Monday, July 20, 2020

Ex-Militia ng Bayan in NegOr receive livelihood kits from DTI

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 20, 2020): Ex-Militia ng Bayan in NegOr receive livelihood kits from DTI (By Roi Anthoni Lomotan) 


A female DTI-PBG beneficiary recevies her sari-sari store voucher from Philippine Army 302nd Infantry Brigade Commander Col. Noel Baluyan (left) and DTI - Negros Oriental Provincial Director Nimfa Virtucio during the DTI-PBG Livelihood Kit Turnover Ceremony held July 18, 2020 at the 11th Infantry Battalion Headquarters in Salag, Siaton. Witnessing the turnover is Provincial Public Information Officer Bimbo Miraflor (back). (PIA7-NegOr)

NEGROS ORIENTAL, July 20 (PIA) -- Forty individuals identified to be former militia ng bayan in this province are thankful to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) after receiving their livelihood kits which would enable them to start their own businesses.

DTI, in partnership with the 11th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army, turned over P10,000 worth of livelihood kits to the beneficiaries of their Programa para sa pagBangon at Ginhawa (PBG) coming from barangays who are covered by the government’s whole-of-nation approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

PBG is DTI’s livelihood seeding program which aims to help micro, dmall, and medium rnterprisers (MSMEs) in calamity-hit areas including communities affected by local communist armed conflict to re-start or build their business.

From the said number, nine recipients are from Brgy. Mayabon while six are from Brgy. Calango in Zamboanguita town, four from Brgy. Dobdob in Valencia town, 13 from Brgy. Tayak in Siaton, and three are from Brgy. San Pedro in Sta. Catalina.

The said places are included in the province’s ELCAC priority areas.

“Nagpasalamat kaayo mi ug dako anong maong proyekto sa gobyerno na ilang gihatag namo. Salamat maaky sa inyong gihatag kanamo na mga kaayuhan. Rest assured na kaming nakadawat, amo gyud ning ampingan ug amo palambuon. Bason na lamang makahatag (ni) ug kaayiuhan sa among tagsa-tagsa ka pamilya ug sa community (We are thankful to the government for this project or livelihood kits they turned over to us. Rest assured that we, the recipients of this, will do our best for our businesses to prosper. We hope this initiative will improve the lives our respective families and in our community),” said Bart (not his real name), one of the PBG beneficiaries from Brgy. Tayak, Siaton.

Bart received a voucher which he can exchange for feeds in a local agri-vet store.

He plans to put up a feeds business with the livelihood kit he received.

Letty (not her real name) is another resident of Brgy. Tayak who plans to put up a sari-sari store because people in her village live far from one another and they have to travel far to go to their town’s central district to buy basic necessities.

With the sari-sari store she is putting up, residents of her village would no longer need to go far to buy their daily needs.

“Salamat sa inyong gikatabang namo. Makatabang (ni) sa among kalisod (Thank you for the livelihood kit you have provided us. This will help uplift our lives),” Letty shared.

The voucher which she received can be exchanged for sari-sari store goods in a DTI-accredited grocery store.

Aside from giving vouchers for those who want to establish their own sari-sari stores, DTI also gave farm animals with feeds good for three months, fertilizers, and sugarcane seedlings for those who would like to engage in farming or agriculture.

Tiago (not his real name) from Brgy. Dobdob in Valencia town received a pair of goats which he plans to raise and breed.

“Padaghanon nako ni sila kay para negosyo man ni. Ibaligya na ko kon modaghan na (I will breed them and once they have multiplied, I will sell some of them),” he disclosed.

He also received feeds for the goats from DTI.


Two DTI-PBG beneficiaries in Zamboanguita town take a photo with their livelihood kits in the form of young female cows after a turnover ceremony held July 9, 2020. Each of them took one female cow which they will raise and eventually breed. (PIA7-NegOr)

On the other hand, Emong (not his real name) from Brgy. Mayabon in Zamboanguita town received one young female cow from DTI which he plans to use to kick-off a cattle-raising business.

“Nagpasalamat mi kaayo ug nakadaawat mu ug tabang sa gobyerno. Dako mi ug kalipay na niabot sa among barangay ang mga tabang (I am grateful to the government for the help they have extended to us. I am happy that their efforts have reached our barangay),” said Emong.

A total of 16 goats, nine sari-sari store vouchers, six cattles, and two piglets with feeds were given to PBG beneficiaries along with sugarcane stem cuttings and sacks of feeds and fertilizers.

Based on the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Administrative Order No. 10 regarding the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP), militia ng bayan refers those who have been indoctrinated and may or may not be directly involved in violent armed struggle but when organized, can provide mass support to alleged rebel groups.

The turnover was held in two batches. The first one was on July 9 in Zamboanguita town and the other one was held July 18 at the 11th IB Headquarters in Salag, Siaton.

DTI Provincial Director Nimfa Virtucio said it was the beneficiaries who chose which livelihood kit they would like to avail of, adding that the department gives the livelihood kit in kind than in cash.

“Kanang among gihatag ninyo, sinugdanan ni siya and kamo na ang bahala mopalambo. Kaning mga ingon ani na programa, angay nato i-take advantage. Angay nato attenan ug sultian ang uban (These livelihood kits we have provided you will help you start your own business. It’s now up to you to develop this. We urge you to take advantage of this program and also inform other people about it),” Virtucio told the PBG beneficiaries.

DTI also engaged the PBG beneficiaries in an entrepreneurship seminar before they turned over the livelihood kits so that they will have some basic knowledge about running a business.

Meanwhile, 11th IB Commander LTC. Ramir Redosendo said this endeavor is a product of the joint efforts of government agencies on ELCAC.

“Ito na yung mga produkto ng mga effort natin. Kung iko-connect natin we have the Community Support Program last year. Na-identify natin iyong mga kapatid natin na gustong bumalik sa normal life of the society so ito na yun. Ito na yung produkto ng ELCAC (This is a product of the efforts of the government agencies. If you recall, we did a Community Support Program last year. We have identified some of our brothers and sisters who would like to return to the normal life in the society. This is it),” Redosendo told PBG beneficiaries during the turnover ceremony in their headquarters.

On the other hand, 302nd Infantry Brigade Commander incoming BGEN. Noel Baluyan also announced that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the province is processing the necessary requirements so they can be covered by the benefit packages of E-CLIP as an added incentive for them.

Baluyan said they can use the additional incentive to develop the livelihood kits given to them.(ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental)

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