Tinapay ng Bayan building unveiled in Janiuay, Iloilo
The first ever bakery that has a group of out-of-school youths as official bakers was unveiled recently in Janiuay, Iloilo.
Situated within the Gawad Kalinga site in Brgy. Sta. Rita, Janiuay, the Tinapay ng Bayan building is where 15 trained OSYs produce delicious breads and cakes everyday.
Eduardo Guevarra of the Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 (DSWD6) said the support of various government agencies and non-government organizations were instrumental in making this big-impact livelihood project for youth a reality.
“It all started when the DSWD, DTI, Philippine Association of Flour Millers, and the Chamber of Philippine Flour Millers in Iloilo City entered into a partnership last year to train 25 OSYs to be professional bakers. The youth – 15 from Janiuay and 10 from Iloilo City – were members of the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines (PYAP). They underwent a two-week training on bread making last year. After the training, various pledges of support started coming in so that the OSYs’ acquired skills will be put to good use,” he said.
Among the ardent supporters were Mayor Bienvenido Margarico of Janiuay who allocated P1-million for the construction of the Tinapay ng Bayan building, and the Italian government who provided P400,000 worth of baking equipment. Gawad Kalinga provided P200,000; the PAFMIL, P150,000 for the training materials and uniform; and the DSWD, P75,000 as operating capital.
“OSYs must be given the opportunity to live better lives. They need to be capacitated and we need to tap them to the mainstream productive community,” Margarico said.
He added that: “Aside from the building, the LGU of Janiuay will look for means to provide them with a vehicle to deliver their products to the market.”
For his part, DSWD Assistant Secretary Ruel Lucentales said skills training for these OSYs must be continued.
“Unless we give them opportunity to be productive, they would end up using drugs or in jail,” he said. “Let us teach our OSYs not to be bakers only but also to be entrepreneurs so there will be no end in their search for bigger opportunities,” he added.
Also witnessing the unveiling of the Tinapay ng Bayan building were DSWD6 Assistant Regional Director Joel P. Galicia, DTI-6 Regional Director Dominic Abad, Iloilo City Social Welfare and Development Officer Alfredo Villanueva, PAFMIL National Technical Sales Manager Alejandro Paez, GK’s Brother Peter Tiu and Leslie Ann Defensor of the Italian Corporation.