Street vendor finds stability through DSWD’s Pag-abot program
By Niña Jonalyn B. Gambe-Diamante
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — For Maylyn Delin, a 33-year-old mother of five, life once meant braving the busy streets of Butuan City, selling vegetables late into the night to put food on the table. Alongside her eldest daughter—only eight years old at the time—she faced the dangers of roadside vending, ignoring repeated government warnings about the risk of accidents. Survival, after all, left little room for fear.
But in 2025, hope arrived unexpectedly. While waiting outside a restaurant for passersby to buy her vegetables, Delin was approached by personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga’s Pag-abot program, who were conducting their routine roving activities. That encounter would change her family’s life forever.
“It was a very unexpected circumstance. I was just doing my usual routine when, suddenly, they [people from DSWD] approached me and tried their best to convince me to get out of the streets. They told me they would help me as best as they could,” Delin recalled.
At first, she doubted whether promises could turn into reality. But with nothing to lose, she agreed to discontinue street vending and complied with the documentation required. Within the same year, she was granted livelihood assistance—an opportunity she had only dreamed of.
With the financial support, Delin opened a small sari-sari store beside her home. The excess funds became her start-up capital to purchase goods, allowing her to finally run a business in the safety of her own neighborhood.
“I used the financial assistance to put up my small store. Now I can earn while staying at home, and my children are safe,” she shared with a smile.
The transformation was more than financial. Street vending had long disrupted her children’s education, leaving them exhausted from late-night work and struggling in school.
Today, with the family out on the streets, her children enjoy proper rest, attend classes energized, and even bring home academic awards.
“Before, my children’s performance in school was unsatisfactory. But now, I get to help them with their assignments while manning our store. Their grades have greatly improved, and I am very proud of them,” Delin said.
Inspired by the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Pag-abot Program, a flagship initiative of DSWD, is designed to reach street dwellers and vendors, offering them safer, more stable livelihoods and reintegration into communities. Its name, ‘Pag-abot,’ meaning ‘to reach,’ reflects its mission to extend support to those who need it most.
Ephraim B. Malazarte, information officer of DSWD Caraga’s Pag-abot program, emphasized the thrust of the initiative:
“The Pag-abot program is specifically designed to respond to pressing concerns that come with street dwelling—safety, homelessness, and livelihood stability. We reach out to them, or they may reach out to us, and we gladly help them apply to the program.”
As of April 2026, the program has already reached nine beneficiaries in Caraga, each given a chance to rebuild their lives with dignity and security.
For Maylyn Delin, the sari-sari store is more than a business—it is a symbol of freedom from the dangers of the streets and a promise of a brighter future for her children. Her story stands as a testament to resilience, gratitude, and the transformative power of government programs that truly reach those in need. (NJGD, PIA Caraga)