In Barangay Gusa, Cagayan de Oro City, mornings at the Masigasig community store often begin with simple but meaningful scenes: mothers arranging goods on the shelves, fresh vegetables set out for display, cooked viands ready for customers, and members checking small but honest earnings that help bring food to their families’ tables. What now acts as a source of livelihood and pride for the group began with small steps, joint effort, and an inclination to learn.

Masigasig SLP Association is composed mostly of housewives, many of whom are also beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Before they became known in their community for their active association and growing livelihood, they were women trying to make ends meet while caring for their households. Like many families in urban communities, they underwent daily financial limitations and uncertain sources of income. Yet even in difficult circumstances, they brought with them a firm determination to improve their lives.

Their journey began in 2021, when they joined Batch 2 of the Urban Container Household Gardening (UCHG) Project. The initiative was led by the City Social Welfare and Development Office and endorsed by the Ayala Foundation, Inc., which also provided a series of trainings and training kits. What began as a gardening project gradually became something more meaningful. Through each session, each activity, and each small success, the women of the cluster began to see that poverty was not a barrier to learning new skills, helping one another, or constructing a better future for their families.

Little by little, the members became more confident. They learned not only how to grow food, but also how to work together, share responsibilities, and see themselves as active contributors in their community. Their devotion was not overlooked. In 2022, through the initiative of Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy, the active UCHG cluster was selected to participate in the Sustainable Livelihood Program.

With the support of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, in partnership with the CSWD, the cluster underwent capability-building activities to prepare them for a more organized livelihood undertaking. The group was formally organized into an association and guided in developing its project proposal for a community store. At first, managing an enterprise felt intimidating. Many of them had little experience in bookkeeping, business operations, and financial management. But they were willing to learn, and they were not left to do it alone.

Technical assistance was provided by the IPDO, MPDOs, and CSWD focal persons, who helped strengthen the association’s skills in basic bookkeeping, financial literacy, and business management. These interventions became important foundations for the group, especially at a time when they still lacked confidence in handling livelihood operations. What they gained from the training was not only knowledge, but also belief in their own ability to manage something of their own.

On March 20, 2023, the association received a Seed Capital Fund amounting to Php 270,000.00. This became a turning point for the group. With the assistance, they established their community store, the enterprise they had carefully prepared for and worked hard to launch. Their road toward opening the store was not immediate. It took them more than a month to fully start operations because they had to overcome challenges in finalizing the store location, procuring supplies, and preparing the business itself. Still, the waiting and the struggle proved worthwhile.

Their efforts were strengthened by the support of the Barangay Local Government Unit of Gusa, led by Punong Barangay Hon. Mario L. Tabac, which passed a resolution donating a store area to the association. This local support was a strong indication that when communities and institutions work together, livelihood initiatives are more likely to grow and endure.

Since opening the community store, Masigasig SLP Association has steadily improved its operations. Aside from store sales, the association also earns through consignment, allowing members to display and sell their own goods and services, such as water vending machine services, vegetables, fruits, and viands. In this way, the store does not just serve as a group enterprise. It also supports its members’ livelihoods.

The progress of the association can be seen not only in their daily work, but also in their numbers. The SLPA has generated an average monthly net income of Php 16,000.00. In their first year of operation, the average profit-sharing reached Php 1,500.00 per member. By the second year, their total dividends had grown to Php 67,545.44, which was used for profit-sharing among members. As of May 2025, the association had also acquired an asset worth Php 77,033.00 for building improvements and renovations, undertaken after their store was affected by road widening.

Beyond income, the association has grown in confidence and community participation. Over time, Masigasig became more visible and more engaged in local activities. The group regularly joins community programs, trainings, Women’s Month celebrations, program presentations, and friendly contests. They also take part in cleanup drives and conduct feeding activities for elementary students. For the members, these are not just additional tasks. They are signs that they are now more active, more recognized, and more confident in taking part in community life.

Their hard work has also earned recognition. Among their achievements are Best UCHG Group, Best Booth Display in the Ayala Foundation Competition in 2022, Panagtagbo 2.0 Grand Champion in 2023, and 2nd Placer in the DSWD 4Ps Vlog Entry, among others. During their Pasalamat Events in December 2023, May 2024, and May 2025, the association was able to provide dividends and patronage refunds to members due to sound management of its community store.

One memorable milestone came during their Pasalamat Event in December 2023, when their Punong Barangay again brought good news: the association had been chosen as the recipient of a Rotary Club’s community toilet, which would also be managed by the group, with the income going directly to the association. This opened yet another opportunity for sustainable earnings.

Their development did not stop there. By the second semester of 2024, Masigasig SLPA became part of PHINLA Phase II, led by the EcoWaste Coalition and World Vision. Through this, the members received regular technical assistance in financial literacy, human development, entrepreneurship, and Gender and Development. In May 2025, the Barangay Gusa Council passed a resolution formally recognizing Masigasig Association SLPA, affirming the group’s contributions and standing in the community.

In 2025, the association also received Techno Demo training from the Department of Agriculture. The members were registered in the Registry System for the Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC). They also continued joining trainings and seminars conducted by the LGU, EPAPH, DOLE, and the Department of Agriculture. Their voice even reached a wider audience when a representative of the association was invited to DSWD’s “An DSWD Karon” segment on Strong Radio to speak about the Sustainable Livelihood Program and the association’s experience.

Over the years, Masigasig has also shown that a livelihood group can serve as a support system. Through their emergency funds, the association has extended medical and financial assistance to members in need. They have even employed one member as a weekly inventory clerk. From here, they hope to expand into other livelihood activities and eventually process their business registrations once they have enough funds.

Their path was not always easy. Like many organizations, they also faced conflict within the association. But instead of letting these trials divide them, they chose to work through them together. For Ms. Joy Felicilda, the association’s Assistant Marketing Officer, their strength comes from commitment and genuine dedication:

“Committed jud dapat, ug love nimo imong trabaho, kung wala ni, dili ingon ani kadaghan nga grasya ning-abot sa amo.”

Ms. Marylou Labarosa, the association’s Assistant Secretary, reflected on how deeply the journey has changed how they see themselves:

“Ang Masigasig SLP Association, naghulipsa gikulang nga dignidad sa ubos namo nga considerations sa among kinabuhi. Karon dili nami maulaw nga mosulti nga 4Ps mi, amo kaning ikasigarbo ug participant kami sa Sustainable Livelihood Program ni DSWD.”

Today, the story of Masigasig SLP Association is not only about a community store, awards, or income earned. It is a story of women who started with limited means but chose to move forward together. It is a story of mothers who discovered that learning, organizing, and working as one can open real opportunities for their families. Through the support of DSWD and its partners, and through their own fortitude and cooperation, they were able to build more than a livelihood. They built confidence, dignity, and a stronger place in their community.

Masigasig SLP Association serves as an indication that sustainable livelihoods do not develop overnight. It grows through patience, guidance, discipline, and common purpose. And when people are given the opportunity to learn and the support to begin, even small efforts can grow in lasting hope for families and the community around them.