Mayor gives non-interest loans to entrepreneurs

By Ramon Dacawi

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Mauricio Domogan released last Monday P305,000 in non-security, no-interest loans to 33 individuals and groups needing capital to start or prop up their livelihood projects ranging from soap and yoghourt making to cut flower propagation.

At the turn-over of checks in his office, the mayor advised the grantees to pay back the non-collateral loans so that others from Baguio will also be able to access the same coming from his Priority Development Allocation Fund (PDAF) as a congressman prior to his return as mayor.

“Pagragsakan mi no usarenyoitipagsayaatanyodayta a gated,” he told the grantees in Ilocano, adding that their repayment would ensure continuity of the fund support.
Domogan noted the initial scheme of a dole-out didn’t work as “not one of the livelihood projects succeeded”.

He called on other individuals and groups in need of livelihood loans to contact the office of city social welfare and development office Betty Fangasan for the requirements. “All that is needed is the project proposal and that the proponents are from Baguio,” he said.

Instead of securing the usurious “five-six” loans many small-scale vendors fall prey to residents should turn to this livelihood assistance program, Domogan urged.

The group grantees and the amounts given them last Monday were the Visually Impaired Women’s Organization headed by Gloria Gambala which will be into soap making with a P50,000 capital; KALIPI Association of Dizon-Manzanillo Women’s Organization coordinated by Corazon Sakupin for micro-lending with a P30,000 fund; and the Lower Cypress Women’s Association led by Gemma Cabrera, also into micro-lending with a P30,000 capital.

Two family enterprises got P30,00 each, with that Maita Chan into rice retailing and that of Arminda embarking on tailoring. Three families received P10,00 each – a sari-sari store for Alexander Rojo’s, hog raising for MarcianaDumagos’ and buy-and-sell of handicrafts for that of Rosa Mananquil.

Nine individual loans for family heads at P5,000 each were also issued, also for buy-and-sell, yoghurt making, hog-raising and sari-sari store, together with 12 individual loans for family heads at P3,000 each for selling of frozen foods, crocheting, cut-flower propagation, weaving and buy-and-sell of goods.

The loans will be paid within one year, Fangasan said.