Cebu Livelihoods

Livelihood in Cebu

Growing Cebu Livelihoods

Writer: Air Borne
Published: 9/29/2016

Cebu Livelihoods & Skills Development

Cebuanos do various sorts of work to earn a living. Aside from the usual office employee and employer means of supporting oneself or a family, Cebuanos learn how to trade and live better through honing their special skills and talents.

Certainly, some Cebuanos develop their own hidden abilities by themselves. However, in many ways, some private institutions and specific public (or governmental) institutions widen that opportunity for people to develop their own livelihood skills and start their own micro-enterprises.

Let’s check out some of these Cebu livelihoods being supported and promoted by some groups and governmental ministries.

Livelihoods in Cebu (photo courtesy: cebudailynews.inquirer.net)

Fair Trade Cebu Projects

Fair Trade in Cebu has sponsored livelihood seminars for the sole benefit of the non-working mothers at the Family Care Center.  The organization had come up with these three easy-to-learn projects such as:

• Bag-making - A team of industrious mothers joyfully weave recycled feed and rice sacks and are able to produce plastic laminated and colorful bags.  These products are good as gift items and have been marketed not only to local but also international clients.
• Accessories-making – Another group of mothers handcrafted scrap leather garments, donated by an export company, and beautifully made them into attractive accessories like bracelets, hairbands, belts and earrings. 
• Card-making – Handicapped or the physically impaired individuals are recipients of this project. By the use of their hands, they produce beautiful greeting cards out of recycled papers however assisted by other tools like silk screen, blender to grind the paper.

Sewing machines (photo by: devsite.mb.com.ph)

Government Supported Cebu Livelihoods

The government, through Cebu Provincial Government livelihood projects have programmes for women, the elderly, farmers, fisherfolks, people with disabilities and single parents

Cebu Provincial Government livelihood projects were showcased during the three-day Advocacy Fair held at the Ayala Center Cebu.  The fair was organized by Cebu Chamber of Commerce, People Management Association of the Philippines, Rotary Clubs of Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu, Advocacy Fair that brought together 19 non-government organizations (NGOs) pushing better life for marginalized sectors including women and children.

• The livelihood projects include the following:
• Mat-weaving
• Food-processing
• Hog-raising and Sawali production

For the Inmates
Also, Cebu Provincial Government did not keep a blind eye to the inmates at the CPDRC (Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.  The inmates are provided with livelihood programs among others:

• Baking program
• Automobile repair and maintenance shop
• Facility for making house ornaments
  

Even the recently concluded election in the Philippines (May 2016), the inmates had the opportunity to make use of the tarpaulins used during the campaign by turning them into grocery bags and tents with the use of sewing machines and training expertise of a staff from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

For persons with disabilities
There are other various kinds of livelihood projects in other municipalities of Cebu. Some of such places and livelihoods include the following:

• Bantayan Island – Massage Therapy (e.g. blind massage)
• Bogo City’s - perfume making and T-shirt printing
• Carmen and San Francisco – baboyan (hog-raising) and bigasan (rice selling)
  

In other places, they have the following programs as well

• Medellin – soap making and dressmaking enterprise
• Borbon – rug-making 
• Lapu-Lapu – natural soap-making, candle-making, cellphone chain-making, basket-making, etc.
  

These are most of the Cebu livelihoods and skills development programmes and projects being promoted by private and public institutions. Such programs do not only support the daily needs of the learners but also could open to opportunities for establishing trade and small business backed with willingness and persistent efforts to improve one's way of living.

Sources:
http://riseabove-cebu.org/projects/livelihood-program/
http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2016/04/26/1576935/4ps-beneficiaries-cebu-undergo-livelihood-trainings
http://angelmarine.jimdo.com/english/about-us/livelihood-program/

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