DTI, Army kick off Women’s Month celebration in LCAC-affected community

From the Philippine Information Agency (Mar 12, 2021): DTI, Army kick off Women’s Month celebration in LCAC-affected community (By April M. Bravo)

BURGOS, Ilocos Sur, Mar. 12 (PIA) – The Poverty Reduction, Livelihood and Employment Cluster (PRLEC) of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the 81st Infantry Battalion (IB) Philippine Army (PA) and the Municipal Task Force - Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) here, joined effort to promote women empowerment with the conduct of a Skills Upgrading Training on Cassava Processing in Lubing village on March 5.

Twenty members of the Lubing Women’s Club (LWC) attended the Skills Upgrading Training, a follow-up to the Cassava Processing Training conducted on November 13, 2020 where members were taught on how to cook cassava flan, cassava suman and cassava cake.

The LWC started their cassava processing business after the training initially generating an average daily sales of Php600.00 per day.

Their products, now popularly branded as Lubing Cassava, are already being sold in the different barangays of the town and the demand for it is gradually increasing.

The local government unit (LGU) of Burgos has approved the request of the LWC for a display space in the OTOP (One Town One Product) Pasalubong Center of the municipality where consumers can easily access their produce.

In his message, Mayor Nathaniel Escobar thanked the DTI for the continued support it is extending to the women in Barangay Lubing in their livelihood endeavors.

He enjoined the women-participants to strengthen their cooperative effort to grow their business and become more prepared to take advantage of opportunities when the tourism development for Barangay Lubing will materialize.

He likewise thanked the 81st IB PA for facilitating the various assistance which government agencies are extending to the barangay.

“Hopefully, everyone will cooperate to make this cassava processing project a success and help in uplifting the lives of the people in Lubing. We also thank the 81st IB PA for their presence in Barangay Lubing. If not for them, the DTI would not be here to extend their programs,” Mayor Escobar said.

END INSURGENCY. Lt. Col Rodrigo Mariñas, Jr. reiterates that the Philippine Army remains committed to the aspiration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to end insurgency during his administration.“To end insurgency, we need to empower communities by making them resilient, developing them into productive citizens in the community. The Philippine Army is here to serve as a bridge of the barangays to the government agencies that can provide the needs of the people in the barangay,” said Lt. Col. Mariñas. (photo by DTI Ilocos Sur)

The establishment of the Cassava Processing Project in Lubing was facilitated by the 81st IB PA as one of the results of their Community Support Program (CSP) in the said barangay.

The CSP is one of the tools of the Philippine Army in clearing ELCAC-affected barangays of insurgency.

Lt. Col Rodrigo Mariñas, Jr. reiterated that the Philippine Army remains committed to the aspiration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to end insurgency during his administration.

He likewise thanked the DTI for responding to the Philippine Army’s call to extend its services to Barangay Lubing.

“To end insurgency, we need to empower communities by making them resilient, developing them into productive citizens in the community. The Philippine Army is here to serve as a bridge of the barangays to the government agencies that can provide the needs of the people in the barangay,” said Lt. Col. Mariñas.

As an identified ELCAC-affected area, Barangay Lubing is one of the priority beneficiaries of the Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo Sa Barangay (LSP-NSB) of the DTI which provides funding support for income-generating projects to improve the economic condition in the area and wean away people from the influences and infiltrations of the leftists.

Assistance comes in the form of technology trainings and livelihood kits.

The Upgrading Training conducted is expected to broaden the source of income of the LWC as more variations of cassava products like creamy cassava custard cupcakes, cassava pudding and cassava cake with buko were introduced.

DTI Provincial Director Grace Lapastora lauded the members of the LWC for the continuing interest and commitment they are showing to develop their cassava processing business

EMPOWERING WOMEN. DTI Provincial Director Grace Lapastora lauds the members of the Lubing Women’s Club in Burgos, Ilocos Sur for the continuing interest and commitment they are showing to develop their cassava processing business. She expressed her confidence that with the collective help of the LGU of Burgos, 81st IB PA , the DTI and the other members of the PRLEC, the LWC will be able to further broaden their income generating capacities, improve their entrepreneurship skills, increase their profits and soon be an example of a success story of an empowered women’s group contributing to economic development. (photo by DTI Ilocos Sur)

She expressed her confidence that with the collective help of the LGU of Burgos, 81st IB PA, the DTI and the other members of the PRLEC, the LWC will be able to further broaden their income generating capacities, improve their entrepreneurship skills, increase their profits and soon be an example of a success story of an empowered women’s group contributing to economic development.

Lapastora urged the women’s group, “Make the most out of every opportunity which the government extends to you because not all of the 768 barangays in the province are able to access these services. Let us always be reminded of our own responsibility in the attainment of peace and prosperity.”

The LGU of Burgos also took the opportunity during the opening ceremonies of the training to express their gratitude to the 81ST IB PA through a commendation for their sustained effort in maintaining peace and order in Barangay Lubing through the CSP.

Mayor Escobar said that the Philippine Army’s presence in the barangay is critical as the LGU is set to embark on its tourism development plan in Barangay Lubing.

He further said that the LGU has already approved the request of the Barangay Council of Lubing for the establishment of detachment of the Philippine Army in the said barangay.

 

ARMY COMMENDATION. The LGU of Burgos, headed by Mayor Nathaniel Escobar (left), takes the opportunity to express its gratitude to the 81ST IB PA through a commendation for their sustained effort in maintaining peace and order in Barangay Lubing through the Community Support Program. Lt. Col Rodrigo Mariñas, Jr. (right) thanked the LGU of Burgos for the commendation which they received, adding, "We are thankful to the LGU of Burgos for this commendation. This is another challenge to the Philippine Army to better our work in serving our people. Every time we deploy our CSPs in the barangay, we are always guided by our mantra of “Serbisyo Hindi Perwisyo.” (photo by DTI Ilocos Sur)

Lt. Col Mariñas thanked the LGU of Burgos for the commendation which they received.

“We are thankful to the LGU of Burgos for this commendation. This is another challenge to the Philippine Army to better our work in serving our people. Every time we deploy our CSPs in the barangay, we are always guided by our mantra of “Serbisyo Hindi Perwisyo", he said.

As part of the Women’s Month Celebration, the DTI Ilocos Sur is set to conduct a series of livelihood trainings for women’s organizations to enhance their capacities and solidify their role in socio-economic development.

These trainings will be conducted specifically for the Sto. Domingo Rural Improvement Club, Sta. Catalina Food Processors Association, Salincub Women’s Club and the Puso ti Kababaihan-Sugpon Chapter. (JCR/AMB/PIA Ilocos Sur)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1069310