With the challenges brought by the pandemic, the Employees’ Compensation Commission – Regional Extension Unit No. 10 successfully managed in conducting a livelihood seminar to twelve persons with work-related disabilities in Cagayan de Oro City on March 23, 2021.
The 12 PWRDs, who are from Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental, are beneficiaries of ECC’s Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang Kapansanan (KaGabay) Program. It is a special economic assistance program, that provides persons with work related disabilities equal access to livelihood opportunities and assist them in setting-up their own self-managed micro-enterprises or home-based business.
For the first time in ECC, ECC REU10 conducted a hybrid livelihood seminar, a combination of face-to-face and virtual discussion. The activity was held at Pearlmont Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City and this is in coordination with the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board – Region 10.
Exequiel Salcedo III of ECC Regional Extension Unit No. 12, who is formerly assigned in Cagayan de Oro City, handled the Social Preparation Training virtually through the Zoom platform. Meanwhile, Stella Mae Obice of ECC REU10, directed the participants in Business Plan Making. Evelyn Rivera, Labor Employment Officer III of RTWPB-X, discussed the following topics with workshops: ISTIV-Bayanihan, Financial Literacy and Simple Bookkeeping. With these, PWRDs are equipped in starting their own self-managed business.
The PWRDs are expected to submit their own business proposal and will soon be given each a ₱20, 000.00 worth of starter kit.
In case the PWRDs will be able to sustain their livelihood project in the last three months since they started the ECC will grant them a complimentary kit of ECC lowered the minimum requirement for the grant of complementary benefit ₱10, 000.00.
ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis said, “The ECC reduced the lead time for the grant of complimentary kit from a period of at least one year to three months as an immediate response to alleviate the financial sufferings of the PWRDs during this pandemic.”
“Tungod sa ECC Livelihood Program, nabag-o akong kinabuhi ug sa akong pamilya. Walay imposible kung naay determinasyon, positibo ang panghuna-huna ug naay salig sa Ginoo (Nang dahil sa ECC Livelihood Program, nabago ang buhay ko at ng aking pamilya. Wala talagang imposible kung may determinasyon, positibong pag-iisip at may panalig sa Diyos),” said Jebson Igloria, one of the successful ECC beneficiary in Northern Mindanao.
S. Obice – 10