In line with the 122nd Labor Day Celebration, the Department of Labor and Employment XI in partnership with Public Employment and Services Office and City Agriculturist Office conducted a Kadiwa Fair with a display of food and non-food wares and gave livelihood grants at Rizal Park on Monday.
DOLE XI Regional Director Randolf C. Pensoy, in a media interview during the event, said that among the attendees were beneficiaries of various DOLE XI programs.
Dole during the program gave wages to 950 beneficiaries under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) and gave livelihood grants to 22 other livelihood program beneficiaries.
Pensoy underscored that Tupad beneficiaries are given a minimum wage for 5-10 days, and the participating vendors during the fair will also receive the same value for the same number of days.
He said that the wages for vendors under the Kadiwa Program do not benefit the vendors alone but also the consumers.
“Ang punto para dili pud kaayo mahal ang ilang produkto kung ibutang nato nga naa sila’y ginansya dili nila kaayo patungan kay naa man sila madawat na sweldo depende sa programa ug sa proposal (The main point is that this will lessen the price of products because they will no longer add some cost with the salary they receive depending on the program and their proposal),” Pensoy said.
He said that each seller would be given a minimum wage of Php462 daily for 10 days.
As for the livelihood program, more than Php2 million in grants were given to 22 beneficiaries. A total of Php 1.9 million in grants under the Integrated Livelihood Program was given for the projects of the BSDI Employees Association and the Kasamahan ng Mananahi Association. A total of Php 550,000 in assistance was also given to 20 individuals.
Pensoy said that for the Php 550,000 assistance, the amount may vary for each applicant, depending on the result of their profiling and assessment.
Pensoy said that aside from the Kadiwa Fair, the agency will also have the annual Labor Day Job Fair on May 1, which will be held this year at SM Ecoland, Gaisano Grand Mall Digos, and Gaisano Grand Mall Tagum. CIO
