Gensan Mothers Receive Livelihood From City Gov’t

General Santos City (PIA) – Eighty mothers in General Santos city were recently granted opportunities to earn more via livelihood projects from the city government.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, with the Integrated Barangay Affairs (IBA) of the City Mayor’s Office, distributed live chickens mother-beneficiaries through the program Kita Ni Nanay, Para Kay Nanay. Each received twenty 20 chickens.

One of the recipients, Esther Rias, 65, of Barangay San Jose, said she was very thankful for the livelihood package, emphasizing her need for income.

“I am already old but I have still my grandchildren with me. My husband is a farmer but he does not have a stable income. Supporting my family financially is really hard,” Rias narrated in vernacular. “When I heard about this program in our barangay, I immediately asked if I am qualified and luckily I did. We went under trainings and seminars on how to properly raise a poultry business.”

“Now that I have these chickens, I am very hopeful that this will help our family. Of course, I am thankful to our city government, to our Mayor for giving mothers like me an opportunity to have a business,” Rias said.

The Kita Ni Nanay, Para Kay Nanay is a program launched by the IBA to econnomically empower indigent mothers.

“We want our mothers to be empowered through teaching them how to do business. Typically, we see our mothers and our women to be just housewives. I want to change that by making them proactive and equal partners of their husbands,” Mayor Rivera explained.

“The city government allotted PhP1.2 million for the Kita Ni Nanay, Para Kay Nanay program. As of now, we are eyeing to distribute chickens to at least 520 mothers in the city—20 to each barangay,” he continued.

Mayor Rivera indicated that this program will be sustained to benefit more poor and deserving mothers in the city.

Sahara Cabreros, a student of Mindanao State University College of Law Extension, heads the IBA. Aside from the Kita Ni Nanay, Para Kay Nanay, the IBA currently runs other programs which targets different sectors in the city such as the youth and the elderly. The Amigohanay sa Barangay and Alay Kay Lolo at Lola are among the programs that the IBA handle. Its program Barangayan, on the other hand, brings government services like medical and legal services closer to the people. (IJLagare-Gensan CPIO/DEDoguiles-PIA12)