Through its Opportunity 2.0 project, USAID boosts the financial management and entrepreneurial skills of Filipino out-of-school youth.THE United States government has ably supported 500 Filipino out-of-school youth in gaining financial and entrepreneurial skills.
USAID partnered with Catholic Relief Services Phils. to implement the savings and lending approach of SILC to give the youth essential skills in finance and business. The youth work with their peers to pool their resources, save up for their needs, and have a support group as they venture into small enterprises.
The youth, organized in five cities, has saved a total of P620,000 since January 2021. To date these groups have loaned out P320,000 to support education, training, livelihood, and other emergency needs of its youth members. As host, Mayor Michael Rama of Cebu City—chair of the USAID-supported Youth Development Alliance in the city—acknowledged the agency as “a longtime partner in development,” and thanked the program for “equipping the youth with the skills for us to be able to take on the challenges of the future.”