The Department of Social Welfare and Development – National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) recently awarded capital assistance amounting to Php 3,569,200.00 to 27 associations of Self-Employment Assistance –Kaunlaran (SEA-K) from the cities of Malabon, Valenzuela, San Juan, Caloocan, Marikina and Municipality of Pateros.

The said associations are composed of 515 Pantawid Pamilya household-beneficiaries who now have the opportunity to earn through small-scale business which could be included as one of their main sources of living.

The capital assistance to be received by each household-beneficiary ranges from P5,000.00 to P10,000.00 depending on the type of business they intend to put up. Meanwhile, sari-sari store is the most common business that the beneficiaries prefer.

DSWD-NCR OIC-Assistant Regional Director Jacel J. Paguio ( seated, fourth from left), in her inspirational message during the awarding ceremony emphasized that, this effort of the department aims to further assist the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in uplifting their level of well-being for them to eventually reach self-sufficiency.

However, she explained that uplifting the well-being of the beneficiaries still depend on how the family, especially the parents, duly perform their responsibilities to their children in complementation to the government’s intervention.

For the first quarter of 2014, DSWD-NCR has already released a total of Php. 4, 515,000.00 capital assistance to 33 SEA-K associations composed of 604 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries. ### (FO-NCR, Social Marketing Office May 27, 2014)