SAN JOSE, Antique (PIA) — Hundreds of Antiqueños gathered at the Binirayan gymnasium to avail of various government services in celebration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s birthday.
The event dubbed “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Tapat, Para sa Lahat” featured the release of P2.220 million worth of livelihood assistance under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Governor Rhodora Cadiao lauded the President’s initiative in prioritizing the needs of the farmers, fisherfolks, and other disadvantaged families.
“Amo ra nga ginbuol namun kamo halin sa norte bisan pa nga mauranun ang panahon, para maka-agum man kamo ka ayuda kang aton Presidente. Dya ang panahon nga gusto ko gid maka-abot kaninyo ang ayuda kang national government,” the governor said in Kinaray-a while engaging with the audience during the program.
(The reason we facilitated your attendance at this event despite the inclement weather is so you could personally receive aid from the President. This must be the right time for you to receive assistance from the national government.)
For DSWD, SLP Provincial coordinator Noli Valenzuela said that a total of P2,220,000 was released to four organizations as grants for their projects.
About 60 farmer members are to benefit from a P1.2 million project of two SLP organizations in Panlagangan and Tigbalua, all in Sibalom, Antique.
Both are into the Rice and Feeds Retailing Project with each association receiving P600,000.
Angat SLP organization in Funda, Hamtic Antique also availed of P480,000 for 24 member families intended for their Community Store Project.
MaySan SLP Association, a fisherfolk organization also got a slice of the project distribution on the President’s birthday with 27 members receiving a total of P540,000 worth of fishing supplies in the coastal barangay of Maybato Norte, San Jose de Buenavista.
Fanny Estrellanes, president of MaySan SLP Association expressed gratitude to the government for giving them the capital to start their store for fishing supplies, thus freeing them from loaning to private individuals.
Valenzuela shared optimism that the organization will manage its enterprise so it becomes sustainable to help other fisherfolks in the community.
Other services during the event include the distribution of projects from the Department of Agriculture, scholarship grant from the Technical Education Skills Development Authority, release of wages of DOLE-Tulong Pangkabuhayan para sa Disadvantage Workers (TUPAD), hiring of interns under the DOLE-Government Internship Program (GIP), and Job Fair among other services and programs of government. (PSM/PIA Antique)
