THIRTY Lumad women who composed eight clusters from the different barangays in Davao Occidental will be trained on proper livestock handling and production to empower them by providing assistance for livelihood sustainability.

The women will be trained under the skills training program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) – Davao Occidental provincial office.

Four women will be trained on goat-raising and production and two clusters will be on swine production, while two other clusters will be on chicken production projects.

“The agency will provide skills training under the Community-based Skills Training Program inclusive of life skills competencies and entrepreneurship for the sustainability of the project,” Tesda Davao Occidental Provincial Director Alfredo V. Panuela Jr. said.

“Sa ngayon po may program kami with IP women, skills training for IP women on goat-raising and dairy (production). The province will provide the structure and the availability of 100 heads of goat and the barangay provided the area of more than a hectare for the said project,” he added.

The program was launched last March 25, 2019 in partnership with the Province of Davao Occidental through the Planning Management Unit (PMU) which will take charge of the construction of the needed facilities and availability of animals for production, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the entrepreneurship program and the Office of the Barangay Captain of South Lamidan.

“Tesda will provide the skills training and entrepreneurial training and life skills training if ever they opt to be employed but the main context of the program is to provide livelihood,” Panuela said.

“We can possibly augment their income, the said program will be monitored by the office of program monitoring unit (PMU),” he added.