Baguio barangays to do own disinfection

The city government through the Sanitation Division of the City Health Services Office had been capacitating barangays to undertake their own disinfection measures as a preventive strategy to prevent the spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Sanitation Division Chief Engr. Charles Carame said they conducted a series of in-house decontamination seminars for barangays and have so far commissioned 32 of them.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong asked Carame to continue the trainings to empower all of the 128 barangays in the city on said aspect.

The 32 barangays now undertaking their own decontamination procedures are Middle Quezon Hill, Upper Quezon Hill, Lualhati, Outlook, Pucsusan, Gibraltar, AZCKO, North Sanitary Camp, South Sanitary Camp, P. Burgos

East Bayan Park, Middle Quirino Hill, Imelda Village, New Lucban, Kias, Fort del Pilar, Country Club Village, South Drive, Malcolm Square, Victoria Village,

Trancoville Barangay, Magsaysay Private Road Holyghost Extension, Alfonso Tabora, Brookspoint, San Luis, Mines View Park, Quezon Hill Proper, Upper Magsaysay, Pacdal, St. Joseph and Lucnab.

Carame said disinfection requirements of their constituents may now be coursed through the barangay officials and the Barangay Health Emergency Teams (BHERTs) of said barangays.

He encouraged households and establishments to also undertake their own disinfection regularly using this tip circulated by the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction Management:

1. Open windows to let air flow in the house;
2. Mix one part of bleach and nine parts water. Mix it well and do not expose solution to direct sunlight.
3. Clean the areas with detergent soap first then disinfect the area using sprayer with the bleach solution.
4. Apply to areas and objects that are frequently touched. Let dry for 15-30 minutes before dry wiping. – Aileen P. Refuerzo (Content reposted from Herald Express)
   

Negros Occidental barangay shifts to organic farming

A senior official from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) on Wednesday said the Department of Agriculture special project is making waves in the marginalized sectors in agriculture, challenging more Filipino farmers to help address food security and poverty in the countryside.

In his report, OPAV Assistant Secretary Jonji Gonzales said the DA-Special Area For Agriculture Development (SAAD) Program helped the Pandanon Integrated Upland Small Farmers Association in the remote barangay of Pandanon in Negros Occidental become organic vegetable cultivators.

The farmers’ group is a recipient of the program since 2019 and have already received agricultural assistance amounting to more than PHP1.8 million.

The assistance included 1,800 grams of ampalaya seeds, 300 grams of eggplant seeds, and 300 grams of squash seeds. They also received farm tools, such as spades, spading forks, trowels, rakes, and rolls of water hose.

Natural attractants were provided to induce beneficial insects to come to and stay in crops to enhance pollination or provide natural pest protection to safeguard crops from infestation.

“Because of the assistance provided by SAAD, the association was able to increase the vegetable production and was able to sell to the local market. Dati ang vegetable produce nila para lang sa pagkain ng kanilang pamilya (Before, their vegetable produce were meant for their family’s consumption only),” he said during the Network Briefing News with host Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar.

Through the said program, the farmers are set to receive additional assistance totaling more than PHP366,000. This will be in the form of vegetable seeds and additional tools.

“Layunin ng famers group na maging sustainable producer ng organically grown, chemical-free vegetables sa Negros Occidental (The farmers group aims to be a sustainable producer of organically grown, chemical-free vegetables in Negros Occidental),” Gonzales said. “They hope to achieve this goal through all the interventions they obtained and by practicing the technologies conveyed by the SAAD Program.”

SAAD is a special project under the Department of Agriculture focusing on providing better livelihood opportunities in the list of priority provinces in the country. (Content reposted from Philippine News Agency)

Photo: Screenshot from The Presidential Communications Operations Office

Flood-resilient barangay hall design

 Sketch of flood-resilient barangay hall drawn after Tropical Storm Ondoy 11 years ago by Architect Paulo Alcazaren.(Reposted from Reddit)

 

VP Robredo visits Barangay Punta Tarawal whose chief swore her into office

Vice President Leni Robredo visited last Thursday the remote barangay in Camarines Sur headed by the chairman before whom she took her oath as the second highest official of the country in 2016.

“Remember the barangay captain before whom I took my oath into office as VP? He is Rolando Coner of Punta Tarawal, a small, far away barangay along the coast of San Miguel Bay which can be reached only by boat,” she wrote on her Facebook account on Friday night.

“We visited his barangay to check how everyone was doing after the typhoon,” she added.

