The Department of Labor and Employment – Zamboanga Peninsula (DOLE-9) has distributed some PHP17.7 million in livelihood starter kits to 593 local public transport workers.

Wesley Tan, DOLE-9 chief labor and employment officer, said the livelihood kits are funded by the agency’s EnTSUPERneur Program, a joint project with Department of Transportation (DOTr) that aims to cushion the effect of the ongoing pandemic.

Tan said projects include drivers, driver-operators, conductors, mechanics, and barkers who received tools for carpentry, masonry, welding, vulcanizing, baking, commercial cooking, dressmaking, refrigeration and air condition repair, and rice retailing.

“We will monitor the beneficiaries to ensure they will put to good use the livelihood starters kits given them,” Tan said.

He said the recipients are also covered by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) group personal accident insurance for one year.

The beneficiaries were identified by the DOTr through the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

“They were the ones who were greatly affected by the pandemic since they were not able to drive to earn a living,” LTFRB-9 Director Johnson Almazan said.

Abdulhamid Inggal, 44, a driver and one of the recipients, said the livelihood starter kits will be of big help to his family.

“It is a big help since we will have an additional source of living,” said Inggal, who received 21 sacks of rice and a table weighing scale as a startup in rice retailing.

Another recipient, Lito Sahadain, 38, is eager to resume working after getting his complete set of carpentry tools.

Arshid Sahi 30, a recipient of a bicycle-driven “negocio” kart and complete accessories, said he will no longer have difficulty in selling food and snacks in their community. (PNA)