LIVELIHOOD SEEDING. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) awards "sari-sari" store kits under its Livelihood Seeding Program (LSP) to selected recipients in the municipality of Barotac Viejo in Iloilo province on Sept. 23, 2021. The program aims to provide means of livelihood to selected entrepreneurs amid the pandemic, DTI-Western Visayas regional director Rebecca Rascon said on Friday (Oct. 1, 2021) (Photo from DTI Iloilo's FB page) ILOILO CITY - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is looking forward to fast-tracking the provision of assistance to residents of Western Visayas through its Livelihood Seeding Program-Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB) funded with PHP18.049 million this year. "LSP-NSB is a response of DTI to provide means of livelihood and getting income while we are battling with the pandemic. It is a small assistance for livelihood. Actually, we don't give cash. These are livelihood kits depending on their need," DTI regional director Rebecca Rascon said in an interview on Friday. Rascon said there has been a delay in their release of kits due to changes in the quarantine classifications of provinces. She said this year, they have identified 328 barangays as recipients of the program's 1,640 livelihood kits. "This is not for everyone. We chose those with individual businesses that we would like to avail of the program," she said. The assistance includes packages for "sari-sari" store, food processing, "bigasan", carinderia, manicure/pedicure and beauty parlor, among others. Rascon said as of September 7, they have disbursed 43 percent of their total fund. She said as of end-August, they have assisted 2,928 micro, small and medium enterprises through their other packages of assistance other than the livelihood kits. "Our assistance does not end with the provision of livelihood kits. If there is no pandemic, we also give orientation and entrepreneurial training," Rascon said. Also, if entrepreneurs are needing further assistance such as packaging of products, then the next step is to provide them with help through business counselors in the Negosyo Centers in municipalities where these are located, she said. Rascon also noted that they have almost the same amount of funds for next year's program, but it will benefit a different set of recipients. (PNA) }