BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has recently delivered an Integrated Food Processing project aimed at enhancing coffee, banana, and sweet potato production to the Tongo Integrated Farmers Association (TIFA) in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

Led by President Roy Gonzales and the Barangay Cabadiangan Council, TIFA hosted DOLE representatives at the project’s turnover ceremony in Sitio Tongo on January 26.

The initiative, worth one million pesos, provided the association with value-adding machinery, including a coffee roaster and thresher, funded through DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood Program’s Assisted Livelihood Project (DILP-Kabuhayan).

This project is set to benefit fifty-one farmer-members of TIFA.

The DILP-Kabuhayan program is designed to foster livelihood activities by offering grants to individuals and groups for starting, expanding, or upgrading their projects, as well as for restoring or re-establishing businesses impacted by natural or human-induced disasters.

It also aims to help transform existing livelihood aid into sustainable community or group enterprises.

Mayor Raymund Tongson, represented by Executive Assistants Clen Retiro and Emmanuel Castro, along with Special Projects Consultant Analee Degoma, conveyed his appreciation for the support received. Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao, Councilors Aly Tongson Jr., and Janet Villafranca were also present at the ceremony.

Mayor Tongson extended his gratitude to DOLE representatives Carmella Abellar, Rosalie Guilaran, and Elmer Guimay for their assistance with the turnover, which was made possible through collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry.

He emphasized that this project is part of ongoing collaborations between the city government and various government entities, non-profit groups, and institutions, all focused on providing financial and technical support to the agriculturists, fisherfolk, and local producers of Himamaylan.