The barangay was one of those heavily affected by Super Typhoon Rolly when it made landfall in Bicol last weekend.

Coner, the Vice President said, was apologetic as he did not know they were coming. Her office provided relief goods for the residents, which they distributed with the help of the barangay chairman.

“He is that man in green, all covered in mud, because he was cleaning the muck out of the barangay hall brought about by the floods,” said Robredo, referring to Coner.

The Vice President said the residents “were profuse with gratitude that they already had a sea wall,” making it safer for them whenever there are typhoons.

The building that her office helped build through the support of private partners also survived Rolly and was undamaged.

“They said that had they known it would be that sturdy, they would not have evacuated to the mainland anymore. They were recounting their horrors when the evacuation center they were in suffered damages during the onslaught,” the Vice President said in her post.

Swearing in before barangay captains was first allowed for winners of the 2016 elections following the approval of Republic Act 10755 earlier that year.

Two barangay captains administered the oath of Robredo in 2016: Coner and Regina Celeste San Miguel of Barangay Mariana in Quezon City, where her office was located.

At the time, Punta Tarawal was described as the “smallest, farthest and poorest” barangay of the third district of Camarines Sur that Robredo represented at the House of Representatives prior to her election as Vice President.

Over the past week, Robredo visited various areas in Bicol heavily affected by Rolly, including Catanduanes, Albay and her home province of Camarines Sur. (Photo and content reposted from Philstar)

 

 

 

 

‘Ugnayan sa Barangay’ benefits 382 households in Sta. Rita, Samar

 

A total of 382 beneficiaries received hygiene kits while their barangays received emergency generator sets from various government and volunteer groups during the Ugnayan sa Barangay held in Barangay Utap, Sta. Rita, Samar on November 4, 2020.

The “poorest of the poor” as certified by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer (MSWDO) likewise received toys for their children, courtesy of the Office of Civil Defense, Office of the Presidential Assistant, DSWD through Director Marie Angela Gopalan, Fraternity of Eagles, Philippine Army, United Coconut Planters’ Bank, and Senator Bong Go, among others.

In all, there were 11 beneficiaries from Barangay Hinangutdan, 48 from Old Manunca, 98 from San Agustin, 110 from Binanalan, and 109 from Tagacay.

Brigadier General Wilbur C. Mamawag, assistant chief of the 8th Infantry Division, together with Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Lord Byron Torrecarion, turned over the six generator sets for use during emergencies. The portable generators are a symbol of hope, noted Mr. Torrecarion as the presence of light exudes optimism among people.

Sta. Rita Mayor Joven Tiu, Vice Mayor Engr. Tiu, members of the Sanggunian, and department heads were present during the event, which served to support the implementation of the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP). The National Intelligence Coordination Agency (NICA) showed a briefer intended for parents warning against the deceptive recruitment of youths by the New People’s Army.

For Punong Barangays Anacleto Canete Jr. of Hinangutdan and Geronimo Igso of Binanalan, the generator sets are timely and appreciated as these will extend a better quality of life to their residents. This was echoed by Arturo Mamaril, a senior citizen farmer from Barangay Tagacay, who said the hygiene kits are welcome assistance that were unexpected.

Regional Director Karl Caesar R. Rimando of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) who initiated the activity together with other agency heads, recognized the Office of the President, Office of Civil Defense, Philippine Army, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, NICA, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Department of Agriculture, UCPB, DSWD, LGU Sta. Rita, members of the media, and many others for their invaluable contribution to the activity. The event was organized as part of efforts for the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) to promote a just and lasting peace in the region by 2022. (Content reposted from Philippine Information Agency)

 IN PHOTO: Sta. Rita, Samar welcome marker. Photo from Google.

The Pinoy Big Brother-inspired design of new Iligan City barangay hall

A barangay hall with a Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) house design is now almost finished in Iligan City.

The said building is located in Brgy. San Miguel and has a project budget of over P4 million. It is around 2 hours away from Cagayan de Oro. (Content reposted from ACADEO)

 

Palawan barangay, home of the indigenous Tau't batu cave people, records 800 malaria cases

Barangay Ransang, an area in Rizal municipality with a high population of Pala’wan indigenous peoples (IP), has recorded an estimated 800 malaria cases since January this year.

Rutchel Laborera, acting health officer of the town, said Thursday that among Rizal’s 11 barangays, Ransang has remained consistent in recording the highest incidents of the mosquito-borne disease.

