DOLE Bicol releases P.8M for livelihood

LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 23 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to release P854, 436.95 livelihood grant for the first quarter of the year for the DOLE Kabuhayan-Starter Kit (DK-SK) "Trabaho sa Bag" program in the Bicol region.

Nathaniel V. Lacambra, DOLE Bicol regional director, said that the first batch of release is part of the P13-million budget allocated for various livelihood programs of the agency for 2012.

“We want to start early in helping Bicolanos cope up. More livelihood opportunities means more jobs and improved quality of work for Bicol,” Lacambra said.
Lacambra said that the grant will be a good start for Bicol in its campaign to boost livelihood and employment opportunities in the region this 2012.

The first batch of DK-SK grant will be distributed on February 23 to four provinces in the region including Polangui, Albay with grant amounting to P333, 025.64, Sorsogon with P64, 056.10, Naga City with P213, 602.54 and Daet Camarines Norte with P243, 252.67.

DOLE Kabuhayan Starter Knowledge Sharing, Inputs Acquisition, Training on Skills Acquisition (DK – SK) Project is a livelihood formation strategy to improve the socio-economic well-being of workers belonging to various sectors in society.

The project aims to engage beneficiaries in sustainable self-employment by providing livelihood starter KITS consisting of package of services such as trainings, self-instructional learning materials and business advisories.

The said grant also includes livelihood tools and equipment that can be used for easy to learn livelihood undertakings such as starting their own business. (MAL/SAA -PIA5 Albay)


DAR Catanduanes bares year-end assessment

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Feb. 23 (PIA) -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) provincial office here bared its year-end accomplishment report for the year 2011 focused on programs of the agency's municipal officers, the provincial Comprehensive Agrarian Reform (CARP) situationer, and the issues that either held back or helped in delivering respective targets.

“ I want you to build circles of hope, instead of spreading the virus of fear because hope creates the way, while fear destroys it,” Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Alexander Teves said in his opening message.

Teves reported that for CY 2011, Catanduanes had a re-calibrated target of 1,385 hectares for Emancipation Patent (EP)/ Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) registration.

He underscored the leaps in program beneficiaries’ development where out of the 24 targeted community organizations; the province was able to assist 25, making it at 104 percent accomplishment rate.

Along with that, PARO Teves announced that for the past year, Catanduanes was able to spearhead confirmation of 2 new Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCS)—Kalapadan and Patabok.

As to the current year 2012, PARO Teves stressed that the province hopes to run up to its 883.8320 hectare-target that could be achievable out of the 1,777 hectare-LTI target downloaded by Field Operations Office at DAR central office.

For the Program Beneficiary Development (PBD) sector, he said that it will jumpstart efforts towards ARCCESS or the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services program in the municipalities of Virac, San Andres, and Panganiban.

“We will also utilize in full the public-private partnership scheme in support to our ARC development programs that would ensure viable livelihood systems, through project-based models,” he added.

PARO Teves emphasized that the year 2011 was a challenging one, adding that the program implementation under Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) “is not a leisure walk in the park,” but nevertheless encouraged commitment and enthusiasm from among all employees in achieving their targets. (MAL/EAB/BBV)