DOLE CALABARZON through its Cavite Provincial Office (DOLE-CPO) led by Provincial Director Marivic B. Martinez together with Labor and Employment Officer Joyce Ann Ruth Gomez-Teaño, personally awarded the Bread and Pastry livelihood project grant amounting to PHP460,564.00 to 57 women beneficiaries. The awarding ceremony took place at the Trece Martires City Command Center.

Also present in the activity was Trece Martires City Mayor Gemma Lubigan and Vice Mayor Bobby Montehermoso along with Agri-Ecotourism and Enterprise Development Consultant/Trainer, Meng Yaun. The beneficiaries were all members of Sipag ng Kababaihan ng De Ocampo (SIKAD) and were formerly unemployed women, mostly wives of farmers and minimum wage workers.

In her message, Director Martinez encouraged the beneficiaries to sustain and develop the project for more years to come. "Lahat muna ay gratis, libre muna, walang sahod, walang bayad, kung kinakailangan mag rotation, kayo ang magtutulungan para lumago ito", Director Martinez adverting to the members of SIKAD.

She even humorously invited SIKAD to sell their baked products to DOLE CPO. Director Martinez finally urged the beneficiaries to utilize their sales and profits for 6 months up to a year to make their bakeshop fully sustainable.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lubigan assured the beneficiaries that the municipal office will patronize the baked goods of SIKAD by supplying day cares and public elementary schools of the city with E-Nutribuns and other nutrient-fortified pastries.

SIKAD President, Lorena Yalung, expressed her gratitude to DOLE-CPO for giving opportunities to the women members of the informal sector."Sa DOLE sana patuloy na serbisyo para sa tao – mga programang makakatulong upang maiangat ang antas ng kabuhayan ng kababaihan at matutong magkaron ng kakayan sa pagpapalago ng kabuhayan" Yalung said.

Ms. Yalung mentioned that she learned about the livelihood program of DOLE through a liveliorientation held at their barangay in 2018.

The livelihood project was implemented through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program or Kabuhayan program, which seeks to contribute to poverty reduction and reduce the vulnerability to risks of the working poor, vulnerable, and marginalized workers either through emergency employment, and promotion of entrepreneurship and community enterprises.


by:

JOSHUA NOEL C. BASSIG
LEO III