Iloilo city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is showcasing Filipino-made quality products of its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) at the 2025 Alunsina: Kabuhayan Convention and Bazaar, which officially opened at the provincial capitol in Iloilo City on Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD Assistant Secretary for Promotive Programs Edmon Monteverde said the event is a venue to showcase the SLP, which enables recipients to embark on a sustainable source of livelihood. “The Alunsina is a yearly activity of the Sustainable Livelihood Program, where it showcases all the results of the capability-building program. This is where the beneficiaries enter into an enterprise activity, for them to be able to meet their requirements for sustainable livelihood,” Monteverde stated in a press conference.
Based on Visayan mythology, Alunsina is the goddess of change and prosperity, which is also the impact of SLP on the lives of its program participants, according to the DSWD briefer. The SLP began in 2010 and currently has 4.1 million participants nationwide, 2.1 million of them members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Monteverde highlighted that the SLP serves as an exit plan for 4Ps due to natural attrition, emphasizing the need to continue the sustainability of the economic status and livelihood projects that support health and education. In Western Visayas, this year’s SLP allocation reached PHP281.6 million. DSWD Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Joselito Estember reported that as of September 16, the program had served 17,050 beneficiaries.
In Iloilo province, PHP116 million have been released, with PHP11 million specifically for Iloilo City. Monteverde explained that the SLP has five phases and runs for a maximum period of three years. During the program, Estember remarked that the convention has shown that every handicraft, delicacy, and item on display is more than just a product but a “fruit of perseverance, creativity, and the hope of our communities to rise out of poverty.”
Estember encouraged everyone to visit the booths, explore the products of the SLP associations, and bring home something special, emphasizing that every purchase is a direct investment in the lives of the beneficiaries, their families, and their future. During the ceremony, DSWD- Western Visayas turned over the torch to DSWD-Davao Region, which will host next year’s event in Davao City.