Financial aid for sari-sari stores up in Bacolod City
BACOLOD CITY -- The Bacolod City government will extend financial aid to Sari-Sari store owners in the city to help them cope with the financial crisis.
The city government with the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) will give P5,000 cash to augment the capital of about 200 small Sari-Sari store owners in depressed areas of the city.
PESO Manager Moises de la Cruz said store operators in depressed barangays are believed to be among the hardest hit by the declining global economy.
Fifty to sixty store owners from Barangays Handumanan, Alangilan, Sumag and Banago will be the recipients of the city program under the Livelihood Enhancement Program for Informal Sector.
De la Cruz said they have already signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and the project will be immediately implemented as soon as the check gets through which is estimated to reach more than P250, 000.
The program is in response to the call of President Gloria M. Arroyo to extend help to the poor and needy members of the community who are the most vulnerable sector to be hit by the crunch.
Many more similar projects are due to be implemented across the country as President Arroyo urged Local Government Units to reach out to the less privileged members of the society. (PIA-LOL)