Housewife trains to become welder

Behind the welder's helmet: Minerva H. Bañas, a 33-year old housewife trains to become a welder.

In a male-dominated vocation, a housewife has stepped beyond her boundaries to join the industry and prove that women can likewise take on heavy jobs. She is Minerva H. Bañas, a 33 year-old mother of two from Malama, Ligao City.

Minerva is one of the first 22 trainees enrolled in the Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC 1, a training program implemented by the City Government of Ligao in partnership with Congressman Fernando V. Gonzalez and Technical Education and Skills Development Auhority (TESDA) under the Special Training for Employment Program (STEP).

Minerva spends more than an hour to travel from her house at Barangay Malama to the training center at Robredo Bldg., Tuburan, Ligao City. She also leaves her two children aged six and four to her mother-in-law everyday to attend the training. Despite the challenges she faces as a housewife, she did not hesitate to enroll in the program.

Furthermore, Minerva felt motivated to join the program to develop her skills that she can use to earn additional income. Her husband, who works as a laborer, earns a weekly income of Php 1,700. Minerva, on the other hand, does not earn any income by herself. She wanted to help her husband and her parents but could not afford to due to financial constraints.

Empowered

When Minerva knew about the training program, her husband encouraged her to join in. She also knew from her husband that construction firms are accepting female welders and that he currently works with a few of them. She was then convinced that she too can do it.

Unlike other housewives, Minerva was more interested to undergo training on welding rather than take on the usual inclination of women in dressmaking, tailoring, beauty care, and cosmetology. Although she finds some parts of the training difficult (i.e. grinding and cutting) due to her slender built, she is able to keep pace with her fellow trainees.

Future direction

When asked about her plans after the training, Minerva said she wants to apply abroad for greener pasture. However, if they are able to afford all the resources to build a local welding shop, she would decide to stay and live with her family.

Minerva completed the training on 26 October 2015 together with her fellow trainees. She is now preparing for the Competency Assessment to get her National Certificate.

Minerva also wishes that the program will continue so more people can benefit from the program and Ligao can build a community of competent individuals capable of creating their own success. Lala Peñafiel \ albay3d.blogspot.com

200 BUB-SLP farmer-recipients receive starter kits for organic rice production

Ligao City Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua and Pastor Jun Prena of LPRAT assisted the distribution of starter kits to BUB-SLP farmer-recipients.

Two hundred farmer-recipients of the Bottom-up Budgeting- Sustainable Livelihood Project (BuB-SLP) from Ligao City received starter kits for organic production on 9 October 2015 at Jesse M. Robredo Bldg., Tuburan, Ligao City. The starter kit consist of one head carabao, PCIC insurance premium for the carabao, Biologics for the carabao (dewormer and vitamins), one kilogram of Agrican Night Crawler, one rake, one spade, and one hoe.

The farmer-recipients underwent two-day training on organic rice production last June 2015 conducted by the City Agriculture Office (CAO). The training is a prerequisite for the recipients to receive the starter kits which they can utilize to enhance their farming activity.

The farmers also received carabaos marked with "BUB", the acronym for Bottom-up Budgeting.

Aside from the training, CAO will be offering technical assistance to the beneficiaries including free veterinary services for the carabaos.

According to Ligao City Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua, the City Government will assign a monitoring team to check if the starter kits are properly utilized.

Pastor Jun Preña of the Local Poverty Reduction Action Team also inspired the farmer-recipients to help each other share the benefits they have received.

Earlier this year, three livelihood programs were completed including Dressmaking and Tailoring, Hairdressing and Tailoring, and Organic Vegetable Production. Lala Peñafiel \ albay3d.blogspot.com