CABARROGUIS, Quirino (PIA) - - Around 161 business owners from the towns of Diffun, Saguday and Cabarroguis recently received livelihood kits from the Department of Trade and Industry Quirino Provincial Office in a series of distribution (June 14-17, 2022) under the agency’s Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PPG) Program.

According to Silvester Miguel, information officer, some 70 market vendors received business kits consisting of a digital weighing scale, whiteboard, markers, eraser, crates, apron, belt bag, and calculator from the Consumer Protection Unit.

"They were awarded as incentives for their religious compliance with the various existing fair-trade laws such as Price Tag Law, Business Name Law, and Products Standard Law among others," Miguel said.

On the other hand, 91 owners of businesses that were affected by the pandemic and other disasters received livelihood kits amounting to not more than Php 10,000.00 pesos from the run under the Business Development Unit.

"Among the kits provided were carinderia, sari-sari store, bakery, bigasan, and furniture package," Miguel further said.

Meanwhile, John Vincent Alay-ay who represented Governor Dakila Carlo E. Cua has relayed the governor’s support for the activity

Alay-ay also shared the assurance of the full support of the provincial governments to all the undertakings of the DTI that geared towards MSME development.

He also urged the beneficiaries to love and value the business kits provided to them.

Meanwhile, the beneficiaries expressed their thanks to the DTI and committed to using the kits for their intended purposes and actively participating and engaging in the follow-through activities to be conducted by the office.

Rochen Magno, PhilRice representative also expressed thanks to the DTI for including their farmer’s associations as beneficiaries of the PPG program (bigasan packages) under the BDU run.

The said series of awarding ceremonies were attended by outgoing Mayor Marcelina M. Pagbilao and Incoming Mayor Jerry M. Pagbilao; Executive Assistant Luzviminda Magpayo Market Administrator Edelita Allas, Market Administrator from Diffun; and Private Secretary Reggie Manoba from Cabarroguis.

Aside from the distribution of livelihood kits, the DTI also conducted lectures on various topics such as Ethical Weights and Measures, Consumer Rights and Responsibilities, and 7Ms way of Uplifting an Enterprise, which aims to make them self-sustaining and policy-compliant enterprises. (MDCT/TCB/PIA Quirino)