First Market Retail livelihood program launched -

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Government and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have mounted a unified recovery drive pairing the TUPAD emergency wage assistance with the region’s pioneering First Market Retail (FMR) livelihood program, ensuring that families affected by Typhoon Tino receive both immediate relief and sustainable enterprise support.

Late last week, the city carried out a staggered payout under TUPAD for three upland barangays: Buot and Bacayan with 200 beneficiaries each, and Lusaran with 259 beneficiaries.

 The City’s Department of Social Welfare and Services led the distribution in partnership with DOLE and barangay officials, ensuring orderly queues and transparent release of assistance.

Earlier, DOLE’s Tri-City Field Office spearheaded the awarding ceremony for members of the Cambinocot Multi-Purpose Cooperative, headed by chairwoman Luisita Valdueza, with representatives from the Department of Manpower Development and Placement and the Office of Congresswoman Cutie Del Mar in attendance.

The event marked the beneficiaries’ transition from classroom preparation to real-world entrepreneurship, following preparatory sessions in bookkeeping, inventory management, and essential business practices.

The FMR program, conceptualized under Regional Director Roy Buenafe, introduces a fresh and structured approach to livelihood development.

At its core, FMR is a market-anchored retail platform that integrates capacity-building, private sector mentorship, and government oversight into one cohesive framework.

Beneficiaries were given sari-sari store packages after being equipped with the skills to manage them responsibly.

What makes FMR distinctive is its shared responsibility model. The private sector assumes the role of a big brother, providing guidance, market insights, and post-award mentoring to beneficiaries. Meanwhile, DOLE and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board take on a continuous role in monitoring, evaluation, and technical assistance.

Both panels jointly assess implementation progress and determine the project’s success rate, ensuring accountability and sustainability beyond the initial assistance.

The program was crafted through a series of technical working group meetings and round-table discussions, where government and private stakeholders collaboratively designed a workable framework.

This process ensured that beneficiaries were not only recipients of aid but participants in a structured journey from learning to earning, and from theory to sustainable enterprise.