BY
JENNA LUMBANG
Sustainable
livelihood development for the Kapampangans is one of the top agenda of Gov.
Lilia Pineda’s administration in its quest to achieve growth and prosperity in
the province.
The
ascension of Gov. Lilia Pineda in the highest hierarchy of public service in
the province
gave
birth to the Negosyo king Panyulung Program (NPP) of the Provincial Cooperative
and Entrepreneurial Development Office (PCEDO).
Through
NPP, the provincial government is providing loans as capital to Kapampangans
who are determined and striving to start their own small business. They can loan P5,000 to P10, 000 payable in
six months with zero interest and no collateral needed. For those who want to
expand their business, they can borrow up to P200, 000 with .06 percent
interest per annum for two years.
Before
releasing the loan assistance, the PCEDO headed by Mamerto Gatus conducts
capability building and seminars to the beneficiaries on how to manage business
and finances, and marketing strategies. Some of them avail the livelihood
training such as baking, pastry making and dress making.
From
July 2010 to March of this year, the loan assistance of the Pineda
administration has reached to P44, 095,000 benefitting 6,000 kapampangan small
entrepreneurs who are mostly vendors, store owners, and persons with
disabilities.
Success Stories of Beneficiaries
Together
with PCEDO staff, we visited some of the beneficiaries of the NPP program who
show some changes in their lives.
One
of them is Emilie Salazar from Lubao. She borrowed capital from the PCEDO to
sell fresh vegetables, meat and fish in their barangay to help augment the
income of her husband who works as construction worker whose salary is not
enough to meet the needs of their family.
However,
with the help of Emilie, after two years, they were able to reconstruct their nipa
hut into a concrete house fit for a descent living.
Another
beneficiary - Maria Marcelo from Sta. Rita revived the decades-old oblea, known
as wafer making business of their family after he got loan from the provincial
government. Now, she has employed some of her relatives who are earning enough
income to feed their own families.
Valentino
Pasco and Nina Hilario, natives of Guagua used to sell pastries through orders.
With the loan and training assistance of PCEDO their business progresses
enabling them to put up a store in their area.
A
fishpond operator, Romeo Vitug is one of the victims of typhoon Habagat.
To recover
from his loss, he joined one of the NPP associations and was given P200,
000 loan. He used some amount of his loan to venture into
camia-production.
These
stories of our cabalens are only a glimpse of the numerous Kapampangans who are
successful in their pursuit to triumph over poverty through the support of the
provincial government.
It
also proves that the livelihood program of the administration is effective tool
to eradicate the dole-out mentality since most of the recipients of NPP pay
their loan on time. With the P44 million loan assistance released by PCEDO,
P38.5 million was already collected.
Giving fish to the people is just a band-aid
solution to fight hunger for a day but teaching them how to fish, you can feed
them throughout the years of their lives. They may have the skills but without
the means, this effort to help them will remain futile. But in Pampanga, it’s
another story. Everything goes hand in hand. Loans are made available. Trainings
are accessible and the means and will to start a business is feasible and
attainable.
With
everything in package through the PCEDO’s Negosyo King Panyulung, the
provincial government touches and changes the lives of the Kapampangan
beneficiaries.
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