DOLE-CAR turns over livelihood checks to Kalinga

By Geraldine G. Dumallig

Saturday 7th of July 2012

TABUK CITY, Kalinga, July 7 (PIA) -- Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Director Henry John Jalbuena formally turned over this week checks for four livelihood projects in the province.

Jalbuena awarded a check in the amount of P350,000 for the Community Enterprise Development in its installation of a rice mill for a farmers’ group in San Francisco, Rizal as DOLE’s counterpart. To complete the P664,000-worth project, P200,000 was funded by the provincial government of Kalinga, P100,000 from the local government of San Francisco, P2,000 from the Provincial Cooperative Development Authority, and P2,000 to be shared by the farmers’ group.

DOLE-CAR also gave a check of P444,110 as its counterpart for the P667,810 mushroom production of farmers in Laya East, Tabuk City. For their counterpart, Tabuk City has allotted P132,500 for said project while the Office of the Congressman Manuel Agyao of the District of Kalinga provided P62,000, and the mushroom growers provided the remaining P29,200 as their share.

For the Dupag Sustainable Income for Livelihood Improvement project worth P200,000, DOLE gave as counterpart an amount of P100,000. The local government of Dupag also allotted P50,000 for the project while the organization took care of the other P50,000 as their share.

For the installation of rice mill and thresher for the farmers’ group in Bawac-Dupligan of Tanudan, DOLE has given as counterpart a check of P480,000 for the P940,000 project.

Jalbuena said that Kalinga is one of the provinces in the region that has received several livelihood funding assistance through the DOLE Integrated Program towards Community Enterprise Development. He also said that many more livelihood projects are being readied to be delivered in the province as part of the capability-building program of the government to help alleviate poverty in the poorest areas in the country like Kalinga.

"DOLE’s thrust is not only limited to facilitating job opportunities but is also giving priority to the creation of self-employment opportunities through entrepreneurship to help improve the lives of the marginalized sector," he said.

Jalbuena commended the support of the local government units, the farmer groups and the Office of the Congressman Agyao for their support and in helping identify the needs of the people to help the government to appropriately respond to their needs.

"Such partnership through convergence should be sustained for the government to be able to empower every Filipino by providing them productive employment through entrepreneurship as stable source of income to improve their lives," he said.

With all the full support and cooperation among the stakeholders, there is no reason for the people not to progress and be independent where families are enjoying a better and dignified quality of life, Jalbuena said. (JDP/GGD- PIA CAR, Kalinga)