Carpentry, organic farming graduates receive starter kits

By Armie B. Gunay NAGA CITY ---Thirty graduates of the carpentry NC II and forty more of organic farming were given their starter kits the graduation rites held in their honor last Monday, March 27, 2017, at the Naga City People’s Hall. The starter kits came from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Coming from the different barangays of the city, the graduates are mostly 4Ps beneficiaries and belong to the indigent sector of the community. The skills training is a program under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the DSWD that aims to help the less privileged to have and cultivate their own source of income. “Actually, ang pinaka-goal po kasi ng DSWD ay maalis sila sa poverty threshold na maiangat man lamang an kabuhayan ninda,” stated Jean Morato, Project Development Officer of SLP. The carpentry training begun last January 18 until February 16, 2017, with the help of JBL Consultancy and Technical Services as the service provider. For Noli Cerdenia, a graduate from Barangay Mabolo, he can now work in line with his dream job, which is carpentry. “Magayun po, dakulang tabang ini sa muya para magkaigwa nin trabaho,” expressed Cerdenia For the other graduates, the Aman Engineering awaits their services. However, the agency is giving them freedom to seek their own pasture. “Kung may magayun na opportunity sa labas, hindi namin sila pinipigilan. Kumbaga, magiging tools na nila ito para makahanap sila ng maayos na trabaho,” stated Morato. But still, DSWD will be constantly updating them of possible offers from other service providers within and outside the province. The organic farming graduates, on the other hand, will be maintaining either a communal or an individual garden in the barangay under the Pantawid Naga City Farmer’s Association. For Angeline Aguirre, an organic farming graduate from barangay Carolina, their three-day training last March 9-11, 2017 under the SLP of DSWD still, with the support of the Pilipinas-Shell as the service provider, proves to be a big help to them to start and run a livelihood. “Magayun po, ta may ipapasubling puhunan sa’mo na mga paratanom, ta mayo po kaming sadiring puhunan,” explained Aguirre.