“Ransang pa rin ang may mataas na kaso ng malaria sa bayan natin. Last year, sila din, kaya ang health office natin ay talagang consistent din ang monitoring natin dyan sa area na yan at talagang nagbabantay ang mga Barangay Health Workers (BHW) natin sa Ransang,” she said.

“Ilang beses din tayo noon dyan nakapag-deklara ng malaria cases outbreak sa Ransang, pero ngayon under close monitoring talaga ang barangay na yan pagdating sa malaria sa buong probinsya natin sa Palawan,” Laborera added.

Most of the cases, she said, involve adults, and dispatched health workers are focusing to ensure that they get help

She said they are cooperating on this with the Provincial Health Office (PHO) and the Kilusan Ligtas Malaria (KLM).

“Lagi silang may mga anti-malaria awareness dissemination sa mga communities to prevent more cases,” she said.

Among the other interventions is also the distribution almost every month of long-lasting insecticide nets or LLINs to the residents with the Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI).

Based on recent data by the KLM, Palawan has already recorded 4,830 positive malaria cases this year.

Aside from Rizal, the towns with high cases are Brooke’s Point, Bataraza, and Quezon in southern Palawan. (Content reposted from Palawan News Online)

PHOTO CREDIT: Frontier Ventures

 

Zero Covid barangay in Cebu City to receive P500,000

Aiming to have zero coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) case by yearend, Mayor Edgardo Labella on Friday announced that he is giving a PHP500,000 reward to every barangay (village) that would be Covid-free from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.

During the turnover of the new Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC) by the Department of Public Works and Highways to the city government here, Labella said the city government conceptualized the reward system in order to operationalize the challenge given by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, the Cebu Covid-19 response overseer, to have a zero-Covid capital city.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Cimatu said this city that used to be tagged as a coronavirus epicenter has now flattened the curve and already known as the "epicenter of recoveries".

This development prompted Cimatu to challenge the city to aim for zero Covid-19 cases.

“Mr. Mayor, I am confident that you can have zero Covid here in Cebu,” Labella quoted Cimatu as saying.

“We will try our best to achieve that ideal, because we are inspired” by how the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has addressed the coronavirus crisis in the city, the mayor answered Cimatu.

Due to a spike of Covid-19 cases here last June, President Rodrigo Duterte instructed Cimatu to oversee the government response to the health crisis, mainly the open defiance of the residents of the minimum health standards such as mask wearing and physical distancing, among others.

But Cimatu said it is now possible to aim for zero Covid-19 cases in Cebu City.

“I don’t really foresee a problem in our tasks especially in your organization here because you are already exposed to the day to day works since the start of the crisis,” he told the Cebu media.

Cimatu recalled that when they arrived last June, the number of patients and deaths here was alarming.

“If you look at the data, more than 600 deaths all from Cebu City since June and bigla na lang naging (suddenly becomes) zero. This is an indication of success, that effort of the (Emergency Operation Center) team paid off,” he said, adding that for seven days now, the city has zero fatalities due to Covid-19. (Content reposted from Philippine News Agency)

IN PHOTO:. As the Covid-19 curve is flattened, Environment Secretary and Cebu overseer Roy Cimatu (inset, left) on Thursday (Oct. 22, 2020) challenged Mayor Edgardo Labella to make Cebu City Covid-free. Labella on Friday (Oct. 23, 2020) announced that he is giving a P500,000 incentive to every barangay with zero Covid-19 case from Nov. 1 to December 31. (Photos courtesy of IATF and Jun Nagac)

 

Baguio City barangays to process business registration onsite

Mayor Benjamin Magalong has approved a city council resolution bringing business registration to the Summer Capital’s barangays.

The resolution called for the barangay registration to avoid crowding and queueing at City Hall as a means to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). It especially targeted services and trades, which proliferated in response to closure of regular trades during implementation of quarantine measures. 

Among others, the resolution sought to provide easier registration for online sellers, home-based micro enterprises, producers of ready-to-eat food, farmers in direct selling, rolling store operators, delivery service owners and overseas Filipino workers engaging in alternative livelihood. 

 The registration, assisted by the city council’s committee on market, trade, commerce and agriculture, is free of charge. 

Meanwhile, to also aid in making registration easier, the Association of Barangay Councils office is providing simplified registration forms. The forms shall be collected by the Special Services Division of the City Mayor’s Office for recording and classification.(Content reposted from The Manila Times)

Dumaguete barangay residents clamor for solution to flooding woes

Residents in Barangay Banilad here are urging village and city officials to address the perennial flooding problem that has not been solved over the past years and which continually pose a threat to lives and properties.

