MANILA – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is ready to help Filipinos that lost their jobs amid the pandemic through its agencies’ livelihood programs.
In a Palace briefing on Tuesday, Sec. Ramon Lopez said the department is distributing livelihood kits worth P5,000 to P10,000 to an individual to start his own business. These livelihood kits are given for free and not as loans.
“We teach the nation to fish to feed them for a lifetime,” he added.
Over 50,000 livelihood kits were distributed throughout the country, according to the official.
Aside from livelihood kits, the DTI is still rolling out the COVID-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises (CARES) program, a zero-interest loan to help existing businesses survive amid the pandemic.
This month, the DTI is conducting a survey to determine the impacts of the recent restrictions in community quarantine in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.
Although there are businesses that permanently shut down, Lopez said more businesses have opened despite the pandemic.
Most of these businesses are engaged in e-commerce and other sectors that have growth amid the ongoing health and economic crisis.(PNA)
