CALOOCAN City Mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan, through the Cultural Affairs and Tourism Office (CATO), conducted a skills training on tourism livelihood craft for Barangay Tourism officers on Thursday afternoon at Bulwagang Katipunan, Caloocan City Hall.

Mayor Along said programs, as such, provide alternative sources of income amid the crisis as it promotes the city’s rich heritage.

“Income-generating activities, including livelihood training, help our residents to develop new skills or learn how to create products. With CATO’s help, Barangay Tourism officers shall be empowered to promote the local art and culture of Caloocan while earning at the same time,” Mayor Along said.

The attendees learned basic skills to make souvenir items like tote bags and t-shirts and silkscreen printing in a short workshop.

As stated by CATO’s Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Kathleen Pacubas, the program’s beneficiaries shall become “future trainers” in their respective communities to help vulnerable sectors, most especially women, to start their own small businesses.

“We want to help as many as we can. The attendees shall be the ones teaching what they learned to other willing residents in their Barangays; since most of the members of Barangay Tourism Offices are women, we also aim to empower them to be entrepreneurs,” she said.

In line with this, the finished products shall be displayed in “Tourism Booths” during city events to promote and help raise their sales.

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Edd Reyes