MAASIN CITY– Gerlie Roa, a resident of Barangay Laboon in Southern Leyte, is a testament to the positive impact of the Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PPG), a program under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The 37-year-old, who runs a small convenience store in her upland community, expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the grant she received through the program.
“This grant has been a huge help,” Roa shared. “Now, we have a more well-stocked store and can ensure we have enough food for our family.”
Roa’s experience highlights the program’s success in empowering small businesses and providing vital support to communities in Southern Leyte.
The PPG program provides livelihood kits and training to help entrepreneurs establish and grow their businesses, contributing to economic development and improving the lives of individuals like Roa.
“Yes, sir, this is a big help. At least we are assured of having food, the viands from the sales of the store,” Roa said in a vernacular.
In a phone interview with the Philippine Information Agency, Roa recalled that she has been operating her sari-sari store for about two years now.
Initially, customers would just pass by without noticing her business, but after receiving the PPG livelihood starter kits, her store transformed with a variety of products displayed.
“I am new to selling, and I have the requirements—registration and BIR. Before Typhoon Odette, or after Odette, I started selling, but it was small, just a few items, buyers just pass by, but now it has improved,” she said.
The improvement did not occur overnight; it all began with a seminar organized by DTI in collaboration with the barangay local government unit, in which Roa was one of those invited to join.
On September 13, 2024, coinciding with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s birthday, Roa received a livelihood kit at the provincial gym. The kit, valued at P10,000, included grocery items and basic consumer goods under the DTI’s PPG program.
The event was part of a nationwide initiative titled ‘Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat,’ in which the provincial DTI office joined along with several national agencies.
Roa was one of 35 local entrepreneurs from Maasin City and the neighboring town, Macrohon, selected as beneficiaries after meeting the required qualifications.
In addition to sari-sari store owners, various other livelihood kits were distributed, including fish retailing kits, bakeshop kits, boarding house/homestay kits, and eatery kits.
Before September concluded, 180 more business kits were distributed to other local government units across the province, as reported by the DTI’s provincial office on its social media page.
“The ‘Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat’ aims to bring government services closer to the people by introducing essential programs, offering assistance to kickstart livelihoods, and supporting Filipinos in their needs, especially in disaster-prone areas,” the DTI further said.
For Roa, a mother of three children, with her eldest child now 10 years old and the youngest, one year old, and whose husband works in Manila to support the family, that message really makes sense.
(MMP, PIA Southern Leyte, with reports from Wencel Marie Laroa, DTI Southern Leyte)
