SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) — To uplift vulnerable communities in remote areas, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launched the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) farming program in Barangay Gallano, Aringay, La Union, on March 10.
The program will provide training and financial assistance to four Indigenous Peoples (IP) livelihood associations, aiming to foster economic growth and self-sufficiency in this isolated, mountainous region.
The four IP associations—Gallano Agri-Wise, Gallano Agri-Grow, Gallano Hog Raisers, and Gallano Eggcellence Poultry—were selected due to their membership in poor and underserved communities, where vegetable farming is a primary source of livelihood.
The DSWD’s initiative seeks to enhance these groups’ economic prospects by connecting them with both government agencies and private sector buyers, opening up new market opportunities for their produce.
The launch is a public-private convergence activity led by the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and SM Foundation.
DSWD’s SLP capacitates poor and vulnerable households to gain self-sufficiency through the provision of seed capital funds, skills training, and job opportunities.
The DSWD awarded a total of P2 million in seed capital to four SLP Associations, namely Gallano Agri-Wise, Gallano Agri-Grow, Gallano Hog Raisers, and Gallano Eggcellence Poultry, to kickstart their livelihood initiatives.
Meanwhile, the local government of Aringay provided a 3,800-square-meter lot for the integrated farming livelihood project.
Rogerio Bismonte III, Project Development Officer II of the DSWD-Field Office 1 Specialized Programs Division, said that after a 14-week training provided by the SM Foundation, the agency envisions the associations supplying vegetable produce to DSWD centers in Region 1 and supporting the supplementary feeding program later this year.
“We want these associations under the DSWD SLP to supply their output to our government feeding centers, like our DSWD facilities,” Bismonte said.
DSWD centers that will soon benefit from this livelihood opportunity include the Haven for Women, Area I Vocational Rehabilitation Center, and The Haven-Regional Center for Children, all in Dagupan City, Pangasinan; and Home for Girls in Agoo, La Union.
Bismonte added that the DSWD also plans to link the associations to the Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa Centers and the soon-to-open SM La Union, further increasing market opportunities and expanding their reach.
To strengthen the associations’ capacity for sustainable livelihood management, partnerships have also been established with TESDA for technical-vocational training on farming.
The DOLE will assist in registering the associations.
Lorie Anne Posas, 32, one of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude for the government’s support, which she said brings much-needed assistance to their remote community.
“Maragsakan nak datuy naited iti government nga tulong dituy ayan mi ta uray adayu daytuy ayan mi ket isudan iti nangi asideg dagiti pagsay atan dagituy kalugarak,” Posas said.
(I am happy that the government has provided us with this support because even though we are far away, they have brought opportunities closer to our community.)
This market linkage initiative aligns with the national government’s overarching goal of addressing food insufficiency and alleviating poverty. (AMB/CCMT, PIA La Union)
