VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) – Nine micro-businesses in Ilocos Sur received various tools and equipment from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to help improve their production.
The tools and equipment include chairs, tables, cooking utensils, a gas stove, a dough mixer, and automotive tools worth P262,596.
The assistance is part of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program and Technical Advisory Visits (DILP-TAV), which aim to strengthen micro-businesses by providing essential equipment, improving operations, and boosting their income to sustain their livelihoods.
The beneficiaries, owners of carinderias (eateries), bakeries, and auto repair shops from Vigan City, San Vicente, Banayoyo, Santiago, and Caoayan, were participants in the 2024 Technical Advisory Visit (TAV) program.
The program offers sessions that guide business owners with fewer than 10 workers on General Labor Standards, Basic Occupational Safety and Health, and Workplace Emergency Preparedness.
In a press release on April 24, DOLE Regional Director Exequiel Ronie Guzman said the agency remains committed to helping small businesses grow by supporting their needs to sustain operations.
George Reyes, owner of DAQ bakery in Caoayan town, received a dough mixer with a 15-kilo capacity.
“Now that we have this dough mixer, we expect to achieve better production due to its ability to produce higher-quality dough,” Reyes said in a phone interview on April 25.
Karen Remular, an eatery owner from San Vicente, also shared her gratitude. She said she did not expect to be chosen but is thankful for the support that will help her business.
The items, distributed on Mar. 10 and 17, were identified by the business owners as their most pressing needs at this time.
The DILP-TAV and other programs offered by DOLE not only help small businesses by providing equipment but also assist them in understanding labor laws for better business management. (CCMT/JMCQ, PIA Ilocos Sur)
