BAUKO, Mountain Province – The Department of labor and Employment (DOLE) recently turned over to two livelihood groups in the municipality some P1.36 million in livelihood assistance for the improvement of their respective projects geared towards improving their production.
The first livelihood project is the Community Enterprise Development on Provision of Farm Machinery of PLPFO in Barangay Guinzadan Sur with a total project cost of P 1,316,493. Of this amount, P 955,150.00 is from DOLE, P 322,500.00 will be the counterpart of the Bauko municipal government, while the remaining balance will be the counterpart of the organization. The farm equipment to be puchased includes 3 units of high powered thresher with blower, 3 units hand tractors, 3 units amphitiller, 2 units high-powered water pump, 3 units knapsack high-powered sprayer and 10 units grain harvester/brush cutter.
The main activity of this project is the leasing of the said farm equipment to member-farmers at a discounted fee compared with the prevailing rate in the locality.
The second livelihood project is the Community Enterprise Development on Bread Production of ADAA in Barangay Sadsadan with a total project cost of P 655,280.00. Of this amount, P 317,290 is from DOLE, P 217,000.00 will be from the municipal government, and the remaining balance will be the counterpart of the organization. This project aims to enhance the existing livelihood activities of the members as they are already baking cup cakes to meet the high demand for bread in their barangay.
Said projects are under the DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program which aims to transform existing livelihood projects of beneficiary groups in barangays into community enterprises as stable sources of income for members, eventually generating employment in the community. The community should have access to adequate, if not abundant, source of raw materials and existing skills necessary for its products or services.
Mayor Abraham Akilit expressed the local government’s gratitude to the labor department for sustaining the grant of livelihood assistance to the chosen beneficiaries after they complied with the guidelines prescribed for the purpose, saying that the beneficiaries should maximize the use of the funds to significantly improve their production to help spur economic activities in their respective places.
Akilit urged the beneficiaries to learn to value the important contribution of the assistance in improving their livelihood activities to help provide local residents with adequate employment opportunities and sustainable sources of livelihood.
By Arsenia Addon and Dexter A. See
