The Provincial Cooperative and Entrepreneurial Development Office (PCEDO) has intensified the implementation of its livelihood development programs in Pampanga for the past six months in keeping with its mission of providing ample livelihood opportunities to target sectors in the province.
PCEDO Head Mamerto Gatus said that the provincial government launched last month its Negosyo king Panyulung Program (NPP) which is designed to provide financial loan assistance to qualified micro entrepreneurs in marginalized areas of the province.
In his January 4 report to Governor Lilia G. Pineda, Gatus said that the province has already released P2,690,000.00 amount of loans to finance various livelihood projects of 20 NPP associations.
The total amount has directly benefited 538 individuals in the municipalities of Sta. Rita, Lubao, San Simon, Porac, Mexico, Guagua, Macabebe, Minalin and Arayat.
Among the NPP associations which benefited from the program are the San Juan, Becuran, Remidian SMAC, San Jose and Holy Family in Sta.Rita; Bukluran, Monicanians and Kapit Bisig in Lubao; Masikap in San Simon; Samahang Tapat in Porac; Christ the King and Pamisaupan Pandacaqui in Mexico; Sto. Nino, Lambac and San Antonio in Guagua; Apung Maria and San Esteban in Macabebe; Pedrita Rosnic in Minalin; and Maria Sinukuan in Arayat.
Gatus added that aside from NPP, the PCEDO also jointly implements another livelihood program with the Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office No. III.
Dubbed Unlad Kabuhayan, the program provides financial grants to qualified beneficiaries with the aim of enhancing the capacity of micro entrepreneurs in improving their respective enterprises.
Based on PCEDO’s accomplishment report, the program has released a total of P999,810.00 financial grants to 230 individual micro entrepreneurs in the province.
The said financial grant was used to finance the beneficiaries’ enterprises which include rice retailing, RTW, sari-sari store, direct selling, meat products, candy making, chicken, fish ball, fruits and merienda vending, smoked fish selling, electronics repair, vulcanizing and motor repair shop among others.
Micro entrepreneurs which benefited under this program are from barangays Sta.Monica in San Simon; Sampaloc, Apalit; Becuran, Sta.Rita; Gulap, Candaba; Sta.Maria, Minalin; San Juan and Lambac, Guagua; San Pedro, Masantol; San Juan Baño, Arayat; and Pandacaqui, Mexico.
Aside from providing financial loans and assistance to micro entrepreneurs, Gatus related that PCEDO also conducted various livelihood training programs to empower 1,554 individual small and medium scale entrepreneurs and members of cooperatives and associations in the province.
Among the skills trainings conducted by the office from July to December last year were Amukaw slippers and candle making seminars for Katutubo village residents of Planas, Porac; coop governance and management, policy development, financial management and credit appraisal management seminars for cooperatives in the province.
The office also maintained and strengthened its partnership with national government agencies and non-government organizations such as the National Food Authority (NFA), Cooperatives and Development Authority (CDA), Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI), Science and Technology (DOST), Technical and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Social Action Center of Pampanga (SACOP), Coopbank of Pampanga, Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Apung Monica de Minalin MPC, ASCCOM, St. James the Apostle MPC and JASH MPC. (Pampanga PIO)
