ILOILO City – From handmade crafts to homegrown delicacies, the entrepreneurial spirit of millions of Filipinos took center stage Tuesday as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) opened the 2025 Alunsina: Kabuhayan Convention and Bazaar at the Iloilo provincial capitol
Running from September 16 to 18, the three-day event highlights the creativity of participants in the agency’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), now serving 4.1 million beneficiaries nationwide — including 2.1 million Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) members.
“The Alunsina is a culmination of empowerment and capability-building,” said DSWD assistant secretary for Promotive Programs Edmon Monteverde. “It allows beneficiaries to engage in enterprise activities, ensuring their journey towards achieving a sustainable livelihood.”
In Western Visayas, the SLP’s impact is backed by a P281.6-million budget this year, with P116 million allotted to Iloilo province and P11 million to Iloilo City.
DSWD OIC-Regional Director Joselito Estember reported 17,050 beneficiaries have already been served as of September 16.
“Each handicraft, every delicacy, every item on display is more than just a product; it represents the perseverance and hope of our communities striving to break free from poverty,” Estember said, urging visitors to buy from the booths. “Every purchase you make is a direct investment in their lives and futures.”
The bazaar features products from across the Philippines — Regions I to XIII, NCR, CAR, BARMM, and the Negros Island Region — turning the convention into both a marketplace and a hub for exchanging best practices.
In a symbolic handover, DSWD-Western Visayas passed the torch to DSWD-Davao Region, which will host the next Alunsina convention in 2026.
Rooted in Visayan mythology, the term “alunsina” symbolizes change and prosperity — an apt representation of the transformative impact the SLP has on the lives of its participants, as outlined in a DSWD informational brief.
Alunsina is a prominent mythological figure in the Suludnon (Panay Bukidnon) people of Panay Island. She is the “goddess of the skyworld”. In the Panay epic myth Hinilawod, she is the wife of Tungkung Langit, the “god of order and the sky”. Their union symbolizes the balance of cosmic forces.
Launched in 2010, the SLP has grown significantly, currently benefiting 4.1 million participants nationwide, with 2.1 million of these individuals being part of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program./PN
