4Ps beneficiary owns house, sends kids to school

By December 10, 2017Business, News, Punch Gallery

BAGUIO’S ‘SUNDOT-KULANGOT’

LINGAYEN—By regularly producing Baguio City’s famous pasalubong, sundot kulangot, a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary in the town soon managed to own a house, has a daughter about to earn a college diploma, a college graduate and still sends two more kids to school.

Celedonia Soriano, one of sundot-kulangot makers in Lingayen, attributed her successful venture to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD)- Sustainable Livelihood Program through its Seed Capital Fund Modality,

A byproduct of calamay, the candy that earned its moniker Sundot-kulangot because one’s finger can be used to take out and enjoy the candy out of the shell if a stick is not available, is a pinch of glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk and brown sugar stored in a small coconut-looking shells locally called as bitaoy.

Soriano with her regular production of sundot kulangot ready to be transported to Baguio City (Contributed photo)

While it is one of the famous pasalubong from Baguio City, little does everyone know that these sweet treats are made in Lingayen town.

Soriano, with her husband, began by working for a neighbor in exchange merely for a daily stipend to support the family. “Dahil sa maliit na kita, di kami makapagpundar ng sariling bahay. Nakikitira kami sa mga kamag-anak,”  Soriano said.

The big change in her life came in June 2015 when she and 18 others took a five-day capability building and technical assistance of the DSWD Field Office 1- Sustainable Livelihood Program through its Seed Capital Fund Modality. They were able to avail of a seed capital assistance of P10,000.00 each, payable in two years.

The seed capital was intended to augment the low income of their bagoong na alamang (shrimp paste) business since most of the participants were fisher folks. However, due to the limited supply of shrimp during the implementation of the project, they decided to expand their business operation to calamay and sundot-kulangot making.

With the DSWD’s intervention, Celedonia family’s monthly income of P4,000.00 to P6,000.00 began to average P8,000.00 monthly, enabling the Soriano couple to acquire a house.

Nagpapasalamat kami dahil magtatapos na ng college sa B.S. Biology ang anak naming babae ngayong taon ,” she said.

Celedonia has three children, two of them are now in high school. (Eva Visperas)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments