Zamboanga Peninsula –The Local Government Unit (LGU) of the City of Pagadian in Zamboanga Del Sur, spearheaded livelihood skills training for members of the Asenso Women Association. Said association is composed of women who are beneficiaries of the country’s conditional cash transfer program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), that is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

324 women were trained on Bread and Pastry while 107 beneficiaries completed the training for dried fruits and vegetables.

The Local Chief Executive, Hon. Sammy Co and the City Social Welfare Development Officer, Evangeline A. Poquita, facilitated the distribution of starter kits to the beneficiaries during the celebration of the National Women’s Month. These efforts reflect the city’s strong commitment to fostering inclusive growth and empowering women through sustainable livelihood interventions.

“We are very much grateful for the strong partnership that we have with the City of Pagadian. Support like this helps realize our vision for our beneficiaries to achieve self-sufficiency and escape the vicious cycle of poverty,” said the Regional Program Coordinator of 4Ps in Zamboanga Peninsula, Flordeliza A. Atuy.

As per report from the Social Welfare and Development Indicator or SWDI assessment, a methodology used to gauge the level of well-being of the 4Ps families, lack of sustainable economic opportunities primarily causes a family to stay poor. This program was designed to enhance the skills and promote the economic empowerment of women by equipping them with practical knowledge that can help improve their family’s income and overall well-being.

Aside from the LGU support, other stakeholders also took part in the empowerment of 4Ps women by facilitating the said trainings. TESDA facilitated the Bread and Pastry training at C3 Commercial Building last month. 30 rural barangays in Pagadian participated in the training.

On the other hand, the City Agriculture Office organized the training on Dried Fruits and Vegetables. The training was focused on food preservation techniques that allow women from 24 urban barangays to produce goods for home use or commercial sale, thereby enhancing their livelihood prospects.

Left: Distribution Starter Kits during the National Women’s Month Celebration
Right: 4Ps women strike a pose before the actual training on Bread and Pastry

Pagadian City Mayor, Hon. Sammy Co and CSWDO Evangeline Poquita oversee the training.