Zambales vice gov launches antipoverty program

By Mark Louie P. Roxas, Central Luzon Bureau

IBA, Zambales: Vice Gov. Ramon G. Lacbain 2nd has launched an all-out war against poverty in the province through the promotion of cooperatives and various livelihood and agriculture projects for poor Zambaleños.

Lacbain vowed to pursue his own vision of economic prosperity for Zambales residents by mobilizing funds from national government leaders and agencies to support his livelihood projects.

Lacbain, the national executive vice president of the League of Vice Governors of the Philippines, said his office started organizing cooperative stores and pharmacies in remote sitios and barangays all over the province.

These cooperative micro-enterprises aim to bring generic consumer goods and medicines to far-flung area at low cost, but with high-quality standard.

“We hope to establish 300 cooperative stores and pharmacies in the province, including the city of Olongapo, to be known as Tindahan Natin and Botica Natin as a joint project among the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Zambales War Against Poverty Foundation and various government organizations and people’s associations,” he said.

Lacbain’s office also organized the Balikpinas Multipurpose Cooperative for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and balikbayan in Zambales, as one of the biggest cooperatives in the country.

Thousands of OFWs and balikbayan in Zambales are being tapped by his office to mobilize their resources for various projects, such as global training center for mango and carabao industries and other agriculture-related projects besides providing their special needs as OFWs and balikbayan for health, travel, real-estate acquisition, legal and educational assistance.

Lacbain said that the Total Rural Development (TRD) movement, as its chair of the board, is also involved in promoting the development of agro-industrialization in barangays in Zambales.

TRD Cooperative is extending agri-credit facilities and marketing support to local farmers and fishermen for their agricultural production through partnership with Lacbain, Sons Roy of ABS-CBN Bayan Development Foundation and the National Livelihood Support Fund.

He said that his total rural development program was designed to give attention to agriculture, fisheries and livelihood development. Lacbain added that the solution to poverty could be achieved through the creation of livelihood opportunities, generating employment through investments promotion and allocating bigger budget and carrying out more programs for agriculture, fisheries and tourism development.