211 Mt Province families up income through Cleep

By Wynner Sayaan

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Exactly 211 families from different towns in the province availed of the swine and goat raising livelihood venture of the government to uplift their living standards through the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP).

The CLEEP is a government nationwide effort intended to help the poor, returning OFWs, and out-of-school youthsby providing emergency employment, funding and supervising livelihood projects.

Rolando Bragado of the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office said 93 beneficiaries in the areas of Botigue, Paracelis; Monamon Sur, Bauko; and Kayan West, Tadian used their CLEEP funds to engage in goat raising and dispersal.

The PVO said 180 beneficiaries in the municipalities of Sabangan, Bontoc, Sagada, Besao, Natonin and Sadanga invested their P360, 000 CLEEP funds in swine-raising and dispersal.

Earlier, the provincial government through the PVO conducted series of training for beneficiaries on goat and swine management.

“These trainings aim to prepare the beneficiaries and to inspire and encourage them to learn different skills amidst the universal financial crisis,” Bragado said.

Gov. Maximo Dalog said these marginalized sectors are being encouraged to engage in agriculture and other livelihood activities to generate long-term earnings for such folk so they can improve their lives.

Dalog said the provincial government is very supportive of this program because it is important to protect marginalized sectors from the ill-effects of the global financial crisis.

Bragado said while the government shall provide the goats and swine and trainings, the beneficiaries shall provide other expenses.

The beneficiaries shall be entitled of the full ownership of the original animals after they have dispersed one head to the next in-line beneficiaries.

“This livelihood program is an answered prayer for my family,” said a recipient. “I know that in due time this will help support the daily needs of my family.”