LINGAYEN, Pangasinan October 02 – The provincial government of Pangasinan extends all-out support for the implementation of more livelihood ventures for women from Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities and coastal towns.
As an initial step, the Local Councils of Women (LCW) – Pangasinan in partnership with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and other development partners mounted on September 21-22 at the President Hotel in Lingayen the Orientation Seminar on Skills and Product Enhancement.
The orientation seminar, which gathered 30 IP women and 10 costal women, was the training component of the 1st Gayak Pangasinan ‘Women Leaders for a Cause’, an LCW-led fund-raising event held last April 7 at the Sison Auditorium in Lingayen.
Addressing the participants on behalf of Governor Amado I. Espino, III, Board Member Raul Sison assured the IP and coastal women that the provincial administration in non-stop with its efforts to cascade all its development projects, particularly socio-economic services, to the grassroots level.
“Patuloy and suporta ng ating Pamahalaang Panlalawigan sa mga program para sa mga Indigenous Peoples at mga kababaihan sa Pangasinan,” Sison said.
A component of the orientation seminar, the participants was introduced to the Livelihood Assistance Program of the provincial government which gave them particulars on the pre-requisites they must comply with to avail of the program.
Urbiztondo Vice Mayor Marilyn Sison, LCW Pangasinan Chair, said the discussions included in the orientation seminar were arranged ‘in procedure’ relative to starting a livelihood venture.
Topics discussed by experts were: Business Registration and Entrepreneurship, Good Manufacturing Practices and Standard Sanitary Operating Procedure, Awareness Seminar on Packaging and Labelling and License to Operate.
“We are doing all these as part of our advocacy of empowering women especially the disadvantaged… to help them level up their socio-economic status,” LCW Chair Sison said.
‘Livelihood start up provisions’ for wine-making and fish products processing were awarded to the IP and coastal women.
Skills demonstrations to include bangus products processing, and the briefer of the bamboo products processing of LGU Alaminos City were conducted as well along with the Crime Awareness and Prevention lecture.
The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples – Pangasinan brought 30 women from various IP communities in Pangasinan who seeks to develop their wine-making and handicraft industries. They were from Sison, Umingan, Labrador, Sual and Dasol.
Coastal women, on the other hand, came from Sual, Infanta, Anda and San Fabian.
By Dexter A. See
