TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office No. 8 awarded a total of P5.2 million in livelihood assistance to 177 workers in Eastern Samar under its DoLE Integrated Livelihood Program.

In a report, DoLE-RO8 said 100 workers from San Policarpio town were provided with starter kits for their chosen livelihood activity amounting to P2.92 million. The starter kits were for livelihood projects such as dressed chicken vending, rice retailing, food vending, vegetable vending and beauty care.

In Guiuan town, DoLE-RO8 gave 26 home-based workers and parents of child laborers rice retailing business amounting to P776,906.

The labor department in Eastern Visayas also provided 51 underemployed and marginalized workers in Dolores town livelihood projects amounting to a total of P1.5 million. These projects includenation sticker signage and photo printing, food vending, rice retailing, tubaan store and lugaw vending.

Fe Norma Valuis, DoLE-Eastern Samar Field Office head, said the beneficiaries of the program were identified as among the most marginalized and needy workers in the province.