A lawmaker on Monday filed a measure seeking to make the government’s livelihood assistance program permanent and expanded to reach more poor Filipino families, BusinessWorld reported.
Nueva Ecija Rep. Timothy Joseph E. Cayton, under House Bill No. 9456 or the “Sustainable Livelihood Program Institutionalization and Expansion Act,” proposed to make the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development a permanent fixture rather than a stopgap measure. The bill aims to expand the program’s coverage to more beneficiaries and ensure continuous funding.
The SLP currently provides grants and capacity-building support to help poor households start or enhance small businesses. If enacted, the law would institutionalize the program, protecting it from budget cuts or termination. Cayton said the measure would help break the cycle of poverty by providing sustainable income sources for vulnerable families.