Itogon, Benguet—Far from the urban jungle of Metro Manila, Mr. Leon Macario now enjoys life in the company of his family. A somewhat reserved figure, Mr. Macario, recollects how he was brought back to his rural hometown with the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pag-abot Program earlier this year.
“Agyaman kami iti dakel nga tulong nga inted ti DSWD para kini manong mi,” said Beverly Namatic Gansowen, sister of Mr. Macario. “Haan kamin marigatanen iti sustento ni manong mi nga Leon nga haan makatrabahu para iti panagbiyag na. Ket ikarkarigatan mi daytuy livelihood assistance para idjay sustento na.” she added.
(“We are very grateful for this big help that DSWD has given to our brother. We will not be hard up anymore in providing for the essentials of our brother Leon who cannot go to work. With this, we will see to it that his needs are met through this livelihood assistance.”)
Macario, 68, was reached out to by the DSWD last February 2024 in the streets of Pasay City. Initially, he was provided temporary shelter and interventions such as psychological and medical assistance in the DSWD’s GRACES (Golden Reception and Action Center for Elderly and Other Special Cases) in Quezon City for 6 months prior to being resettled in his hometown. For its part, DSWD Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region (FO CAR), processed the continued assistance for Mr. Macario through thorough assessments of his needs and situation for further and appropriate interventions.
The Pag-abot Program aims to reduce the risk and vulnerabilities of children, individuals, and families in street situations and improve their social wellbeing through the provision of Social Welfare Protection Services, various interventions, and opportunities to improve social status and fulfill fundamental rights for them to live productively in a safe, supportive and enabling environment.
On September 16, 2024, the DSWD FO CAR, led by Regional Director (RD) Maria A. Catbagan-Aplaten, handed over P80,000.00 worth of livelihood assistance to Mr. Macario at the DSWD FO CAR office in Baguio City. According to Mr. Macario, with the use of the grant as capital, he and his family will be undertaking the retail of rice, vegetables, and street food in Sitio Antamok-Luneta, Loacan, Itogon, Benguet.
Meanwhile, DSWD FO CAR Innovative Program Head Ms. Merly L. De Guzman said that they will keep up on the monitoring of the operations and sustainability of the micro-enterprise to ensure that Mr. Macario and his family will continue to receive the much-needed assistance. ### DSWD-CAR Social Marketing Unit –Christian Robert M. Sandoval, Information Officer II
