Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in partnership with NIA converged in providing another source of livelihood, apart from farming, to 30 farmer beneficiaries of Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur.
Through the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) – Program Convergence Budgeting (PCB), 30 Irrigators Association (IA) members, who are now part of the NIA-SLP Association, received a livelihood grant with a seed capital amounting to Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php 450,000.00).
The fund was used by the association to venture on Chicken and Egg Production, with initial 200 heads of chicken layers and an egg production facility. This microenterprise model project aims to promote sustainable livelihood for low-income individuals.
This activity is also implemented under the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPHAP) program in support to the government’s sustainable livelihood projects aimed toward food availability and production to reduce incidence of hunger and poverty in the country.
The SLP grant was officially turned over to the NIA SLP Association during a Turn-over Ceremony held at Bokong Covered Court, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur on August 23, 2023. The activity was spearheaded by DSWD led by Provincial Coordinator, Ms. Therese Maravel Arcenal, and was graced by the presence of NIA Regional Manager June Nathaniel Plaza.
Also present during the activity is the Chairman of Barangay Bokong - Hon. Fernando Callo; Manager of Zamboanga del Sur Irrigation Management Office - Engr. Benedicto Isagani O. Pulis, Jr., and staff of NIA and DSWD.