VIGAN CITY (PIA) – Peanut processors of the Suagayan Peanut Growers Association, Inc. in Barangay Suagayan, Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur received various equipment from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) recently.
 
Through its Provincial Science and Technology Office here, said recipients got one-unit of peanut grinder, one-unit of stainless-steel tables with sink, and one-unit stainless steel table with under shelf.
 
Barangay Chairperson Sotero Avila expressed his gratitude to the DOST for their continuous support to their community as they help them empower their livelihood.
 

“Maragsakankami a bumarangay ta sikami ti maysa a napili a maikkan ti daytoy a livelihood project ti DOST, inkami rukudan ti aglaplapusanan a kabailanmi tapnu kitaen tayun ti pagsiaatan pay ti bumarangay (We, in Barangay Suagayan, are very happy as we are one of the beneficiaries of this livelihood project. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the government and we assure to exert our best effort in utilizing such equipment for the development of our community),” Avila said.
 
Peanut is the one-town-one-product or OTOP of Santa Lucia town.
 
As the DOST strengthens its mission to empower communities through science and technology, they have conducted a training on peanut processing – making of chocolate peanut butter, chocolate peanut brittle, peanut nougat, and peanut yema, on May 5 for 17 members of the peanut association.
 
The recipients also attended a training on May 12 where various peanut mechanization technologies were introduced such as peanut stripper cum pod sorter, peanut sheller-sorter, aerated peanut bulk storage, peanut weeder, peanut digger, and peanut pod sorter.
 

Expressing his gratitude to the DOST, Santa Lucia Mayor Joseph Simon Valdez told the beneficiaries to use the equipment well as they help boost the peanut industry in the municipality.
 
“Ti responsetayo daytoy napintas a programa ti DOST ket panangited ti ayat iti daytoy a programa babaen met ti panag-utilize dagitoy nga equipment a mabalin a pagsiaatan ti pamilyayo ken bumarangay saknaptayo ti ili tayo a Santa Lucia ken ikkanyo ti importansya tapnu napaseg daytoy puminpintas pay ti impact na (Our response to this DOST program is to show our gratitude and support to such program by utilizing these equipment which were given to all of you for the betterment of your families and the community. Use these equipment well so that they will last longer and its impact or products will be more efficient), Mayor Valdez said.
 
According to the DOST, a consultative meeting was conducted after the awarding of equipment where topics such as the sustainability in the implementation of the program in the barangay were raised specifically on the construction of a processing building and marketing of their products. (JCR/AMB/JMCQ, PIA Ilocos Sur)