CHARMP2 allots P2.1 M toAbra, Benguet groups

AGGIE UPDATE

Crislyn FianzaBalangen

THE SECOND  Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management (CHARM2) Project has  transferred P1.8 million livelihood assistance fund (LAF) to 18 livelihood interest groups (LIGs) in Tubo, Luba and Boliney towns of Abra and  P300,000  in Barangay Kayapa, Bakun, Benguet early this month. 

In Abra, the 18 LIGs received livelihood fund after passing the LAF assessment. Each LIG received P100,000 each to continue and sustain  livelihood activities pursuant to business plans.

Tubo, had 10 LIG beneficiaries: Supo Rural Improvement Club, Ballatinao group, Supo RIC-Backyard Swine Production and Marketing, Supo Sugarcane Group, Tiempo-Sugarcane Production, Tiempo RIC-Sugarcane Production, Tiempo RIC LIG3-Swine Production and Marketing, Mayabo RIC-Swine Production and Marketing, Poblacion Sugarcane Group, Wayangan- Banana Production and Marketing and Wayangan Swine Production and Marketing.

Luba and Boliney had four beneficiaries each: United Mothers Circle of Barangay Luzong, Barit Women’s Ube Growers Association, Raising Hope Mothers Association, Sabnangan Omli-Mothers Association LIG1-Dao-angan, Achuete Growers Group-LIG1, Achuete Growers Group-Poblacion, Supang Consolidators Groups and  Langaan Association.

All the said LIGs have managed their respective businesses for one year after they received their LAF in 2014 as a loan which they have to pay after a year. This time, they received their LAF as a grant. There are still 56 LIGs who are lined up for possible LAF transfer in Abra, if all will pass the assessment.

“The granted LAF should be used to continue your businesses, this time, applying all that you have learned during the one year business cycle where you practiced managing a business coupled by all the trainings and technical support provided by the CHARM2 Project, LGUs and community financing institutions,” project manager Cameron P. Odsey told beneficiaries.

d this year.

In Bakun, Benguet LIGs were given total of P300,000 assistance at Barangay Kayapa.

Four LIGs from Kayapa and one LIG from Sinacbat, Bakun could now expand livelihood activities with the assistance.

These two barangays are among the remotest barangays in Bakun where farming is the main source of livelihood.

LAF beneficiaries included the Kayapa Women’s Livelihood Association (100,000), Kayapa Processing Group (50,000), Nalbo Community Farmers Organization (50,000), Pulok-Nalusbo-Liblibo- Indadangan Swine Raisers (50,000), and Lamew Swine Raisers Group (50,000).

These LIGs are engaged in processing agricultural products and swine raising.

“Sin inmali nan LAF, adi da et lalakaen, babaraten di lako mi tan dakami et din man consolidate sin produkto mi asi mi ilako; say dakdake ay pansalsalamatan mi (When the LAF program came, buyers of our products can no longer bargain with the prices since we are the ones who consolidate and sell our products; that’s what we are much grateful with,” said Lydia Valdez, president of one of the LIGs in Kayapa.

Agriculturist Enrique Atelba encouraged the groups to join the municipal agriculture and fisheries council (MAFC) so they could easily avail of more government services.

He said the MLGU can always conduct trainings if needed. They also assigned some staff to monitor and provide technical assistance to the groups to ensure that even as CHARMP2 ends, these development activities will still remain.