Rose stocking supplies for her dream store

Rose is ready to open a neighborhood sari-sari store — a dream that once seemed impossible when she was living on the streets of Makati and scavenging for recyclables.

Over the weekend, Rose was seen purchasing goods in preparation for her new venture, thanks to livelihood assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The support comes in the form of an P80,000 grant meant to help her launch and sustain the store, which she hopes will provide steady income and a better life.

The DSWD’s intervention follows Rose’s sudden viral fame, after a video showed her emerging from a sewer canal in Makati.

She later explained that she had climbed down to retrieve a small blade cutter, a crucial tool in her work collecting and selling recyclable materials.

Despite the unusual attention, Rose’s story has reflected the daily struggle of many Filipinos in street situations. She is one of several individuals recently reached by the DSWD through its “Pag-abot” Program, which seeks to remove vulnerable people from the streets and help them reintegrate into society.

Rose was brought to the DSWD’s Pag-abot Processing Center in Pasay City, where social workers conducted an assessment and worked with her to determine a viable livelihood path.

Her desire to open a sari-sari store, they found, matched her skills and entrepreneurial spirit.

In addition to the livelihood grant, the agency is looking into how it can support her partner, Jerome, who has skills in welding.

Plans are being explored to provide him with tools or equipment to start earning as well, possibly including a welding machine to supplement their household income.

Officials say the assistance is part of a broader directive to protect and uplift families and individuals in street situations.

The Pag-abot Center, which opened in 2023, offers temporary shelter and support services, including transport assistance for those who want to return to their home provinces.

Rose has also expressed a willingness to give back. As she begins this new chapter, she will join DSWD outreach teams in encouraging other street dwellers to seek help.

Once a figure of viral curiosity, Rose is now poised to become a symbol of hope — and a friendly face behind a neighborhood store.