TACLOBAN CITY-The Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) has launched a new community-based initiative aimed at empowering women farmers and residents in Barangay 101, New Kawayan, this city, through livelihood and cooperative development programs.
Dubbed “Livelihood Empowerment and Values Enrichment for Ladies in the Urban Poor” (LEVELUP), the initiative is being implemented by EVSU’s School of Accountancy, Management, and Entrepreneurship (SAME) in partnership with the City Cooperative Development and Livelihood Assistance Office and the Cooperative Development Authority.
The program seeks to organize local farmers into a cooperative to strengthen community collaboration, promote sustainable livelihoods, and provide access to government assistance programs.
Darwin Navarossa, head of SAME, said the initiative aims to help residents establish a formal cooperative that can qualify for development opportunities and support from government agencies.
Under the program, EVSU faculty members and students will assist beneficiaries in preparing project proposals and livelihood plans that may qualify for funding support from agencies such as the Department of Agriculture.
If approved, the proposals may receive financial assistance for agricultural enterprises and community-based businesses.
The initiative forms part of EVSU’s continuing extension and regional development efforts. Founded in 1907, EVSU is considered the oldest higher education institution in Eastern Visayas and is mandated to provide instruction, research, and extension services in agriculture, technology, entrepreneurship, and related fields.
The LEVELUP project also builds on previous youth-led agricultural initiatives supported by the university, including student-led agri-based enterprises funded under the Young Farmers Challenge program.
(LANCE GABRIEL ENTERESO, LNU STUDENT INTERN)
