209 beneficiaries in Sorsogon get AKBAY livelihood assistance

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, September 29 (PIA) -- A total of 209 beneficiaries were identified and confirmed by the Agrikultura: Kaagapay ng Bayang Pinoy Program (AKBAY) to receive a P10,000 livelihood assistance through the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) funded by the government of Japan.

This was learned last Monday during the meeting held here orienting several heads of national government line agencies of the program particularly, the Department of Trade and Industry , Philippine Information Agency, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) with former governor Sally Ante-Lee , Executive Director ,of the Sorsogon Provincial Management Office (SPMO).

A P4M livelihood assistance fund to run for 2011-2013 will be given by the Japanese government to 4th and 5th class municipalities in the province of Sorsogon.

For the first tranche recipients, identified were the local governments of Barcelona, Bulusan, Casiguran and Juban and for the second tranche, the municipalities of Prieto Diaz and Sta Magdalena will be included.

The livelihood assistance was evolved to help the poorest of the poor in the agriculture and fishery sectors in the whole Philippines with a P150M livelihood assistance for Luzon and Visayas while a bigger amount was earmarked for the provinces in Mindanao, according to the representative of the NAPC.

OPA assistant provincial government head ,Maria Theresa V. Destura, said that the assistance to be provided to these identified beneficiaries is interest and collateral free.

She further said that the purpose is to primarily provide the identified beneficiaries to better their lives, reduce poverty in the country side and make agriculture and the fishery sector gain ground specially in areas where people are engaged in agriculture and fishery as their main source of livelihood.

Before the distribution of the financial assistance, beneficiaries will undergo training, orientation and reorientation on entrepreneurial enhancement with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The livelihood assistance will be focused on short gestating scheme to zero in in crop production of mushroom culture, root crop production , backyard poultry raising while in the fishery component it identified seaweed , sea urchin, mussel, oysters , prawn, mud crab production and tilapia culture farming.

Equity on the part of beneficiaries will be land, labor cost and available facilities.

Destura said that the team that identified the beneficiaries had already conducted on site pre-evaluation , their farm household profile were already validated together with their project proposals and with a certification from the barangay captain of them being residents of the barangay for the past 3 years.

Project launch of the AKBAY will be this October 28 at the Sorsogon Provincial Gymnasium and will form part of the Kasanggayahan Festival 2011 celebration . (MAL/IAG, PIA Sorsogon)

40 beneficiaries receive Kabuhayan Starter Kits from DOLE

by Rosalita Base-Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, September 29 (PIA) – A total of 40 graduates in different vocational courses receives Kabuhayan Starter Kits (KSK) under the program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) held at the Little Theater, provincial capitol compound here yesterday.

The starter kit was distributed by DOLE regional director Alvin M. Villamor, Governor Edgardo Tallado together with ex-officio Sanguniang Panlalawigan Ricky Manarang, chairman of the Committee on Education.

Villamor said that the Kabuhayan Starter Kit is one the major programs of the DOLE to help qualified graduates of vocational courses, informal sectors, unemployed and disadvantage workers.

He said that beneficiaries were provided with their own tools and equipment that can be used to start their own small businesss if not employed.

The 40 beneficiaries were former out-of-school youth who avail of free-schooling program and graduated in vocational courses on Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), electronics, Automotive Mechanic Servicing (AMS), Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) and beauty care hairdressing under the Educational Program for Deserving Out-Of-School Youth (EPDOSY) of the provincial government.

Of the 21 who are graduates of SMAW, 19 received a welding machine 300 AMP, 1 was given a grinder and electric drill and 1 received a grinder portable and electric drill portable while those 10 graduated in electronics, 7 were given each one set of digital tester, soldering iron, 30W and inverter 600W; 1 was given a inverter DC-AC 800W, AVR 110-220V, analog tester and soldering lead, 1mm (Duwell); 1 was given analog tester and soldering, 1 mm (Duwell) and 1 graduate receoved inverter 600W, digital tester and soldering pump (big).

