CBA-CPLA members undergo entrepreneurship training

By Redjie Melvic M. Cawis

Sunday 3rd of June 2012

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, June 3 (PIA) -- Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA) members have undergone Entrepreneurship Development Training, which intends to equip them with business skills and help improve their lives.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), in collaboration with provincial Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) offices, led the training workshops that were held in Abra, Mountain Province Apayao and Kalinga and recently in La Trinidad, Benguet.

The training was first conducted in February in Ifugao, spearheaded by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and Technical Education Skills Development Authority-Ifugao.

OPAPP Project Manager Anna Laylo said that the training is a required primary step before support can be provided for the livelihood projects proposed by CBA-CPLA members under the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the CBA-CPLA on July 4, 2011, towards the group’s transformation into a potent socio-economic force.

“This training will equip the participants with the necessary business management tools that would help them supervise their businesses well,” Laylo said.

These tools include business planning, situation analysis, manpower distribution and marketing, among others.

According to Johnny G. Pulay, Senior Trading Industry Development Specialist of DTI-Benguet, the projects they proposed are very feasible and promising. He expressed optimism that the workshop will eventually help them in their business ventures.

Meanwhile, the attendees in the Benguet leg likewise conveyed high hopes and appreciation of the program which is part of the rolling out of the livelihood program under the GPH-CBA-CPLA MOA.

“Although we know some things about business since most of us are in the agriculture sector, we still learned a lot on how to make a business plan and how to distribute manpower,” said Miguel Toyaoan, Jr. We know this will help us a lot,” he added.

Next in line for the CBA-CPLA members is a more extensive three-month business development class. (JDP/RMC-PIA CAR)