From relying mainly on seasonal farming to managing a growing community-based enterprise, members of the Ilaceda Sustainable Livelihood Program Association (SLPA) in Barangay Nambaran, Tabuk City have turned livelihood assistance into an opportunity for sustained income and community support.

The association, composed of 15 farmers and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries 13 women and two men was established in September 2023 to address limited income opportunities and the challenges brought by dependence on seasonal agricultural activities.

Through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), Ilaceda SLPA received a ₱300,000 Seed Capital Fund (SCF) to establish its microenterprise.

The association began its operations in February 2024, offering basic household commodities such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, frozen food, eggs, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Its main warehouse in Sitio Ileb was eventually complemented by branches in Sitio Daya, Laod, and Umpalla as the enterprise expanded its market reach.

From its initial retail operations, the association diversified into paddy rice trading, lending activities, and wider commodity distribution. It also established partnerships with local farmers, community sellers, and other livelihood groups, creating additional economic opportunities beyond its membership.

The association’s enterprise generated ₱274,085 in net income from four paddy rice trading cycles and recorded 100 percent capital growth within one and a half years. It also sold an average of approximately 272 sacks of rice and 70 LPG refills per month.

For SLPA President Avelina K. Canao, the growth of their enterprise came with the responsibility to protect and maximize the capital entrusted to them.

Before becoming the association’s president, Canao spent 15 years working in a hotel and even went to Baguio to look for additional opportunities to help provide for her family. Becoming responsible for a substantial amount of livelihood capital was a new experience for her.

“First time ko nga agiggem ti dakkel nga kwarta di naawat mi jay livelihood grant mi. Gapu ta maysa nak nga makinresponsibilidad iti panaglago na daytoy naited kanya mi ket madik kayat talaga nga mapukaw ti puunan mi,” Canao shared.

For her, losing the capital was never an option. Instead, she and her fellow members looked for ways to keep their money working.

“Madik nga maturog ti kwarta mi, isu nga ibiruk mi latta nga ibiruk nu anya ti mabalin nga pag-income’an na,” she said.

“We do not let our cash go idle; we always find ways to make it earn.”

That mindset helped Ilaceda SLPA transform its initial livelihood assistance into a growing community enterprise.

But for its members, growth was not measured by numbers alone.

The business also became a source of livelihood opportunities for others in their community. The association began providing capital to individuals who wanted to start or strengthen their own small businesses. It also supplied goods to other livelihood groups and established partnerships in communities outside Nambaran.

Even challenges became lessons in managing the enterprise.

When the association experienced a robbery that resulted in the loss of ₱70,000 and important business documents, they responded by strengthening security measures, including the CCTV installation in their rented bodega. When sales slowed in some branches, they searched for new markets and established rice distribution partners in Colayo, Pasil.

Their efforts eventually gained recognition. Ilaceda SLPA was the sole nominee of SLP Kalinga for the Gawad Sulong Search for Best Microenterprise Development Association under the regular-funded projects category. In June 2025, it achieved a Level 3 adjectival rating for both its project and SLPA status and an intermediate competency level during the Usbong Phase assessment. This qualified the association for a ₱100,000 Product Diversification and Development Grant (PDDG), making it the first recipient of the incentive in the Cordillera Region.

The association’s progress also translated into tangible benefits for its members. During its second profit-sharing activity in July 2025, 14 active members received ₱5,500 each, for a total distribution of ₱77,000. In December 2025, the association conducted another profit-sharing activity, with each of its 15 active members receiving ₱15,500.

For Canao, the transformation extends beyond the association’s income.

She said the business has also allowed them to help other people in their community.

“Dakkel ti pasasalamat mi ti DSWD ta haan lang nga dakami nga members ti SLPA ti natulongan da. Gapu ditoy panagbusiness mi ket adu met ti natulongan mi nga pada mi nga tao.”

“We are deeply grateful to DSWD because the assistance did not only help us as members of the SLPA. Through our business, we have also been able to help many other people in our community.”

From farming households with limited and seasonal income, the members of Ilaceda SLPA have grown into entrepreneurs, suppliers, community partners, and sources of livelihood opportunities for others.

Their story shows that livelihood assistance can become more than capital when it is matched with discipline, collective action, and the determination to make an opportunity work.

For Ilaceda SLPA, the goal is no longer simply to earn.

It is to keep growing, to keep the enterprise moving, and to ensure that the opportunity they received continues to create opportunities for others. #DSWD FIELD OFFICE CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, MEYNARD ALONZO PACLEBA, reports from NAFELINE L. BUMAKKIT, MPDO/PMEO.