The Department of Labor and Employment recently turned over the Integrated Food Processing for coffee, banana, and sweet potato to the Tongo Integrated Farmers Association (TIFA) of Himamaylan City, a press release from Himamaylan PIO said.
TIFA, led by president Roy Gonzales and the Brgy. Cabadiangan Council, welcomed the DOLE representatives during the turnover ceremony at Sitio Tongo on January 26.
The value-adding machinery, including a coffee roaster and thresher, worth P1,000,000 from the Assisted Livelihood Project under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP-Kabuhayan).
A total of 51 farmer-members of TIFA are expected to benefit from the project.
DILP-Kabuhayan provides assistance through grants to individuals and groups and can be used to start a livelihood project, expand or upgrade an existing project, restore or re-establish existing livelihood projects destroyed due to natural and human-made disasters, or transform existing livelihood assistance to community/group enterprises.
Mayor Raymund Tongson was represented by executive assistants Clen Retiro and Emmanuel Castro, and Special Projects Consultant Analee Degoma, Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao, while councilors Aly Tongson Jr. and Janet Villafranca also joined the turnover.
“We are deeply grateful to DOLE representatives Carmella Abellar, Rosalie Guilaran, and Elmer Guimay for facilitating this turnover together with our partners from the Department of Trade and Industry,” Tongson said.
Tongson said the turnover of the project is just one of the collaborations of the city government with various government agencies, non-profit groups, and institutions to deliver financial and technical support to farmers, fisherfolk and local producers of Himamaylan.*
