BULACAN INAUGURATES NEW LIVELIHOOD CENTER
A CONSUMERS’ cooperative for the 500 families who were evacuated from the site of the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulakan, Bulacan will be the beneficiaries of a livelihood center initiated by San Miguel Corp (SMC).
According to Juanito Hernandez, SMC media relations officer, the inauguration of the San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI) Livelihood Center located in Barangay San Nicolas was held on Nov. 14, 2022.
SMAI project lead Cecile Ang and Bulakan Mayor Vergel Meneses led the opening ceremony.
At the same time, Hernandez said, the Livelihood sa Pagonlad (Lipad) consumers’ cooperative was formed.
Hernandez told The Manila Times that the realization of the said project is part of SMC’s program to improve the livelihood and opportunities for the displaced residents who used to live in the NMIA project site.
The SMAI Livelihood Center was established to train the beneficiaries so that they can use the skills they have learned to earn for their families.
“Our continuing efforts to engage residents and local officials in Bulakan has allowed us to fine-tune our existing livelihood restoration programs, as well as come up with new initiatives that will adapt to their needs,” said SMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang.
“With these, we can better ensure that the economic growth that the NMIA will bring in the coming years will be inclusive and felt by Bulacan residents and the rest of the country,” he added.
The SMAI Livelihood Center was established in collaboration with SMAI, Bulacan provincial office of the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Gintong Aral Foundation.
Hernandez said that through the Lipad consumers’ cooperative, members will be imparted with skills and knowledge in operating the cooperative so that they can jointly develop the business and make a profit.
With the help of Gintong Aral, the residents will form a consumers’ cooperative that will run businesses, including a coffee shop, a spa, tailoring, and other training areas to provide practical skills for community members so they could work together and own their businesses.
“We want to put our residents in a position to succeed through sustainable ventures that will ensure they can provide sustainably for their families. It is not enough that
we provide skills and help them develop their entrepreneurial mindset. By pooling their resources together through a cooperative setup, each member claims a stake in their collective success,” said Ang.
The residents who were helped by the housing program of SMAI warmly welcomed the livelihood center and cooperative.
Hernandez said that last month, SMC also collaborated with the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries for a mushroom farming and
processing project that benefited 70 families in Bulakan.
Under this program, there is a guaranteed income for the families who grow mushrooms in their respective houses.
It was learned that the beneficiaries harvest 40 kilograms of mushrooms per week and expect to increase their income by producing products such as mushroom chicharon, burgers, and sisig.