The completion ceremonies yesterday of the 10-day training on Breadmaking conducted by Apayao Training Center in Musimut, Kabugao served to be a non-ending litany of appreciation and thanks for the efforts of the provincial government of reaching out to various communities in the province.
Throughout the brief closing ceremonies, the trainees took turns expressing their gratitude to the provincial government for bringing to their community the just-completed breadmaking training and for the new skills they acquired and hope to put into use to help their families earn additional income.
“We would like to thank the leadership of Governor Elias C. Bulut, Jr. and Congresswoman Eleanor Bulut-Begtang for initiating trainings like this and bringing it to communities like our barangay Musimot”, Sheryl Mae Dacumos, one of trainees said in the vernacular.
“We gained significant knowledge from the training, and we are eager to apply it to generate additional income for our families. We are hopeful that the provincial government will assist us in establishing small businesses,” shared Jenalyn Isoc, another trainee from Madatag, a neighboring barangay to Musimut.
The trainees see the success of the training as a precursor to potential opportunities for them to earn additional income for their respective families. They are now talking about forging an association amongst themselves and use the skills they have learned during the training in setting up a small bakery business, which they further hoped the provincial government and other national government agencies will help them on.
ATC Administrator Jerome Lacambra committed to assisting the trainees in their planned association and business undertaking,through referrals to offices of the provincial government and national line agencies providing financial assistance to community livelihood initiatives.
Likewise, Ms. Evelyn Naval, consultant to the provincial government’s livelihood assistance program, offered to assist the group, from establishing their association to securing vital interventions from relevant agencies.
“Our goal is for this group to become a model association, setting a benchmark for your town. To achieve this, I urge you to maintain your commitment and ensure that our collective efforts yield sustainable outcome,” Naval emphasized.
The first of a series of community-based skills training projects lined-up for Kabugao this year, the training was part of the aggressive efforts of the provincial government to empower communities by equipping residents with practical skills that could help them secure employment or initiate livelihood undertakings aimed at improving their living conditions.
The training was made possible with the support of Barangay Captain Dindo Anunang, together with the barangay’s council members. With much appreciation, Anunang extended an open invitation for future capacity-building and skills training initiatives within his barangay. He then encouraged participants, stating in vernacular, ‘This is precisely what our community needs. I sincerely ask you to transform these skills into income-generating ventures for both your families and our barangay.'”
ATC is set to start a one-month training on carpentry and masonry in the same barangay on April 12, 2025, while coordination is ongoing for a training on electrical installation and maintenance in Kabugao tentatively set to start in the third week of April. Likewise, another training on bread and pastry production is ongoing at the Apayao Community Learning Center in Poblacion, Kabugao. By Apayao PIO