Retired Brig. Gen. Rey Lyndon Lawas, in an interview Friday, said he talked to Banilad village chief Pacencio Maquiling, Jr. regarding the problem that has spanned several administrations already.

Lawas disclosed that in a meeting with the barangay council early this week attended by some complainant-residents, “we found out nga wala pa na brief ang mga barangay officials of any plans (the barangay officials have not been briefed yet on any plans) to address the problem.”

He said he was told the city has allocated a budget of PHP8 million for the flooding problem but there are no specifics yet.

It was agreed that the barangay shall invite concerned heads of government offices like the city planning, city engineer’s, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and others to present and brief the affected barangay residents of the plan at the soonest time possible.

“Just today, I requested to propose a barangay resolution requesting these concerned offices to present the plan before the affected residents to make it more official,” he said.

The move comes as residents in the areas of Barangays Banilad-Mangnao experienced heavy flooding on Sunday night caused by rainwater that gushed down from the mountains.

Some residents complained that their houses were flooded for hours up until after midnight.

The following day, the affected residents were cleaning up mud and debris from the flooding which took more than a day or two to finish.

DPWH personnel were also seen cleaning out drainage systems.

Veronica Paras Gascon, the next-door neighbor of Lawas, said she watched as the floodwaters poured out onto the road in front of her house, turning it into a mini-river.

Gascon said it has always been like this for more than a decade, with several officials making promises that were never fulfilled.

Connie Gregore, a person with disability, shared the same sentiments, saying that she is worried because there are two other PWDs in her home.

Gregore said she will attend the next meeting with barangay officials and will rally behind whatever has to be done to get the attention of concerned officials.

Lawas said that he will initiate a campaign to identify the number of households affected by the flooding that takes place more frequently these days than in the past years as well as a signature campaign to petition a faster and concrete response to the problem.

He said the barangay chairperson told him that the mayor has assured to deal with it once the pandemic is over.

However, residents are becoming restless and fearful that if not given immediate attention, the next huge flooding might just claim a life. (Content reposted from Philippine News Agency)

 

DOH, DILG strengthens barangay health emergency teams to boost healthcare

The Department of Health (DOH) together with Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will strengthen the role of Barangay Health Response Teams (BHERTs) to help boost the country's healthcare system up to the grassroots level.

"Napakalaki pong tungkulin ang ginagawa ng barangay health emergency response teams," DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said during the DOH Media forum on Monday, Oct. 5.

Malaya said they it is important  that these teams  be sustained to ensure they regularly function and able to render the necessary service to the public especially during time of emergencies.

The DOH also cited the importance of BHERTs in the communities. There are 39,347 BHERTS all over the country as of August 20.

"Ang mga BHERT friends po natin ang pangunahing health defense sa ating community ngayong pandemic," DOH Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said.

The BHERTs are responsible for the home visits in search for COVID-19 active cases as well as the conduct contact tracing and monitoring for home-quarantine. They also refer patients to quarantine facility or treatment and monitory facility if they observed signs and symptoms of COVID-19.

"BHERTs are crucial in enhancing the Universal Health Care law which specifies that each home in the country must have one barangay health emergency response team assisting them," Vergeire said.

Vergeire added that BHERTs are tasked to provide immediate and proper emergency assistance and coordinate with the national government regarding the necessary health protocols.(PIA-NCR)

“Malaki po ang impact ng efforts ng DILG sa ating laban kontra COVID-19 lalong lalo na po alam po natin ang pinaka effective na measure sa COVID-19 is for us to bring down the response dito po sa pinaka-mababang antas o level ng ating gobyerno, and that is our barangays,” Vergeire said. (Photo and content reposted from PIA-NCR)

 

 

Life at Fuga Island, a far-flung barangay in Cagayan

 

Wide-spread poverty, lack of social services, and not having a land of their own these are some of the sad realities that residents of Fuga Island in Aparri, Cagayan face everyday.

So how do some 2,000 residents of the far-flung island survive? (News and video credits: CNN and YouTube)

 

Why should measurement of GDP or the national gross domestic product start at the barangay level?

OPINION

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounting system has been used for many years now to measure the health and condition of the national economy.

I wonder, however, how the data is being collected to overall GDP computation, because I have always believed that all data collection should start from below, to be eventually integrated and analyzed at the top.

Perhaps there is no direct connection to this main subject matter, but I also believe that Bottom up Budgeting (BUB) should be the default standard in local government budgeting and accounting, in line with a Barangay Development Plan (BDP).

