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KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 06 October) — Sixteen families of soldiers and police personnel in North Cotabato who were wounded or killed in the battle field received livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Region 12.
One of the beneficiaries was Lorlene Apostol whose husband, Sgt. Andrew Apostol, was killed in an encounter with a group of terrorists in Marawi City in 2014.
DOLE-12 regional director Sisinio Cano said Apostol and the rest of the beneficiaries received starter kits and goods for their sari-sari stores, Peso Net, E-load retailing, chorizo, and rice retailing.
Cano said the livelihood assistance has helped ease the burden of the families.
In North Cotabato, the DOLE-12 has allotted P298,292 worth of livelihood assistance, turned over recently to the beneficiaries.
“Nagapasalamat dyud ko nga nahatagan ko ug assistance kay sukad nga namatay akong bana katong 2014 wala pa dyud kami nadawat nga assistance, first pa dyud namo ning sa DOLE” (I’m thankful for the assistance given to me because since my husband died in 2014, we never received any assistance and this one from DOLE is our very first assistance), said the widow of Sgt. Apostol.
Cano said his agency is tasked to assist the families or legal dependents of policemen and soldiers who were either wounded in action or killed in action.
Aside from starter kits, qualified dependents of these soldiers and policemen are considered priorities in DOLE’s Special Program for Employment of Students, Cano added. (Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews)
