Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
— American inventor and businessman Thomas Alva Edison
IN THE VISAYAN province of Northern Samar, the provincial government under the able leadership of Gov. Edwin Marino Ongchuan is not just implementing developmental projects but are also investing in people as a means of attaining progress and prosperity.
This aligns with part of the message of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) in his Fourth State of the Nation Address (SoNA) last May 12, during which the chief executive reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to uplifting Filipino lives through inclusive economic empowerment.
He declared: “𝘐𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢 𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘰 𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘬𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭. 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘯𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘬𝘴𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘺𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨-𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘱. 𝘈𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘰𝘥𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯, 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘢 𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘰.”
These words were more than just a national policy statement as they echo the very principles that guide the thrusts of the Provincial Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office (PEDIPO) of Northern Samar led by its dynamic head Jhon Allen ‘JA’ Berbon.
One of PEDIPO’s local programs is the Barangay Livelihood Empowerment and Sustainability (BLES) Program, which embodies the national thrust of “investing in our people.”
“Through BLES, we provide up to ₱100,000 worth of grants to barangay-based associations, cooperatives, and community groups. These grants cover essential tools, equipment, raw materials, and supplies to help them start or scale up their local enterprises,” Berbon disclosed.
‘This is our shared mission with the national government: to fuel microentrepreneurship, promote inclusive local development, and ensure that no one is left behind in our province’s journey toward prosperity.’
PATHWAY TO SELF-RELIANCE
But beyond funding, BLES also offers a pathway to self-reliance as it empowers communities by helping them create income-generating activities that are sustainable, culturally grounded and aligned with the potentials of their locality.
“Just as the President emphasized in his address, PEDIPO through its Business Development Division ensures that beneficiaries are not only given capital but also the capability through year-long mentoring, skills training and technical support to transform their ideas into real economic opportunities with our supportive partner agencies,” Berbon added.
PEDIPO is being supported by several national government agencies such as the departments of labor and employment, science and technology, trade and industry and agriculture and others like the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
PROCESSING COOPS
As of 2025, the provincial government of Northern Samar is actively assisting some 246 barangay-based associations that represent a broad spectrum of sectors from farmers and fisherfolk, to women’s groups, youth organizations and marginalized community cooperatives in the province.
“From fisherfolks in the coastal barangays to farmers forming processing cooperatives in the upland areas and to women-led associations creating homemade delicacies, the BLES Program is proof that government support, when targeted, strategic and inclusive, can change lives and stimulate grassroots economic growth because each one is working toward economic resilience and self-sufficiency,” Berbon enthused.
This is our shared mission with the national government: to fuel microentrepreneurship, promote inclusive local development, and ensure that no one is left behind in our province’s journey toward prosperity,” the economic development and investment promotions officer asserted in conclusion.
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