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The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 10, through the Sustainable Livelihood Program, strives to reach the marginalized and vulnerable especially the Indigenous People in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA). Purok-Nangka, Barangay Stimson Abordo in Ozamiz City is said to be GIDA and is inhabited by a small community of Subanen tribe members. Marginalized and vulnerable as they are, most of them are beneficiaries of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer for Indigenous People (MCCT-IP).

Members of Stimson IP Kalambuan SLPA are mostly women from MCCT-IP households.

In 2019, 30 household members of the MCCT-IP in Barangay Stimson Abordo were organized into a livelihood association, Stimson IP Kalambuan SLPA, who opened their motor parts and vulcanizing shop with a simple ceremonial blessing attended by SLP staff and Local Government Unit officials by September 2020.

The shop was blessed by a priest and the ribbon-cutting lead by SLP staff and LGU officials.

Despite the threat of COVID 19, the association members worked in implementing their proposed livelihood project while observing health protocols after receiving their seed capital fund. This is very timely for the association members so as to have a source of income in recovering from income loss during the lockdown. With the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) status of Region 10, this allowed the SLP participants to work on their livelihood project. SLP staff will continue guiding and mentoring the association to ensure sustainability of the micro-enterprise and long-term functionality of the association.

Livelihood projects bring in progress and development especially for IP communities in GIDA places.

We wish the association a prosperous enterprising for many years to come.

Story and photos by Arlyn S. Gania, Project Development Officer II