Some housewives in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, a major tourism destination in the Ilocos region, look forward to welcoming visitors anew and letting them feast on native delicacies they prepare and cook with love.

While packing her biko, the sweet rice cake that is an Ilocano favorite, for friends and neighbors to taste, Rose Salvador of Poblacion village said Wednesday she is excited to offer her latest version of homemade native delicacies.

Salvador’s residence is just a few meters from the white sand beaches of Pagudpud that are a magnet to tourists.

Together with other housewives who were trained recently on native delicacy making, she said she feels more confident now to sell her homemade products as an additional source of income.

As part of empowering local communities affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in partnership with the local government of Pagudpud through its Investment and Promotion Center, conducted a skills training on native delicacy making on November 23-24.

The activity is in line with the DTI’s Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay to promote business development assistance by bringing government services closer to the people.

The skills training also aims to provide additional sources of livelihood to interested beneficiaries.

“We are thankful for the local government of Pagudpud and to DTI for this livelihood training,” one of the beneficiaries said.

Each beneficiary who completed the training program will receive PHP8,000 worth of capital, which includes kitchen wares and other tools for cooking.

In an earlier interview, DTI-Ilocos Norte director Rosario Quodala said they have widened the provision of livelihood kits to those affected by the pandemic, including potential entrepreneurs, and those stricken by calamities.

To become a recipient of the agency’s Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay and the Pangkabuhayan sa pagBangon at Ginhawa – Livelihood and Entrepreneurship programs, applicants will have to undergo profiling and interview by a Nego Center Business counselor to ensure they have not received any other amelioration programs of the government. (PNA)