As a requirement that is based on the Local Government Code (LGC), BDPs should be prepared and approved by the Barangay Development Council (BDC).

As it is now, the performance of the President is already being measured by the health and condition of the national economy during and after his or her term of office. Of course, the measurement is always based on the national GDP since there is no other credible measure that could be used as an alternative.

 That being the case, my friend and fellow columnist Manny Valdehuesa suggested that we should also measure the GDP at the barangay level, and in connection with that, to also use the barangay GDP to measure the performance of the barangay based on the health and condition of the local economy. Valdehuesa has the credibility to suggest this idea, being the founder of the Gising Barangay Movement (GBM).

Aside from the BDC, there are also supposed to be Municipal Development Council (MDCs), Provincial Development Council (PDCs) and Regional Development Council (RDCs), also as required by the LDC.

What this means is that there is already an existing structure or organization to collect GDP data from below, so that these could be submitted upwards for eventual integration and analysis. That way, the BUB standard could be easily implemented without any additional implementation costs.

Although there is really no empirical basis that would correlate the local barangay budget to the local GDP, there could be lessons that could be derived from the comparison. Besides, it would be logical to say that the quality of the BDP should somehow result in a positive GDP.

As it is supposed to be, all cities and municipalities are supposed to submit their Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) to the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB). As it is now, the HLURB does not really require the Local Government Units (LGUs) to submit their CLUPs in Geographic Information System (GIS) format, but that would be a practical idea.

Also as it is supposed to be, all local government units (LGUs) are supposed to submit their Local Master Plans (LMPs) to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

As it is now, the DILG also does not require the LGUs to base their LMPs on the Geographic Information System (GIS) format, but that would also be a practical idea. In other words, both the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and the LMP could be integrated into the GIS format.

Over the years, we have gotten used to presidential candidates promising to improve the economy. Although they are not really saying it directly, what they really mean is that they will make the national gross domestic product (GDP) increase or grow.

That being the case, why should we not demand that our local candidates should also promise to grow or increase the local economy, by way of the local GDP, starting with the barangay level?

Based on the LGC, the Governors have authority over the Mayors and down the line; the Mayors also have authority over the Barangay Chairmen. That being the case, why don’t we interpret the law so that all these officials in all levels would be responsible for computing and reporting their respective GDPs?

Given the fact that the barangay and municipal governments may not have the resources to compute and report their respective GDPs, we should perhaps make it a rule that the Governors should fund the whole process out of their own funds.

As I have observed, however, there is hardly any Non-Government Organization (NGO) that vets the GDP data that is reported by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

What is happening now, whatever GDP data that is being issued by the NEDA is generally accepted as gospel truth, because nobody really challenges it.

Surely something should be done about that in the national level, but right now we have the opportunity of starting fresh at the local level, by putting in a vetting process down below.

Many of our citizens are already saying that the politics of patronage should already be replaced with the politics of performance. I agree with that, but I would be quick to add that the performance should not only be measured in the delivery of local public services, but also in the improvement of the local economy as it is reported in the local GDP.

By comparison, any candidate of average intelligence would be capable of improving the delivery of local public services, but it would take more talent to really improve the economy.

That said, it is now time to vote only for the candidates who have a track record in improving the economy. It is not enough for them to be honest; the candidates now should also be savvy in economics. (Content reposted from PANAY NEWS under its original title: Localizing the gross domestic product accounting system by Ike Señeres)

Pasig barangay holds webinar to empower women, children amid pandemic

 

To empower women and children amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a barangay in Pasig City recently held two webinars on how women and children can protect themselves from abusers and online sexual predators.

Barangay San Antonio Chairman Raymond Lising said the webinar themes were “Equip the Women, Empower the Children” and “How to Protect our Children from Online Abusers.” Glenda Resurrecion, an advocate of sexual abuse awareness in the country, was the resource speaker.

Citing Philippine National Police’s Women and Children Protection Center data during the COVID-19 pandemic, Resurrecion said there are 804 reported cases from all over the country, pertaining to violations of eight laws: Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children; Anti-Rape; Acts of Lasciviousness; Concubinage; Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism; Anti-Trafficking in Persons; Anti-Sexual Harassment; and Safe Spaces law.

“During the pandemic, we have data showing the surge in the number of cases of violence against women basically due to COVID-related stress, unemployment, mental instability, anxiety , depression, among others,” the barangay chairman said in a statement.

