Women farmers in Arakan, North Cotabato are looking forward to a brighter future after the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) made them undergo training in jewelry-making to help them augment their income.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Marion Abella said the training program, given to the Ganatan Women’s Association (GWA), is part of the DAR-DTI-Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (DAR-DTI-CARP), which aims to help agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in establishing their own viable enterprises.
“The project is very suitable to the community since most of the GWA group members belong to the Manobo tribe and they are often idle for 5-6 hours a day. We want to capacitate them by grooming them to become business people. That is why we are training them with the necessary skills so they can generate income for their family,” said Abella.
In jewelry-making, the women were taught how to make fashion accessories such as rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces using plastic and glass beads.
In addition to skills training, the DAR and DTI provided equipment and start-up materials amounting to P10,000 to the participants through the GWA. The equipment and materials consisted of 20 ring sizer, 20 ring sticks, 20 jewelry pliers, 20 jewelry cutters, 20 rolls jewelry ordinary wire, and 20 sets of colored beads.
GWA president Rosario Votacion , assured DAR and DTI that they would manage the project well.
“I have high hopes to develop the project from micro to small and medium enterprise in the future. We will also strive to enhance our capability and skills so that we could produce quality beads fashion accessories that are competitive in the market,” Votacion said.
The Provincial Offices of DAR and DTI in North Cotabato announced that they would jointly conduct the same livelihood project and skills training in Barangay Tumanding, Arakan, North Cotabato. (pinky roque)
