56 Ilocos ex- NPAs get biz starter kits

By Joyah Mae C. Quimoyog

SUYO, Ilocos Sur --  A total of 56 former communist  supporters members of New People’s Army underground mass organization here and Sta. Cruz town received livelihood starter kits from the provincial Dept. of Trade and Industry.
    In partnership with the 81st Infantry Battalion, 702nd Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army, the DTI turned over the kits to 23 former UGMO members here at Sitio Kimpatubbog, Barangay Poblacion April 8 and to 33 former UGMO members at Sitio Linggawa, Barangay Pidpid, Sta. Cruz on April 9.
    Of the beneficiaries in Suyo, 11 received two piglets each, nine received two goats each, two received a sari-sari store package, and one received a Bigasan package.
    In Sta. Cruz, 28 beneficiaries received two goats each, four beneficiaries received two piglets each, and three beneficiaries received a sari-sari store package.
    Later, Dr. Jhon Rey Camino, a veterinarian, conducted lectures on livestock raising like handling and raising goats and hogs and profitability of raising livestock.
    Funded under the DTI’s livelihood support program-negosyo serbisyo sa barangay (LSP - NSB), the starter kits intend to create jobs for one of the priority sector of the government to improve their economic status and dissuade them from supporting advocacies of leftists.
    As a member-agency of the Poverty Reduction Livelihood Employment Cluster (PRLEC) under the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC), the DTI along with other member-agencies of the PRLEC, through the Philippine Army, are reaching out to former supporters and sympathizers of the CTG and alleviate their plight especially  these trying times.
    The Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative (ISECO) in Sta Cruz, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), and the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) –Tagudin Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) also provided services to residents in 2-two-day activity.
    The CDA conducted pre-reorientation for the free registration seminar to the 23 members in Sitio Kimpatubbog, who have been trained and organized to establish their own livelihood group or association.
    Meanwhile, the ISECO also inspected repair and improvement of the processing center in Sitio Kimpatubbog including  construction of the processing center in Sitio Lingawa.
    This, while the DENR-Tagudin CENRO conducted a survey for use of the Timberland area for construction of food processing center in Sitio Lingawa.
    In her message, DTI Ilocos Sur Provincial Director Grace Lapastora urged beneficiaries manage well the starter kits for their future.
    Lt. Col. Rodrigo Mariñas Jr., Commanding Officer of 81IB, assured the support of the Philippine Army to all the programs and services of the government agencies in achieving lasting peace in the country. – PIA Ilocos Sur