Lising said that most of the victims of abuse and violence, according to studies, are women.

As such, he said the abuse may be in the form of physical and psychological and many women or wives are trapped in their homes by their abusers because of the lockdown.

Resurrecion also discussed how to prevent online sexual exploitation among children as they are usually the targets of sexual predators.

Despite the existence of laws against anti-trafficking and child pornography, she said cases of online sexual exploitation among children are still rampant nowadays. This is why, she said, the role of family is very essential to prevent online sexual exploitation. Strong parental guidance and supervision are needed to protect children from any form of exploitation.

Lising theorized that the lockdowns may have contributed to the surge in the number of sexual exploitations of children online, because of the increased and unstructured time online.

“As more children are usually surfing the Internet during this pandemic, we need to protect them from the dangers and risks of being abused. But the real challenge is for parents to guide and teach their kids not to be victims of online sexual exploitation,” he said.

According to the barangay chairman, they decided to conduct the webinars to create awareness and educate his constituents as he believes that community involvement is very important in battling the problem.

Lising said that Barangay San Antonio has been regularly conducting programs or counselling to prevent violence against women and children and they have Barangay 24/7 and VAWC hotline to report any case of domestic abuse and violence and online sexual exploitation.

“The lockdown should not make us lax on the child protection and safety of women and the barangay must step up awareness and education programs on this matter,” he ended. (Content reposted from  MANILA BULLETIN)

Photo from Barangay San Antonio

DTI Laguna brings closer business assistance to MSMEs in barangays

 The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Laguna brought closer its assistance to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through its Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay – Livelihood Seeding Program (NSB-LSP).

DTI Laguna has lined up series of visits to different barangays in the province with the aim to support the MSMEs who were affected by the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic and guide stakeholders who may also be of help to assist them on the ground.

“NSB-LSP is an initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Negosyo Centers that allows a wider reach of business development assistance by bringing programs, activities and services closer to the people, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by calamity, disaster, epidemic, pandemic and human-induced hazards,” Sr. Trade-Industry Development Specialist Christian Ted O. Tungohan, Unit Head of Office of the Provincial Director, explained.

Capability Building Seminars are employed not only for MSMEs and beneficiaries, but also for Barangay Development Council (BDC) Members and Barangay Officials.

MSME beneficiaries of the LSP-NSB Program may include sole proprietors, cooperatives, or sectoral associations that are located in identified barangays, including those in Local Communist Armed Conflict (LCAC) affected areas and vulnerable communities.

The identification of prospective beneficiaries is being done by the barangay officials, while DTI-Laguna is in charge with the validation and final selection.

The first leg of the program in Laguna took place at the town of Majayjay last July 21, where DTI Laguna Provincial Office held a Capability Building Seminar for the 1st Batch of Barangay Officials and BDC members of four Identified Barangays in the locality.

Alongside the seminar, they have facilitated the setting up of NSB Desks for every identified barangay. The desk serves as venue for the would-be and existing entrepreneurs in the barangays to obtain necessary information on business-related concerns.

They have also brought the program to the towns of Luisiana, Paete, Magdalena, Pangil and Victoria this month.

He said this program is expected to help increase the awareness of barangay officials about the services offered by the Department through the Negosyo Centers.

This will also be instrumental in identifying the MSMEs with business operations within the barangays including those in Local Communist Armed Conflict (LCAC) affected areas and vulnerable communities such as the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and refugees or stateless persons also known as Persons of Concern (POCs), among others.

The department also conducts business development assistance and provides services to the identified barangays and grant individual package of Livelihood Kits amounting to Php 5,000.00.

Through this initiative, DTI Laguna seeks to assist in the business recovery of MSMEs affected by natural and human-induced calamities which at present is experienced specifically due to the health disaster arising from COVID-19 pandemic.

“Priority assistance shall be given to MSMEs affected by natural and human-induced calamities including health disasters arising from epidemics and pandemics,” he stated.

Moreover, this will also help increase the number of MSMEs in the formal sector and create more jobs that will be helpful in the economy that was hardly hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For the micro enterprises, aspiring entrepreneurs and those affected by the pandemic, do not lose hope, and be receptive to government assistance like attending business related seminars & coaching sessions to help them and our economy bounce back,” he pronounced as an encouragement to the country’s MSMEs.

More NSB-LSP activities will be held in barangays of other towns such as Paete on August 4, Magdalena on August 5, and Pangil on August 7, 2020. (Content reposted from Philippine Information Agency)