The one who graduated AMS was given a hexagonal deep socket, box wrench, combination wrench and grinder while the 2 EIM graduate each receives an electric grinder, electric hand drill, wire stripper and tester OVM portable 200 AMP.

The 4 who graduated in hairdressing each receives curling iron, hair dryer, hair net, hair steamer, towel and tinting bowl while the 2 graduated in beauty care receives each make-up kit, hand spa/foot spa tolls/kit, facial scrub tools/kit and manicure/pedicure tools/kit.

Also a distribution of checks for the scholars of Camarines Norte Provincial Government College Education Assistance Program (CNPGCEAP) were distributed during the activity. (MAL/RBM/PIA Camarines Norte)

Feature:

Castilla's Unod Festival 2011... a celebration of health and blessings

by Irma a. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, September 29 (PIA) -- "Unod" Festival expresses thanksgiving of the people of Castilla, a celebration of the bountiful harvest of root crops of the town and the value of being industrious people," thus stated Mayor Olive Bermillo of Castilla, Sorsogon

"Everything now is on high gear as the celebration of the festival to start this September 30 up to October 8," Bermillo said.

Castilla town is known to be one of the best farming towns in the province. Mostly all the people are dependent on the land produce of different varieties of root crops like camote, ube, cassava, gabi and uraro, hence Unod Festival is a celebration of these abundance derived from the land and the continued value of people making best the value of the land.

The mayor also stressed that the Unod Festival is also a celebration of blessings the people received from government assistance to make farming their prime industry and the direction that the local government of Castilla has envisioned for the town making their root crops become the most viable source for livelihood to fight poverty and an expression of the industriousness of the people of Castilla.

"This 9-day celebration will highlight a display of the root crops produced by farmers in the Agro -Festival Fair to be participated in by our 39 barangays showcasing how these products were preserved, made into candies, used as add on to viands and how these are now becoming a favorite food to advocate healthy lifestyle," Bermillo stressed.

"We have also dialogued here with our local officials, health workers and specially the Department of Education (DepEd) to make use of these root crops as the main snacks that should be served in the school canteens so that children will be made more aware that rootcrops are healthy food . It should also be the food to be served to visitors to help propel the economy of Castilla and eventually teach the next generation to do away with junk foods," Bermillo also explained.

Aside from the root crops, Castilla is also known as a fishing community and a fruit basket of the province.

People traveling in the national highway passing by the town of Castilla will always see the fruit stands beside the road abundant with year round local produce from the local variety of santol to Bangkok santol, pineapples, bread fruit, papaya, guyabano, atis, guava, biriran, melon and almost all local fruits and vegetables found in the province but basically these root crops mentioned always are in abundance.

This year's festival will start with the Thanksgiving Mass on Sept. 30, at 1:00PM at the new Municipal Building to be attended by all employees, local officials, guests and the people of Castilla. It will be followed by a press conference where the local media are invited.

A motorcade starting from Barangay Sugoy will pass by the barangays of Macalaya, Poblacion, La Union and to end at Barangay Cumadcad in front of the public market and at 7:00 pm will be the coronation of the Mutya na Castilla.

An Agro-Trade Fair to run for one week will showcase all the local produce of the town to include the Unod Festival Photo Contest , Media Invitational Tour to the tourism destinations and agricultural potentials of the place,a fun run, mangrove tree planting, carabao race and other activities that will show the total potential of the town in terms of agriculture.

A street dancing and float parade competition, Search of Talentadong Castillano, Civic Military Parade with the participation of the drum and bugle corps of the schools are activities included in the festival also.

"We hope to attract investors to our place also specially in tourism development and agricultural opportunities as there are now big corporations here in Castilla like the Manzehing Corporation who is now on to agro- development here and who have invested specially in agriculture,"Bermillo also explained.

"The Unod Festival is just a means to propel our agricultural potential as a town and ultimately become a statement of development where the people of Castilla will be able to live a better quality of life out of the land they till and these produce they will share to the national and hopefully to the global markets as health foods are now the trend," Mayor Bermillio beamed with hope in the success of the celebration.(MAL/IAG, PIA Sorsogon)