The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office V graciously welcomed the opening of a Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP)-organized association’s livelihood project in Talisay, Camarines Norte yesterday, February 26.

The Binanuaan Farmers SLP Association of Brgy. Binanuaan, organized by the Department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program, received a livelihood grant of Php 375,000.00 last December 28, 2023 for their proposed project: an agrivet supply and rice retailing store. The association consists of 24 members organized into an association by the program and are led by their elected officers.

Binanuaan Farmers SLP Association ceremoniously opened their store with LGU Talisay and SLP personnel joining them in their momentous occasion. Mr. Ronald Balonsoy, RSW of LGU Talisay and DSWD SLP’s Camarines Norte Provincial Coordinator Ms. Janeth A. Miranda and Provincial Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Ms. Chessa S. Vibar were present in the ceremony.

For the association, establishing an agrivet supply and rice retailing store was decided upon by its members through the assistance of SLP personnel. Through market mapping and survey of the locale, it was identified that establishing such a livelihood project is feasible, as most of their competition is based near the town center, thus giving the association an opportunity to bring in-demand goods such as agrivet supplies and rice closer to residents outside the town center.

With the opening of their livelihood project, the SLP association will soon enter their 2nd year of participation in SLP’s 5-Year Livelihood Sustainability Plan: in the 2nd year, the association will be monitored and given technical assistance by SLP and stakeholders as they strive to produce positive results with their livelihood project and be assessed by the program to be eligible for financial incentives that will serve to build on their livelihood project and expand their operations. The program’s assessment of their performance focuses on their net income growth, savings, good organization as an organization and employment generation.

SLP’s 5-Year Livelihood Sustainability Plan is a roadmap of the new SLP’s ambitions for the program participants: from their organization and establishment of livelihood projects in the 1st year, like a seed that grows into a tree and puts out a bountiful harvest of fruits after maturity, SLP aims to nurture program participants and their livelihoods for a period of 5 years with the goal of helping the program participants establish and expand their livelihood projects into successful and prosperous enterprises that will not only benefit them but their communities as well.