Candy seller becomes food trader through DSWD’s livelihood program
By Renelle L. Escuadro
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Sustainable Livelihood Program is not just an assistance initiative; it is empowerment at its core, by helping people help themselves.
Priscilla E. Soliva, a solo parent from Barangay Cuarinta, San Jose in the Province of Dinagat Islands shared how the DSWD-Caraga, through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), transformed her from a scanty candy seller to now a flourishing food trader.
For years, Soliva strived daily just to provide for her family’s needs. In 2006, she started a humble food vending business with only one product, the candy or cocoa bar, known locally as ‘tira-tira.’
Determined to grow her business, she gradually expanded her product line to include breadsticks, banana chips, and sugar-coated-and fried skinless peanuts under the Pris Homemade Food Trading.
However, like many micro-entrepreneurs, her livelihood was not spared from challenges such as the harsh impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that resulted in unstable operations, and sustaining her business was a struggle.
But in September 2022, hope came her way. She received a Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG) worth P15,000 from DSWD-SLP. With this support, she was able to revitalize and expand her business. The grant allowed her to purchase raw materials, improve her production, and introduce more variety to her products, helping her regain a stable foothold in the market.
“Ang DSWD-SLP ang naging daan sa napakaraming pagbabago sa aming pamilya at kabuhayan. Lumago ang puhunan ko at dumami ang aking mga produkto na ngayo’y hindi lang sa aming barangay nabibili, kundi naipadala na rin sa iba’t ibang munisipyo ng Dinagat Islands. Dahil sa aking negosyo, napatapos ko sa kolehiyo ang aking anak. Ang lahat ng pangangailangan ng aming pamilya ay natutugunan mula sa kinikita ko rito. Tunay akong pinagpala sa tulong ng DSWD-SLP, maraming salamat po,” she said.
(The DSWD-SLP paved the way for the many improvements in our family and livelihood. It increased my profit and my products, including the expansion of my market because my products have reached other towns in the province. Because of my business, my children were able to finish their college education. All the needs of my family were met through the income from my business. I am truly blessed with the help of DSWD-SLP, thank you so much).
Aside from DSWD, Soliva also received assistance and support from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and from the local government of San Jose, allowing her to better manage her own production area just a few meters away from her residence. With her thriving business, she now provides employment opportunities to others, hiring not only regular workers but also part-time students and even senior citizens from her neighborhood who wish to earn extra income.
Her journey from selling simple tira-tira to becoming a recognized food producer in her community is proof that determination coupled with the right support, discipline, and eagerness to learn can truly uplift lives.
Meanwhile, the Sustainable Livelihood Program is one of the development programs of DSWD which helps vulnerable and marginalized families and individuals start their own livelihood projects and eventually make them self-sufficient entrepreneurs. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands with a report from DSWD Caraga)
