A SERIES of training-seminars on how to address the global economic crisis was conducted by the university’s Gender and Development (GAD) team last May 5-7 in Vintar and Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, respectively. This was sponsored by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte through the Provincial Population Office headed by Ms. Erlinda Ramiro.

Prof. Beatriz S. Malab, MMSU GAD focal person, talked on soil and water concerns such as the present condition of water resources and how to conserve these. According to reports, water resources will be scarce in Ilocos Norte and other provinces in the country in 2025.

\"This situation is caused by improper water disposal, water pollution, and the degradation of forest reserve leading to soil erosion and sedimentation,\" Malab explained to the participants composed of barangay captains, Sanguniang Kabataan officials, and housewives.

Furthermore, Ms. Angelica O. Salas, CAS extension coordinator, talked on women’s rights and reproductive rights. Salas said that of the estimated 1,600 women who die every day from complications caused by pregnancy and child birth, 99 percent are in developing countries.

Salas made a pitch for the reproductive health, saying that the bill is not anti-life, does not interfere with family life, does not legalize abortion, does not promote contraceptive mentality, and does not impose a two-child policy.

For her part, Ms. Criselda M. Balisacan, chief of the Regional Center on Poverty Studies (RCPS), lectured on gender and poverty. Balisacan discussed that of the 1.3 billion people living in poverty around the world, 70 percent are women. They do about 66 percent of the world’s work but are compensated with less than 5 percent of its income. Poverty, therefore, has a woman’s face.

The RCPS chief stressed that the key to breaking the poverty cycle is in sustaining poverty reduction initiatives that inject positive change into the cycle for the individual, family or community benefiting from that initiative.

One of these poverty reduction initiatives was held on March 23 when the first of a series of Gender Outreach Seminar- cum-Livelihood trainings was conducted in Bangui, Ilocos Norte. Seventy-five women leaders representing the various barangays of the municipality participated in the activity.

Simultaneous with the GAD training was the conduct of a skills training on bamboo processing which was attended by 14 out-of-school youths and women. Mr. Luis Vertido, a faculty member of the College of Teacher Education who specializes on bamboo handicrafts, served as trainor.

In addition, skills training on clothbag making and silk screen printing was also offered to the women to complement the trainings offered. These series of skills trainings are conducted in preparation of the grand opening of the view deck in Barangay Baruyen which will be managed by the women organization of Bangui.

The second batch of Gender Outreach Seminar-cum -Livelihood Training was held in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte on March 31. The whole day training activity was participated by women leaders and salt and vinegar producers of the 18 barangays of Pasuquin. A livelihood training on packaging and labeling of salt, vinegar, and basi products was facilitated by the team members of the DBP-NEDA-MMSU Development Project.

A dressmaking training was also conducted in San Nicolas town, April 28-May 6. (SB Nicolas and BC Gervacio)