The municipal government of Moncada has empowered solo parents through the provision of various assistance. Mayor Estelita Aquino said they collaborated with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the provincial government of Tarlac in the conduct of skills training such as bread and pastry making to enable them to have a sustainable livelihood.

“Together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, we identified solo parents with micro enterprises for the provision of additional capital to boost their businesses,” she added.

Moreover, Aquino shared that women in the municipality may also opt to join the Moncada Women’s Credit Cooperative.

“It is one of the biggest cooperatives in the province organized by the municipal government with about 2,000 members and more than P200 million in assets,” she disclosed.

Meanwhile, other programs initiated for empowering women include health and wellness activities such as Zumba classes for a stronger mind and body.

It also regularly conducts seminars on Republic Act No. 9262, otherwise known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004, with the Philippine National Police to educate women on their rights and whom they can call or consult when violation of their rights occur. (PIA 3)

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𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑜𝑟 𝐸𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑎 𝐴𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑛𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑙 𝑔𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑜 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑠. (Gabriela Liana S. Barela/PIA 3)