SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) awarded P500,000 to a barangay in Rizal, Occidental Mindoro for the provision of a livelihood project for the Limlim Parents Association.

The grant is under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), which focuses on providing sustainable livelihood to the marginalized towards poverty eradication. This includes the 61 members of the association who are mostly unemployed or seasonal workers.

Mylene Lleno, DOLE focal person for livelihood concerns explained that the fund will be used to buy tools and equipment such as an oven and raw materials  to start a bakery. 

Lleno said  breadmaking was identified as profitable in the beneficiaries’ area as the existing bakery in the community cannot supply enough for the area’s demand for bread.

“Pinag-aralan ng association, ng barangay, at ng DOLE na [ang pagkakaroon ng bakery] ang makakatulong sa [mga beneficiary] at makikinabang din talaga ang community,” the livelihood focal person added.

[The association, the barangay, and the DOLE found out through a study that having a bakery will help the beneficiaries and it will also benefit the community.]

Moreover, the beneficiaries have already received capability-building and bread-making training in partnership with the BLGU and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Jenny Pacete, a member of Limlim Parents Association shared that the grant will greatly help them as parents, 

“Maraming salamat po sa DOLE para po sa malaking tulong na ito sa amin. Pinapangako po namin na ito ay aming aalagaan, at papaunlarin [We thank DOLE for this great help. We promise that we will take good care and grow this project.]

The members of the Limlim Parents Association were previously involved in the practice of child labor. According to Lleno, their children were forced to work due to extreme poverty.

Through the intervention of DOLE, such as the TUPAD program, and collaboration with other government agencies, the issue was resolved.

Maureen dela Cruz, one of the beneficiaries, shared that the project will enable them to send their children to school.

“Malaking tulong po ito sa aming asosasyon at maging sa aming sariling pamilya upang hindi na po bumalik muli ang aming mga anak sa pagtatrabaho at makapagpatuloy na ng pag-aaral [The project is a big help to our association and to our families so that our children will not need to work and would be able to continue attending school].”

DOLE Provincial Director Peter James Cortazar highlighted that the program aims to eliminate the need for child labor by providing a sustainable livelihood for the parents.

“This program of the department aims to [assist] parents to help prevent children from working at such a young age. This is not just about providing livelihood assistance but also empowering parents to build a better future for their families where children can focus on education and be free from the burden of unwanted labor,” Cortazar said. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA – Occidental Mindoro)