The Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office IX (DOLE 9) and the Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Authority entered into a usufruct agreement for two parcels of land for Project HOPE on October 8, 2018 at KCC Mall de Zamboanga, Gov. Camins Avenue, Zamboanga City.

Regional Director Ofelia B. Domingo said that the initiative stands for Helping Others Prosper Economically, a holistic intervention for the fashing and canning industry workers displaced and their dependents during the annual closed fishing season which includes emergency employment, training, retooling and livelihood.

The Project HOPE initiative of the department will focus on eco-livelihood farming as an enrolled project under the Trabaho Negosyo Kabuhayan framework and will provide beneficiaries an alternative source of income through agricultural farming.

Zambo ECOZONE, for its part, will provide 10-hectare land thru the usufruct agreement, which will be used for identified farming categories such as Cash Crops, Pest Control and Fertilizer Making, Livestock Raising and Long Gestation Crops.

Guest of Honor, Assistant Secretary Federico Abuan Jr., presented Project HOPE during the short opening program of the TNK Job Fair outlining the salient features of the initiative prior to the signing of the agreement.

DOLE 9 is represented by Atty. Federico V. Abuan Jr. and Director Domingo while ECOZONE was represented by its Administrator and Chairman Christopher Lawrence Arnuco with Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar as witness to the signing.

In the afternoon, one of the usufruct agreements was signed by DOLE and ZAMBO ECOZONE during the One Town, One Product (OTOP) Philippine Hub Launching with Madam Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña standing as witness and Guest of Honor. /END