Lorna Roxas, a former record keeper of the Liga ng Mga Barangay, has grown her own garden of opportunity from the seed capital she received as a beneficiary of former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s Sampung Libong Pag-asa program.
Roxas, 60, now tends her own successful plant nursery thanks to the program’s assistance, a shift from her old job as a record keeper. Now, by selling the vegetables she grows, she is able to provide her family with a sustainable source of income.
“Noon pong nalaman kong isa ako sa napili sa Sampung Libong Pag-asa, naisip ko yung paghahalaman,” Roxas said in a prerecorded video shown on December 27, 2021 in Cayetano’s official Facebook page.
(When I found out I was one of the chosen beneficiaries of Sampung Libong Pag-asa, I immediately thought of growing crops.)
With the cash assistance, she began investing in her own okra crop starters and other materials. From these she was able to grow her business to fill an entire field.
Walking amidst her rows of okra plants, she shared how her crops began returning her investment in just one month. To date, she has already been able to recoup P2,000 in net profit.
Now that her crops continue growing and producing, she will soon have not only her whole initial investment back but profit of her own.
“Napakalaking tulong noon para po sa amin lalo na’t muli kaming babangon. Talagang pasalamat ako nang sobra-sobra dahil katulad po niyan, nagkaroon po ako ng panimula para makapagtanim ulit,” Roxas said.
(It was a really big help for us, especially to help us get back on our feet. I am so grateful because I can go back to tending my plants, thanks to opportunities like this.)
Monday’s episode of Sampung Libong Pag-asa also featured the selection of 25 waiters and food servers from the 4th District of the City of Manila.
The program, which has helped 14,500 beneficiaries to date, provides P10,000 cash assistance to Filipinos whose livelihoods have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
