Cassava Processing Facility soon to rise in GIDCA community in Gigaquit town
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, May 18 (PIA) -- In response to Executive Order No. 70 and as member of the Poverty Reduction, Livelihood and Employment Cluster (PRLEC), the Department of Science and Technology – Caraga through its Provincial Science and Technology Center in Surigao del Norte, in partnership with the Local Government of Gigaquit and the Philippine Root Crops Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops), granted the processing equipment and machineries to Soksokon Coconut Farmers Association (SOCOFAAS).
The granting of said equipment aims to jumpstart the establishment of a Cassava Processing Facility – a local microenterprise focusing on the utilization of cassava tubers into by-products to empower and boost the socioeconomic development of the people of Gigaquit particularly in Sitio Soksokon, Brgy. Camam-onan, a geographically isolated, disadvantaged, and conflict-affected community (GIDCA) in the province.
The provision of equipment is one of the components of the collaborative project to transform the community to become resilient, peaceful, and competitive. The project, amounting to P1 million pesos is funded under the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) Program of DOST which primarily aims to alleviate poverty in remote communities through provision and transfer of technology-based livelihood projects to the most vulnerable communities.
Following the delivery of the machineries, a manpower training for the production process and equipment operation is set to be conducted in June 2022. DOST continues to bring science closer to the people even for those living in the far-flung communities of the country.
To know more about the DOST's S&T programs within the local communities in the province, follow and like the official Facebook page Department of Science and Technology - Surigao del Norte. (DOST- SDN/PIA- Surigao del Norte)