A new life awaits a family of four as they received their livelihood assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pag-abot Program.

Headed by Jerwin, 35, the family was reached out by the Pag-abot Program and successfully returned to their hometown in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya last June 6.

The family received a total of Php 80,000 livelihood assistance from the program during the payout activity on August 5 to help them start anew after living in the streets of Metro Manila for almost five months.

Jerwin expressed gratitude to the Pag-abot personnel and the program for helping them and making sure that they are safely removed from the streets.

“Mahirap din na walang kasiguraduhan yung kaligtasan ng pamilya ko, lalo na nasa gilid lang kami ng kalsada. Araw-araw, takot kami sa sakuna, sakit, mga mababangis na hayop tulad ng mga ahas, at mga masasamang loob. Kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa DSWD dahil dinala nila kami sa kaligtasan,” Jerwin said.

The family will use the financial aid in setting up a commercial store that will sell vegetables, fruits, and street food in Solano town.

Staff from the Pag-abot National Program Management Office (NPMO), representatives from the local government unit (LGU) of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, and officials from the concerned barangay, showed their support to help the family settle in their hometown.

The DSWD Field Office 2 (Cagayan Valley) lauded the agency’s Pag-abot Program for reaching out to families, children, and individuals in street situations and providing them with the necessary interventions that include medical assistance, food aid, transportation and relocation assistance, livelihood opportunities, transitory family support packages, and emergency financial and transitory shelter assistance, among others.

“Ang paglulunsad ng Oplan Pag-abot ay isa lamang sa hakbangin ng DSWD, sa pamumuno ni Secretary Rex Gatchalian, upang matulungan ang mga pamilyang Pilipino na nangangailangan ng agarang tulong at suporta. Patuloy na magsisikap ang ahensya na mas mapabuti ang kalagayan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino, lalo na sa panahon ng krisis at kalamidad,” the Field Office 2’s post said.

As of August 1 this year, a total of 2,802 beneficiaries have been reached out by the Pag-abot Program since it was launched in July 2023, as part of the innovative programs of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian. #