“Wala nako gi-isip kung unsay kulang nako. Kay kaya raman nako ang trabaho, kung unsa to akong lihok sa kumpleto ko og tiil, mao sad akong lihok karon. Ang uban kay maulaw, pero ako dili ko maulaw kay gihatag ni sa Ginoo kay duna koy purpose, gi isip nakong motivation akong pamilya,” says Nicasio Espirutu, whose disability did not prevent him from working for his family’s livelihood.

(I did not think about what was lacking in me. The quality of my work when I have complete legs is still the same as the quality of my work right now. Others would feel ashamed of their condition, but I am not ashamed because this is given by God; maybe I have a purpose, and I thought of my family as my motivation.)

The 55-year-old Espiritu never thinks of his disability as a hindrance but rather uses it as a motivation to continuously support his family.

A native of Moalboal in Cebu, Nicasio uses his makeshift wheel cart as his primary means of mobility since the amputation of his two legs in 2008 due to severe gangrene.

For Nicasio, every day presents not just physical challenges but also societal barriers—prejudice, discrimination, and exclusion from full economic participation due to his disability. Yet, these obstacles have only fueled his resolve as the breadwinner of his family.

Welding became not just a means of livelihood but a lifeline. With improvised tools, he maneuvers under vehicles, using his hands as support and a pair of plywood as his mat.

Nicasio drew upon his experience as a storekeeper in Mandaue City’s welding shops. His dream of owning his welding shop persisted, driving him to provide for his family’s needs and invest in their future.

Three months after his therapy at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital, Nicasio opened his modest welding shop in Barangay Tomonoy, Moalboal.

“Kaning akong welding, nakatabang ni og pagpaeskwela sa akong lima anak hangtod college, nakapalit mi og refrigerator, tv, og nakauswag ni sa among panginabuhian, naka-apod sad ni og pa-balon gamay sa akong mga apo karong panahona,” said Espiritu.

(This welding shop has helped my children’s education until college, we have also invested in material things for our house like refrigerator and television, and have constantly improved our livelihood ever since. I can even share a little amount of money with my grandchildren to this day.)

In 2022, the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reached Barangay Tomonoy, presenting the community with a livelihood opportunity.

Joining the program, Nicasio utilized the grant to enhance his business—investing in pig raising and upgrading his welding equipment. This support not only boosted his productivity but also improved the quality of his work, attracting more clients and steadily increasing his income.

With the assistance from SLP, he has generated an income ranging from Php1,000 to Php3,000 per day, enough for him to contribute to their Sustainable Livelihood Program Association (SLPA) savings.

Nicasio was also able to improvise his cartwheel, serving as his body vehicle that can reach two-three miles.

“Kung unsay kusog nako sauna, mao sad akong kusog karon , kuntento nako og unsay naa nako karon, ang importante naa mi panginabuhi nga maka support sa akong pamilya. Sa 17-ka tuig, wala nako giisip ang kakapoy, og natabangan nako akong mga anak nga mu-graduate og mao nay akong dakong kalipay og kalampusan,” Nicasio said.

(My strength before was the same as what my strength is now, I am content with what I have right now, the most important is that I can support my family. Working for 17 years, I did not think of how exhausting it was and I helped my children graduate which is my greatest happiness and success.)

Nicasio is one of the 104 Persons with Disabilities benefiting from the DSWD’s livelihood initiatives in Moalboal.

“Pasalamat ko sa DSWD kay napaboran ko sa livelihood , napun-an ang akong capital, unya naa sad koy maani aside sa akong pag welding, nakatabang gyud siya,” Nicasion continued.

(I am very thankful to the DSWD because I was favored with the livelihood , it added capital for another business aside from the welding, it did help me).

SLP is a community-based capacity-building program adopting the community-driven enterprise development approach, which equips household participants to actively contribute to production and labor markets by looking at available resources and accessible markets.

The SLP facilitates interventions that expand the livelihood asset base of households (i.e., human, social, physical, natural, and financial capital) to capacitate them for gainful employment or successful management of micro enterprise.

This year, the SLP celebrates its 13th year of facilitating livelihood opportunities to poor, vulnerable, and marginalized Filipino families.

From 2011 to May 2024, more than 3.4 million household beneficiaries benefitted from the livelihood assistance of the agency. Over 2.3 million of which are Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.
The SLP was formally adopted as the enhanced version of the Self-Employment Assistance – Kaunlaran (SEA-K) Program on June 28, 2011 by virtue of Administrative Order No. 11, S. 2011 or the Guidelines on the Implementation of Sustainable Livelihood Program.

Among those eligible for SLP assistance are members of the 4Ps and households who are poor, vulnerable and marginalized identified through the agency’s National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR). #