DOLE-7 Gives P1M Livelihood Assistance to Multicab Drivers

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-7) turned-over to COREDASS Association, Inc. a livelihood grant worth around P1-M for its vulcanizing and welding shop.

According to DOLE-7 Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga, DOLE provided all materials, jigs, and equipment needed for the group’s undertaking for full operations.

Tires, pistons, crank shafts, bearings, cylinder head gaskets, belts, automotive wires, batteries, brake fluids, wiper blades, signal lights, fuel filters, and many more were among the products displayed and made available for sale at the group’s store located in Babag II, Lapu-Lapu City.

Sarcauga said that the association shelled out P252,522 as counterpart since the total project cost reached P1,262,610.

“We hope that the 75 members of COREDASS headed by their president, Vicencio V. Remulta, will be able to take care of and sustain their project. It is also our dream at the DOLE, that those we have provided assistance are able to improve their lives and of those around them eventually,” he said.

Joel Susas, 45, of Babag II, Lapu-Lapu City, used to think that he would remain driving for a living for the rest of his life. But he now serves as the store-in-charge of COREDASS.

Susas has been a multicab driver for many years. Driving was his main source of living, the only one he relied on in order to support his family and send his children to school. His life had been spent on the streets for more than 20 years ferrying commuters from Cordova up to the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) in Lapu-Lapu City and vice versa.

Susas never thought of doing something else aside from driving. But things changed not only for him but also for the rest of the members of COREDASS where it sells auto or spare parts and offers vulcanizing services not only to its 75 members of the association but also to other drivers nearby.

“Daku kaayo ang among kalipay. Wala namu damha nga magrasyahan mi ug ingon ani sa Ginoo. Salamat kaayo sa DOLE sa paghatag ug pagtagad sa among panginahanglan (We’re so happy. We never thought that we will be blessed by God with so much. Thank you very much DOLE for giving us what we needed),” said Joel.

When asked how much he is receiving from the association for taking charge of their store, Joel said that he is, for the moment, rendering his services for free.

Letting go of the income he could possibly earn for a whole day driving and concentrating instead on taking care of the operations of their store, he added, is a concrete way that he is serious in helping their business go a long way.

“Ako man ang gitahasan sa grupo nga maoy magbantay sa among tindahan, ako pud nga gidawat ang maong responsibilidad. Gamay ra kaayo ni nga sakripisyo sa akong bahin. Maayo gani kay nay DOLE nga nitabang namu. (I was given the task by the group to watch the store and I accepted the responsibility. This is a little sacrifice for myself. Good that DOLE helped us),” he said. (rmn/jsme/PIA7-Cebu with DOLE7 report)