Sustainable development, social enterprising among Binalbagan IP, women groups pushed
A GROUP is pushing for sustainable development and social enterprising among indigenous peoples (IPS) and women belonging to the marginalized sector in Binalbagan town.
Checcs Osmeñaorbida, vice president of the Peacepond Farmers Association (PFA), yesterday said there is currently an effort to further boost the craftsmanship and culinary skills of IPS and women groups in the locality.
Osmeña-orbida said their organization forms part of the IP Support Group which initiated the “Showcase of Purely Binalbaganon Products” at the town’s Veteran Heroes Park on Thursday.
Other collaborating groups and volunteers included the local government unit (LGU) led by Mayor Emmanuel Aranda, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), and IP local coordinator Pablito Gonzales.
“The activity mainly aims to showcase the Alayon IP Crafts and Dagyaw Food Services Group, which are products of various development interventions previously provided by PFA and local government,” she added.
The Alayon IP Crafts is a brand given to handicrafts and other products produced by members of Ituman-magahat-bukidnon, a group of eight IP associations in the southern Negros Occidental locality.
These IP associations comprised the Federation of Indigenous Peoples Associations in Binalbagan (FIPAB).
Dagyaw Food Services Group, meanwhile, is composed of women groups with members who are housewives, fisherfolk, and beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), among others.
They were earlier trained on basic catering services including customer relations.
Alayon and Dagyaw are both dialects which mean “bayanihan” or the act of helping each member of the community.
Osmeña-orbida recalled they discovered that the IPS in the town have skills in weaving pandan and abaca though, they lack product development.
So they conducted workshops on product development as well as social enterprise and financial management last year.
Osmeña-orbida said such effort has resulted to such brand of pandan and abaca-made crafts.
“We also incorporated organic farming because they have to plant abaca and pandan so the approach was from planting down to weaving,” she said, adding that they were also taught of vermiculture as an additional livelihood.
Since they need a “space” to sell their products, the association utilized Facebook to initially sell the Alayon IP Crafts online.
PFA also revived the Dagyaw Food Services Group, whose members are recipients of various skills training including food processing conducted by the LGU about a few years ago.
Through the Sustainable Livelihood Program Bottom-up Budgeting (SLPBUB) of the government, these products were able to be showcased during the said activity.
Among the Alayon IP Crafts products displayed included the “Libon Kwadro” or woven pandan basket without handle; “Libon Timbulog” or pen holders and of other materials; and “Sobre Bags” or pouches with an envelopelike shape.
In support to the town’s “No Plastic Holiday” initiative, the IPS are also producing “bayongs” or native bags.
the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), was already acting on the supposed shortage of skilled construction workers.
“He (Duterte) directed the Tesda chief to do something about kasi we are lacking in experts in carpentry, welding. ‘Yung mga technical. Kulang eh. Marami ho tayong mga taong hindi empleyado, whether sa gobyerno o kampanya kasi hindi naman sila qualified, lalo na ‘yung mga vocational, lalo na sa construction,” the Palace official said.
“In other words, we’re doing something about it. That is the response,” he added.
On February 7, Palace also signed Memorandum Circular 57, directing all government offices, agencies, and instrumentalities to ensure “timely” completion of infrastructure projects.
The order was directed to all government offices, including government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCS), government financial institutions (GFIS), state universities and colleges (SUCS), and local government units (LGUS).
MC 57 ordered all heads and concerned officials and employees of departments, bureaus, and offices, including GOCCS, GFIS, SUCS, and LGUS, to strictly observe the laws, issuances, and policies on timely completion of government infrastructure projects, including the imposition of appropriate sanctions for infractions and violations thereof./sunstar Philippines