Guimaras Tragedy
Posted by maricel on September 2nd, 2008
For the victims of Guimaras oil spill, the accident was a tragedy, but it has also turned into a blessing in disguise.
If all their lives, the only job they knew was fishing, now, Guimaras folks can boast of additional skills which they can use to earn a living while waiting for the sea to recover from the oil spill. “They are newly minted entrepreneurs in their own right, as seaweed farmers and geotextile producers. They can apply their skills, which they acquired from a training conducted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), wherever they go; thus, they now have other options for livelihood,” Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral enthused.
Providing the victims with alternative livelihood is one of the rehabilitation efforts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development who has partnered with Petron Foundation for this project. The two agencies recently signed a memorandum of agreement that will translate the new skills of the oil spill victims into livelihood.
“The first phase of the oil spill cleanup is already completed; and now the need is to concentrate on providing support for the development and implementation of alternative livelihood programs,” Secretary Cabral related.
Beneficiaries of DSWD-Petron Foundation initiative come from the two hardest-hit municipalities of Sibunag and Nueva Valencia. Residents of Sibunag will undertake seaweed farming while those in Nueva Valencia will start a geotextile project. The beneficiaries who were identified by the local government units will be linked to the One Town, One Product (OTOP) of the Department of Trade and Industry.
“The project will primarily operate a micro-finance activity with Petron Foundation pouring in P3 million capital seed fund. The strategies used by the Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program of the DSWD will be adopted,” Secretary Cabral continued.
The beneficiaries will be formed into SEA-K Associations (SKA), which in turn will become the conduit of the credit assistance from the DSWD.
Each of 15 associations to be formed will be composed of 30 members and will be given P5,000.00 in capital assistance per member.
According to Secretary Cabral, the project will start this month and will run for six months after which, assessment shall be made by the DSWD and Petron Foundation to determine if the project should be continued.
“The beneficiaries will also be trained on basic business management skills, accounting and bookkeeping to improve the chances of success and sustainability of their livelihood projects,” Secretary Cabral added.
“Guimaras is recovering quite well. The victims temporarily lost their original means of livelihood but they have gained another. With their new skills and assistance from the DSWD and Petron, I am confident that they will manage to rise above the tragedy,” Secretary Cabral further stated.
“Petron‘s initiative to rehabilitate the island demonstrates its corporate social responsibility,” Secretary Cabral disclosed.
Petron Corporation’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Nicasio Alcantara, on the other hand, thanked the DSWD for being an effective partner in the rehabilitation of Guimaras. ### March 29, 2007