Pictured: DSWD Bicol personnel inspects the documents of a livelihood grant recipient prior to distributing the livelihood grant.

Responding to the needs of the households affected and displaced by eruption of the Mayon Volcano that occurred for several months, DSWD Bicol through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) began distributing livelihood grants to the affected households in various municipalities of Albay yesterday, December 16, 2023.

The Sustainable Livelihood Program will distribute Php 20,280,000.00 to 1,014 households affected by Mayon Volcano eruption on December 16 to 17. Each family will receive livelihood grants worth Php 20,000.00 from the Program for the restoration and continuation of their affected livelihoods.

Recipients of the livelihood grants in the municipalities of Camalig, Daraga, and Guinobatan were served by the program yesterdar, December 16. The program began distribution of livelihood grants in the 3 municipalities and aimed to distribute the said grants to 200 Mayon eruption-affected households of Camalig, 200 households of Daraga, and 169 households of Guinobatan by the end of the day.

In an interview with Gina Nebreja of Brgy. Sua, Camalig, who is a mother to 8 children and has a sari-sari store, she shared that they had to close their store and sell their pigs and cattle when they evacuated from their home as the Mayon Volcano began erupting several months ago.

“Malaking tabang itong 20 thousand samun, nakatabang na po yadi samun, pandagdag puhunan ito sa sari-sari store.” (“The 20 thousand we received is a big help, it will serve as capital for our sari-sari store.”) she shared. She and her family had no substantial income since evacuating to their designated evacuation center and now face the challenge of returning to and restoring the home and store that they left.

“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa DSWD, sa mga nagtabang samun sadi, sa mga nagtao ng mga rasyon samun, mga pagkain [noong kami ay nasa evacuation center]. Salamat po.” (“I am so grateful to DSWD, to those who helped us, to those who gave us rations and food. Thank you so much.”)

On December 17, the program will distribute livelihood grants to 245 households in Tabaco City and 200 households in Sto. Domingo, Albay.