Iloilo: In line with its mission to combat poverty through sustainable livelihood, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) released PHP36.05 million in grants to support 1,422 vulnerable individuals in Western Visayas during the Labor Day celebration on Thursday. The distribution of funds was highlighted during the event's opening at Robinsons Place Iloilo, where seven livelihood projects from Iloilo and Guimaras received a combined PHP11.3 million.
According to Philippines News Agency, these initiatives, set to benefit 318 recipients, include fish and rice trading, community and sari-sari stores, dishwashing liquid production, and farm machinery services. Simultaneous grant releases took place across other provinces in the region, further extending support to local communities.
In addition to the livelihood grants, DOLE hosted a job fair featuring 8,337 local job openings and 966 overseas opportunities. DOLE Western Visayas regional director lawyer Sixto Rodriguez urged employers to hire as many applicants and job seekers and fill in all vacancies needed for their companies. 'This is a way of standing by our moral obligation to provide decent employment to our job seekers,' he said in his message. As of Thursday, only 2,120 job seekers have preregistered, as per DOLE data.
The Labor Day celebration also gathered farmer and fisherfolk exhibitors joining the Kadiwa ng Pangulo. On the same day, DOLE launched the Kadiwa store in partnership with the rank-and-file employees union of Central Philippine University. 'We encourage you to support the products of our local farmers and producers at the Kadiwa and Livelihood Fair that covers affordable and fresh products from 34 government-assisted sellers and six DOLE-assisted livelihood projects,' Rodriguez said.
Among the exhibitors was Lorlie Noblezada, owner of the De Paul Artisanal Manufacturing ('BudBud' Sea Salt) from Miagao, Iloilo. She said she always finds Kadiwa helpful because it is an opportunity for them to market their products in other places and for buyers to appreciate the significance of a local product. 'We encourage our fisherfolk and farmers to join. Here, we also have learning; we can connect with our fellow farmers and barter our products,' she said in an interview. Noblezada said budbud is a traditional salt-making, once a dying industry but was revived with the help of the government.
Frank Longno, a rice and vegetable farmer from Sta. Barbara has been joining Kadiwa since January. Twice a month, they displayed their products at the provincial capitol. 'We consolidate the products of our fellow farmers in Sta. Barbara, and bring them to the venue so they can also earn,' Longno said in a separate interview.
