The Department of Social Welfare and Development Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) was recently recognized by the Provincial Government of Occidental Mindoro for its immense support and participation in the 2022 Provincial Agri-Tourism Trade Fair held at the Capitol Complex, Mamburao last November 9-15, 2022.
The Plaque of Appreciation was personally received by the DSWD-SLP Provincial Coordinator Albert Wyndell Tulaylay on the last day of the trade fair.
During the kick-off ceremony of the trade fair, Provincial Governor Eduardo B. Gadiano highlighted the need to promote agri-tourism products including food and non-food goods made from indigenous raw materials where the province is not yet known. He enjoined the members of Sangguniang Panlalawigan, LGU, guests, and his constituents to patronize the locally-produced products.
The trade fair aimed to showcase the provincial livelihood products and prepare the MSMEs for the upcoming regional trade event for wider opportunities.
As a partner agency together with other participating municipalities, DSWD-SLP proudly displayed the works of the program beneficiaries in the province. Some of these included fresh catch seafood, dishwashing liquid, and fabric softener from Santa Cruz, nito products from Abra de Ilog, hand-made bead accessories created by the tribes of San Jose under EO 70, turmeric products from Calitaan, and all-natural Mamburao’s saluyot products by DAPI-Mamburao Women Producers Cooperative.
The program beneficiaries were extremely grateful to the project development officers of SLP Occidental Mindoro as they had initiated the participation in the event, designed the booth, sold their products, and even delivered the earnings personally to them. They also hope that this kind of activity will continue to help them sustain their livelihood resources.
The trade fair is one of the major activities of the Arawatan Festival, an annual historic event of the province where people of various religious congregations, beliefs, political differences, varying ethnically and indigenous communities, customs, and traditions are strongly unified. The word “Arawatan” is a Mangyan term that connotes “cooperation” or “helping each other”. This week-long festival is celebrated in consonance with the 72nd founding anniversary of Occidental Mindoro.
