Olango women get livelihood assistance

CEBU, Philippines — At least 450 women in Lapu-Lapu City’s Olango Island received livelihood assistance from the city government yesterday in time for the culmination of the celebration of the Women’s Month.

Chan, who led the oathtaking of the officials of the women sector organization in his city, said the livelihood assistance is a chance for the women to not just to rely on their husbands but also stand on their own and give additional support for the family.

“Usa ka livelihood program ang atong dalit. Panginabuhian nga halinon ug dili langawon sama sa mga produkto nga patis, suka, shampoo, sabon ug uban pa,” Chan told the women in Olango.

Aside from earning extra income, the beneficiaries will also help in reducing the volume of garbage because they will not be using plastic bags but refillable containers.

“Duha ang epekto sa maong katuyoan. Una, mao ang paghatag og panginabuhian sa atong mga kababayen-an ug ikaduha mao ang pagpamenus sa atong mga basura,” the mayor added.

Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Paz Radaza said that the city is a home of gender equality as she honored not just the women sector but the members of the LGBT community in the city dubbed as Mahuyang Alang sa Kalamboan or MASK, whom she said deserves respect and non-discrimination.

Just recently, MASK members gave free haircut and beauty enhancement such as eyebrow shading to members of Kababayen-an Sa Opon Nagkahiusa alang sa Kalambuan (KONKA), a women’s group with more than 2,000 members.

Radaza also attended the one day seminar/training on Gender Equality for the members of MASK and KONKA, a women’s group founded by her when she was the city mayor.

“I am confident to say that Lapu-Lapu City is home of gender equality. Ma babae man o lalaki, gihatagan kita ug patas nga kahigayonan - spiritually, socially and economically,” Radaza said.

Radaza said that gone are the days that women is portrayed to just stay at home as their husbands worked outside to earn for a living for the family.

Likewise, she announced the passage of the bill that she co-authored at the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality entitled “An Act Promoting Women Participation and Representation in and by Political Parties, Giving Incentives Therefor, Creating the Women in Political Parties Empowerment Fund, And For Other Purposes.”

She said that the said bill seeks to institutionalize women participation in political parties, which will translate into participation in the leadership of our country in general.

“This is already a big leap forward for the empowerment of women. This does not only recognize the role of women in our country. This also empowers women, and welcomes them, to take the lead,” she added.

DSWD-7 assistance

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 recently released more than P13 million in livelihood assistance to 1,360 beneficiaries from the towns of Tuburan, Balamban, and Asturias in Cebu province.

DSWD-7 Director Rebecca Gaemala said that this Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG) is granted through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), in which each beneficiary received P10,000 each.

The LAG is part of the recovery and rehabilitation program under the Bayanihan 2 Social Amelioration Program.

The regional chief added that the P10,000 is a start-up capital to recover the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the family’s livelihood. — JMD (FREEMAN)