Under the current administration of Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) redesigned its poverty alleviation program and grouped particular target beneficiaries from previous beneficiary lists.

The key to arrest poverty and hunger among the country’s poor is provision of sustainable livelihood to families.

There were previous conditional financial aids given to families under the poverty threshold, through the (4Ps) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Filipino Family Subsistence Program).

Jesse Chelim, leader of the DSWD field team based in Kalinga, said that only when poor families establish sustainable source of income can they get out from the clutches of poverty.

Chelim explained that for livelihood to be sustained, target poor families are assisted through provision of start up capital for income generating endeavors under track 1 and given guaranteed employment under track 2.

In Kalinga, Apayao, under track 1, DSWD has released Php 491,000 pesos (US$ 11,690) to the Tanudan municipality, and Php 513,000 pesos (US$ 12,214) to Pasil to encourage people to engage in small income generating activities as source of livelihood.

For track 2, DSWD listed down skilled and qualified workers from the four pilot municipalities of Pasil, Lubuagan, Tinglayan and Tanudan, recommended them to government agencies for hiring.

Along this goal, the DSWD launched assistance projects that are aimed to alleviate the country’s poor from wallowing under this state, Chelim said.

The DSWD has seen the importance to convert these recipient families become self reliant and earn for their own needs.

Before the money is released, DSWD sees to it that target recipients are trained how to invest the amount so that it will grow.