The organization is engaged in various agricultural activities in an area classified as a New People's Army (NPA) infested zone and challenged by the increasing number of child laborers, particularly in the sugarcane plantations.
To ensure entrepreneurial management, DOLE, in collaboration with the 502nd Infantry Battalion, and the City Government of Ilagan, also organized another two-day entrepreneurship development training on business planning, marketing, sales, budgeting, legal regulatory compliance, product quality and process improvement, and product safety standards.
During the processing training, the participants were able to produce a total of 100 bottles of cane vinegar, two gallons of sugar cane juice, and five kilograms of brown sugar.
Faustino N. Gamino, association president, an agriculture graduate, and a former rebel, expressed his gratitude to the government for the support given to them as he vowed to nurture and develop further the livelihood opportunity given to them.
"This assistance opened a better door of opportunity to improve our living status. We can now earn to augment our families' needs. This is also a ray of hope for economic development in our community," he said.
The association members are eyeing to improve production to satisfy not only domestic demands but also the global market in the future. (OTB/PIA Region 2)