HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina Dizon
DOST has millions of pesos for livelihood

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Regional Director Benjamin Ladidad expressed dismay that Mountain Province is not showing availment of livelihood loans from the Department of Science and Technology .

Speaking before some 25 entrepreneurs from Mountain Province who attended the consultation two weeks ago, Ladidad identified six major priorities in the government ‘s program Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program.

Said program of the government is in response to the need to set up more micro, small, and medium enterprises through technology application. Interested entrepreneurs can avail of the livelihood project through interest –free loans from DOST.

These six major programs are on food processing, furniture, horticulture,marine and acquatic resources, gifts and houseware, and metals and engineering. Since 2003, the government allotted P45 million livelihood supervised by DOST nationwide, and another 45 million in 2004. In 2005, the government allotted 60 million, P100 million in 2006, then 120 million in 2007.
This year, the government budgeted P150 million for the livelihood program. For the Cordillera and Mountain Province most especially, their respective quotas have not been significantly tapped by the populace, Ladilad said.

In the five provinces of the Cordillera, only 34 projects worth P17.969 million since 2003. Of the total projects were two in Abra, two in Apayao, six in Baguio, seven in Benguet, seven in Ifugao, six in Kalinga and four in Mountain Province.

Figures showed only Baguio and Benguet availed of the project in 2003; in 2004,only Benguet and Kalinga. In 2005, Abra, Apayao, Kalinga and Mt Province availed with Ifugao getting more than a million in livelihood funds.

In 2007 and 2008, entrepreneurs from all Cordillera provinces availed of the program.

A total of P 927,600 was released for Mountain Province from 2005-2007. Those who availed for Mt Province only were Maguen’s Furniture, Ol-is FCM shop, Robert’s Furniture shop and Maribel Lusad’s furniture shop.

An allocation of P885,000 was budgeted for Mountain Province for year 2008.

Ladidad advised those interested to avail of the government’s economic project to file their project proposals to be accommodated for the 2009 budget. With the program open since 2003, it is a frustration that only few availed in Mountain Province.

Was there lack of information? Some sectors said the entrepreneur sector in Mountain Province didn’t want to take big risks. Others said DOST requirements were too rigid to include post dated checks among other requirements in making a project proposal.

One big loophole of the opportunity was lack of information about the opportunity. Here’s hoping DOST will do something more about its information programs and let Cordillera entrepreneurs know about the good opportunities available like capital and technology such as packaging .