNSB).

“Since Dinagat Islands have been heavily battered by Odette last December, our profiling of MSMEs here have begun immediately. These 64 MSMEs were the first to be identified and we hope to be assisting more store owners after our ongoing extensive profiling,” said Regional Director Gay Tidalgo.

Tidalgo added that the seeding program primarily aims to help MSMEs gain back their livelihood through immediate provision of livelihood starter kits.

“The negosyo or livelihood kit ranges from groceries, kitchen wares, tools and equipment that serves as fresh capital to aid the typhoon-hit MSMEs in the recovery of their businesses.

This may only be minimal but the Department is always willing to assist through different means such as through training and mentoring them on how to deal with issues on their businesses,” Tidalgo said during the distribution.

A total of PhP2,944,000 has already been disbursed for this immediate assistance catering to 368 Odetteaffected MSMEs in the provinces of Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte.

“Dako kog pasalamat sa DTI kay wala jud ta pasagdi, busa dapat jud nato tarungon pag roll out sa atong negosyo para mulambo pa ta (I am very much grateful to DTI for ensuring we are assisted, that is why we should carefully use this for our capital roll-out and recovering back from what we have lost),” said salon owner Jerry Parnada.

LSP-NSB is a program of DTI that allows a wider reach of business development assistance by bringing government services closer to the people through partnerships between relevant local government units and DTI officials.

Also present during the distribution were San Jose Vice-Mayor Felix Portullano and DTI-PDI Provincial Director Elmer M. Natad. (Mike Plaza, DTI-Caraga/PIACaraga)