Like many small business owners these days, carinderia owner Rolando Fajardo faces many struggles, especially during the rainy season.
“Minsan mahina, minsan matumal, lalo na kapag tag-ulan,” he said as he expressed relief after being chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the livelihood assistance provided by Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano when their office visited Marikina and Pasig City on May 31, 2024.
“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa inyo na binigyan niyo kami ng karagdagang puhunan para sa aming mga negosyo,” Fajardo said, noting that their community in Marikina needed to find other avenues to sell their goods.
In partnership with the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the sibling senators extended aid to women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and solo parents to improve their livelihoods.
40 beneficiaries from Marikina City and 27 from Pasig City each received assistance to upgrade their businesses and increase their income.
From Rosario in Pasig, Maria Hererra shared that she had to juggle various part-time jobs to support her five children as her food store could not sustain their needs.
“Ume-ekstra po akong mag-labada para sa aking limang anak. Gagamitin ko po itong natanggap kong puhunan para bumili ng school supplies dahil iyon po ang gusto kong hanapbuhay kasabay ng pagtitinda ng lutong ulam,” she said.
This recent visit by the Cayetanos offices to these cities was not the first time they have provided essential aid to residents in Marikina and Pasig. Last year, several batches also received livelihood support from the Cayetano-DSWD partnership.
The Cayetanos have been working with various agencies to reach different provinces across the country to deliver essential aid to marginalized Filipinos.
This week, apart from the National Capital Region (NCR), they also simultaneously reached out to residents of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Bulacan, and Laguna.
