LAUREL, Batangas (PIA) – Women can turn the latest trends into a sustainable source of livelihood, provided that they are afforded the chance and support to do so.
 
This was proven by the 21 women from the Municipality of Laurel, who received NegoKarts from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Batangas Provincial Office in celebration of the Women’s Month.
 
“I know how to do many kinds of livelihood. Whatever is sellable, whatever is in demand, that’s what I’ll put in the NegoKart so I can use it properly. I am very thankful to DOLE, and I hope they can help many more people,” said Felicisima Paz, a resident of Barangay Bugaan East.
 
Like many of the beneficiaries, Felicisima hopes that the NegoKart business will provide her with additional income to support her child’s education and afford maintenance medicine for her husband.
 
The NegoKart project is part of the DOLE’s efforts aimed to improve the lives of low-income vendors in the CALABARZON region, and  provide a sustainable source of income for unemployed individuals.
 
One package includes a physical cart with a gas stove, gas tank, cooking utensils, and initial supplies of frozen food such as kikiam, fishball, and potato fries.
 
The labor department said they will conduct coaching sessions to empower beneficiaries to increase, upgrade, and diversify their products and services, and ultimately reach more customers.
 
DOLE Batangas Director Predelma Tan said this program was made possible through the continuous collaboration of various government agencies.
 
“These programs emphasize the importance of the collaboration of different government offices in making these programs possible. To ensure the impact of the NegoKart Project, the DOLE will continue to do post-implementation monitoring [for this project],” Tan said.
 
Tan hopes that the livelihood program will provide a significant boost to their income, which in part also benefits the progress of their family. (PB/PIA-4A)