Baguio City-Sixty seven (67) persons with disability (PWDs) from Baguio City are now undergoing a livelihood training program which aims to capacitate them with entrepreneurial skills that can be used in managing their own enterprise.

The training, which follows the Community-Driven Enterprise Development (CDED) approach, was funded through the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Process (GPBP) funds of the city government of Baguio and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“We have proposed for this Rehabilitation, Skills Training and Livelihood Promotion for Persons with Disability so that we can provide skills enhancement and livelihood opportunities to this sector of the community. It is not enough that we provide funding for them, so through the CDED which conducts various capacity building activities, we are ensuring that they have skills to sustain what we have given them”, City Social Welfare and Development Officer Betty Fangasan shared.

Among the participants is 35 year old Michael Pascua of Bokawkan Road who survived an accident in 16 July 2011. “Noon, nagtratrabaho ako bilang plumber. Pero naaksidente ako sa trabaho at nakuryente dahil sa lumaylay na wire. Wala akong maramdaman sa kalahati ng katawan ko tapos makirot naman yung kaliwang kamay ko. Gusto ko ng matulog, pero inisip ko ang mukha ng aking pamilya kaya kinaya ko. Buti na lang at nandoon ang kuya ko kaya naitakbo ako sa hospital.”, Michael narrated. Although a survivor, Michael has to suffer the consequences of the accident for it left him with a burned arm and an amputated leg.

“Dahil sa aksidente, pakiramdam ko wala na akong silbi. Ang dami ko pang gustong gawin, Pati kabuhayan namin naapektuhan. Hindi na nakapagtinda ang aking asawa at napilitang maging ambulant vendor dahil wala na kaming pang bayad sa pwesto. Hindi na rin ako makapagtrabaho. Hindi naman sapat yung Php 20,000 na binigay na tulong ng dati naming kompanya.”, Michael added.

Michael is married to Michelle for 16 years now and the couple has been blessed with four (4) children. “Nag-join din po ako dito para masamahan ko siya [Michael]. Malaki po ang maitutulong nito lalo na sa allowance ng mga bata.”, Michelle shared.

Michael and Michelle are undergoing skills enhancement activities for their proposed project which is baking of goods. “Ito po ang naisip namin na livelihood para kahit sa bahay lang, pwede kaming kumita. Sana ito na yung paraan para matulungan ko ang aking asawa sa pagrporpovide ng pangangailangan ng aming pamilya” Michael said. “Kaya naming gawin ang lahat, magsipag at magtulungan para maibigay namin ang pangangailangan ng aming pamilya. Kung may magpapalaba, maglalabada ako. Kahit ano, kaya naming magsakripisyo para makapag aral ang aming mga anak.”, Michelle added.

The Rehabilitation, Skills Training and Livelihood Promotion for Persons with Disability has been proposed by the City Government of Baguio for funding under the GPBP with a local counterpart of Php 230,769.23 and Php 769,230.77 from the DSWD. This project is being implemented under the Department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program which is a community-based program that aims to improve the socio-economic capacity of the poor by providing them entrepreneurial and technical skills training. In the Cordillera Adminsitrative Region, there are already 4,446 Pantawid Pamilya households who have been engaged in micro-enterprise activities for income augmentation. # DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, NERIZZA FAYE G. VILLANUEVA

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