Editorial. Livelihood Projects that Earn a Living

"If you give a man a fish you would help him for a day. But if you teach him how to fish, you would help him for a lifetime.” These words of Confucius, the Chinese sage, have been there for centuries but many so-called public servants who say they want to help people have not adopted them up to this day.

Livelihood programs of government are mostly for political purposes. In most cases, funds are exhausted but people have not truly found a means to earn a living.

Even the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) has not achieved its goal of making people wade through hardships to a better standard of living. In fact, it has even made more and more people dependent on dole outs from government.

An effective livelihood program is one that can eventually make beneficiaries independent and self-reliant. A country with independent and self-reliant citizens can grow vigorous and strong. The United States of America is an example of such a country.

In the beginning, the immigrants from England did not have a government. They lived and became prosperous as independent and self-reliant individuals and families. It was only when they realized that they must have an institution that will protect and safeguard their common interests that they decided to form a government.

It was thus fitting to the American culture that in 1962, President John F. Kennedy told the people, “Ask not what the government can do for you but ask what you can do for your government.”

The livelihood program that Pilmico Foods Corporation has been implementing for years appears to be one that could make people independent and self-reliant. Livelihood projects are not just given to anybody. They are given to those families who have demonstrated a will to earn a living and live independently by relying on their own hard work and diligent endeavors.

An official of Pilmico Foods explained that the company gives livelihood projects to families who had been using its feed products. Selected families are trained on basic animal husbandry. Then they are given 2 piglets or 1 Egg Machine each depending on their choice.

The livelihood package includes free feeds for one cycle and technical advice is given by Company experts. The technical assistance continues until the beneficiaries learn all the tricks of the trade when technical visits become on the need basis only.

Today hundreds of families are already benefitting from the program. More and more are being assisted. And all have been helped for a lifetime.

Perhaps, government should adopt the Pilmico model. That way taxpayers’ money being invested on livelihood programs may not go down the drain anymore. The New Ranao Star