REMAI ALEJADO
Provincial Press Bureau
Online contributor
PAGADIAN CITY—The Vincenzo Sagun Fish Ventures Association (VSFVA)’s dried fish enterprise gets a boost from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) with the receipt of a check worth P435,971 as additional funding.
VSFVA produces the one-of-a-kind Tamban or Lopoy dried fish and is hailed as the town’s OTOP or one-town-one-product.
DOLE Usec. Lourdes Trasmonte, RD Ponciano Ligutom and PD Virginia Bonbon were joined by Gov. Aurora Cerilles in awarding the check to Mayor Edilberto Adlaon, who received it with VSFVA President Joy Rabon.
The funding aid received by VSFVA is President Gloria Arroyo’s workers income augmentation program (WINAP) and the awarding was coincided during DOLE’s launching of Phil-Jobnet Center at the Capitol, Jan. 17.
Trasmonte, a native of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, said in her message that opportunities abound for jobseekers and future entrepreneurs if only they will learn to make use of available resources found in their locality.
She cited, for example, the big prospects on agriculture products, fishery and natural resources development.
For VSFVA, it started only with 20 women members but at present has already attended several Regional Trade Expositions at SM Megamall in Manila as well as trade fairs in Davao City.
The DTI has been assisting VSFVA in the packaging of their products. With the DOLE fund assistance, Adlaon is optimistic they can procure the needed equipment for mass production.