BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The BAbae Livelihood AcceleratiNG Kasaba OpportunitY (BALANGKOY) project is making meaningful progress in expanding economic opportunities for indigenous women in Tabuk City, Kalinga.
This undertaking is funded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) under the Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises (WHWise) Program.
The project involves the establishment of a cassava post-harvest processing facility that will empower and provide direct employment for indigenous women in Tabuk City, boosting the local economy, according to DOST Kalinga.
The said project is in collaboration with FLQ Foods and Panciteria as the implementing entity.
Project leader and FLQ Foods and Panciteria owner Wilma Alvester shared that with the assistance of DOST Kalinga and DOST-Cordillera, their proposal for the BALANGKOY Project was approved in 2021. The DOST PCIEERD downloaded more than P3.4 million grant in 2023.
At present, the facility is producing cassava flour, cassava crunchies and other cassava-based products that are sold in different areas in Kalinga and its neighboring provinces.
Alvester said that they recently introduced into the line of products the cassava flour which is the main ingredient in making other products such as starch, noodles and chips. Production of cassava wine is also underway.
Under the project, a series of trainings including cassava production and harvesting were already conducted for local farmers. They have started the drafting of procedure or process manual for the cassava processing.
“Napakalaki po ng tulong ng DOST, lalo na po [rito] sa PSTC Kalinga, sa DOST CAR. Kasi kung wala po sila na nag assist po sa amin, ‘di po kami nakarating sa PCIEERD sa Central Office. Sila po ang nag assist sa amin, tumulong sa amin na gumawa ng proposal po,” Alvester said.
The project is a reflection of DOST’s commitment to promote women-led social enterprises and enhance economic growth in communities. **DEG-PIA CAR/Fatima Gilledo, PHINMA UPang Intern
