The DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), also known as the Kabuhayan Program, empowers marginalized informal sector workers by providing starter kits and capacity-building grants. In July 2026, the Department of Labor and Employment turned over several Nego-Kart (Negosyo sa Kariton) packages to aspiring entrepreneurs nationwide, offering ambulant vendors a chance to transition from survival-level earnings to more stable and dignified livelihoods.
How the Nego-Kart Package Works
The Nego-Kart project specifically targets ambulant and street vendors to improve their mobility, sanitary conditions, and daily income. Individual beneficiaries can receive up to PHP30,000 to cover equipment and startup materials. The mobile units come fully equipped for food vending, often including built-in cooking stoves, tanks, utensils, and initial inventory to start operations immediately. In Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, recipients received sturdy aluminum carts, cooking utensils, raw materials, and PHP2,000 in initial working capital.
The support package extends beyond material assistance. Beneficiaries also receive business management training, food safety orientations, and assistance enrolling in social security programs like SSS and PhilHealth. In Bataan, the local government provided capability-building trainings and shouldered initial payments for social benefits. The results are tangible: street vendors in Prosperidad saw their daily incomes double, while a former factory worker in Bataan increased her daily sales to PHP1,000.
Who is Eligible for the Program?
To qualify for Nego-Karts or other DILP starter kits, individuals must fall under specific marginalized or vulnerable groups. Eligible applicants include low-wage and seasonal workers, marginalized farmers and fisherfolks, parents of child laborers, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and displaced local or overseas workers. In Davao Region alone, the program has supported 7,925 beneficiaries, including 847 parents of child laborers.
Under the broader DILP program, individuals may receive livelihood starter kits worth up to PHP50,000, while groups or associations can receive assistance up to PHP3 million. The program has supported various ventures including sari-sari stores, rice retailing, hog raising, food vending, and agricultural projects. As beneficiaries in Agusan del Sur noted, "Marami na bumibili kasi malinis at disente ang kariton ko" (many are buying now because my cart is clean and decent).
