BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - The Department of Labor and Employment - Cordillera converged partners to provide more assistance and services that aim to improve the lives of pony boys and their families at the Wright Park, here.
The DOLE Executive Committee headed by DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma attended the memorandum of agreement signing for the “Trabaho, Turismo Asenso: Pony Boys”, a government collaborative project on Improving Employability through Enhanced Service Quality, Good Grooming, Communication and Provision of Basic Public Health Services, at the Barangay Lualhati covered Court here on December 27 .
Signatories of the scaled up implementation of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) are the regional offices of DOLE, Department of Tourism, Regional Tripartite and Wage Productivity Board, Professional Regulations Commission, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, City Government of Baguio, the local government unit of barangay Lualhati, the Wright Park Horse Handler’s Consumer Cooperative and Kabalyero Guardians.
Under the project, the partner agencies aim to optimize organizational performance, enhance efficiency in the delivery of programs and services and promote consistency in its implementation which will not only contribute to poverty reduction and reduce the vulnerability to risks of the pony boys and their families but also to capacitate them with the re-opening of business establishments and in light of improving employment and livelihood opportunities.
Laguesma, in his keynote message, expressed gratitude to all their partners in the program as it is their goal to improve the employment and livelihood opportunities of Baguio City’s Pony Boys and their families.
“Kami po ay natutuwa sa paglulunsad ng programang ito dito sa barangay Lualhati. We would like to partner with all of you. Para sa ating mga beneficiaries, sana po mahalin at pangalagaan natin ang ating trabaho at sana tulungan din natin ang siyudad. Tulong – tulong tayo upang panatilihin ang kalinisan, ka – ayusan at kapayapaan dito sa inyong siyudad."
"Kung inyong mapangalagaan at mahalin ang inyong trabaho, marami pa sigurong darating na pagkakataon upang kayo ay aming matulungan. Aming layunin na mai-angat ang inyong kabuhayan, ang kalagayan ninyo para sa mga mahal niyo sa buhay”, Laguesma stressed.
Meantime, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong expressed gratitude to DOLE and its partner agencies for choosing the Pony Boys as beneficiaries of the DILP. He assured the city government’s support to the Pony Boys and the development of Wright Park.
Magalong also encouraged the Pony Boys to be united and work as one in sustaining their livelihood and their cooperative, as well as in helping sustain and protect the city environment by properly managing wastes from their horseback riding livelihood.
As part of the project launching, officials of the Pony Boys association were also awarded with cowboys hat and uniformed vests. In partnership with TESDA – CAR, free health and wellness services (massage, haircut etc.) were also provided to the Pony boys and their families.
With DOLE – CAR Regional Director Nathaniel Lacambra, the Mayor and officers of the Pony Boys association, the guests also visited the famous horseback riding area at the Wright Park and the DOLE Kabuhayan projects in the area. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
