MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)—Livelihood support beneficiaries of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Cooperation Agency Philippines (KOICA) are urged to use the assistance responsibly to improve their living conditions.
A total of 27 displaced women, mostly solo parents, received their national certificate for dressmaking and starter kits under the “Driving Marawi's Rehabilitation through IDP Support, Community Development, and Peaceful Transitional Action” project of IOM and KOICA.
“Sana ay pagyamanin ninyo ang mga binibigay nilang mga packages at gamitin sa tamang pamamaraan ang mga natutunan sa programang binibigay sa inyo [I hope you will make the packages grow and use what you have learned in the right way],” said Dr. Emelda Gandamra-Taib who represented City Mayor Majul Gandamra during the dressmaking training graduation and starter kits handover ceremony Monday, May 30.
Taib said the support extended by the two humanitarian organizations is 'rare' because the provision of start-up packages was coupled with skills training.
Hamdanisah Comacasar, scholarship focal of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education – Technical Education and Skills Development, also told the graduates to use the assistance as an instrument towards their full recovery. She also underscored the advantage of being a holder of a national certificate (NC).
All the 27 women passed the Ministry's assessment and are now holders of NC II.
The graduation was also witnessed by Task Force Bangon Marawi Field Office Manager Asec. Felix Castro Jr. who reminded the beneficiaries to be thankful and to take good care of the assistance they received.
"We could only do so much, the rest of the responsibilities ay nasa inyo. Kung hindi niyo maalagaan yan, kung hindi kayo magsisipag, kung hindi niyo gagamitin, walang mangyayari [the rest of the responsibilities are on you. If you don't take care of that, if you don't work hard, if you don't use it, nothing will happen]," he said.
Castro also lauded the intervention saying the provision of training before the starter kit handover is what makes it different from others.
“The other projects simply give away sewing machines but hindi natutukan ang [did not focus on the] training and that's why there is a big percentage of failure dun sa mga nakatanggap dahil hindi nila [among those who received because they did not] totally na-appreciate yung binigay sa kanila [appreciate what was given to them.] That's why we are very glad that IOM pursued this track - training first and eventually giving the machinery,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade, Investments, and Tourism told the graduates that the Ministry is ready to assist them in how to grow their businesses and how to maximize the use of social media for marketing their products. (APB/PIA-10Lanao del Sur)
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