ELCAC-PRLEC consolidates efforts for Northern Samar priority areas

From the Philippine Information Agency (Apr 20, 2021): ELCAC-PRLEC consolidates efforts for Northern Samar priority areas (By Ailene N. Diaz)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar, April 22 (PIA) -- The Poverty Reduction, Livelihood and Employment Cluster (PRLEC) of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) met via zoom consolidating each member-agency effort in providing services to target barangays in the province of Northern Samar.

Initiated and hosted by TESDA Regional Director Gamaliel Vicente, Jr., Chair of PRLEC8, the presentation of programs was done and it was known that TESDA Northern Samar provided training, distributed starter toolkits, and implements Barangay Development Projects (BDP) amounting to more than P 4-Million to 271 beneficiaries.

The intervention of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) - Northern Samar includes the deployment of two units Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosks (STAR BOOKS) including the conduct of Administrator’s and User’s Training.

In addition, DOST also facilitated the establishment of a water purification system facility inclusive of training on the operation and maintenance of the system, the establishment of an impeller rice mill facility including the conduct of training on the operation and maintenance of the system, provision of 20 and 30 units DOST-ITDI developed ceramic water filter.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on the other hand, focused on the conduct of social preparation activity, training on goat production, distribution of assorted vegetable seeds, Kalamansi production, and marketing, among others.

For the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) services centered on the conduct of livelihood seeding program, distribution of livelihood starter packages amounting to 419,000, and sari-sari store kits were distributed to 24 MSMEs who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) also provided CRFP-sustainability livelihood support for disaster-affected areas in Barangay Calantiao, Bobon in particular.

Also mentioned in the report are the peace and security and transportation assistance and services provided by the 20th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, and the Philippine National Police.

Accordingly, DSWD SLP can also provide livelihood assistance by complementing the interventions already provided by other cluster members.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on the other hand can provide aquaculture and technology training with CDA who can provide capability building in the cooperative organizations.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) also informed of their Enhanced National Greening Program implemented in some target barangays.

The six priority barangays in Northern Samar where interventions of PRLE-Cluster were focused on Barangay Calantiao of Bobon, Barangay Quezon of Catarman, Barangay San Miguel of Las Navas, and Barangays Hitapi-an, Osang and Nagoocan of Catubig, Northern Samar. (nbq/ADiaz/PIA-N. Samar)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1073070