LINGAYEN— Fifteen more farmers’ associations in the province received livelihood assistance from the provincial government.

A total of P2.31 million were distributed for a supervised credit program to the farmers and irrigators in the towns of Bautista, Laoac, San Manuel, Tayug, Natividad, Rosales, Basista, Bayambang, Sual, Mabini, Bolinao, Asingan, and Dasol.

Gov. Amado Espino Jr., Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr., and Board Member Amado ‘Pogi’ Espino III, led the distribution of the checks amounting to P100,000-P200,000 to each of the group that their members can avail of to help defray their expenses on farm inputs, commodity training, and goat production.

Calimlim said the funding was included in the province’s Annual Investment Plan.

Since the livelihood assistance program started in 2008, the provincial government of Pangasinan has already allotted about P64 million, benefitting more than 15,000 individuals in the province.

According to Luz Muego, the provincial government’s consultant on livelihood programs and population services, 456 associations and 51 individual small business owners from different towns of the province have already availed of the program.

Of these, more than 10 associations have leveled up into becoming cooperatives.

The Provincial Livelihood Assistance Program of Pangasinan, a loan program of the provincial government with a minimum interest rate, geared at helping those who have started small enterprises, has achieved 97% payment collection rate.

Mr. Espino advised those who can no longer borrow from the province can form cooperatives and can loan bigger amounts from the Central Bank of the Philippines without collateral since as the province was awarded the credit surety fund. (Johanne Macob)

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