BATANGAS CITY – A hollow block making livelihood program for communities affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano was launched by the Department of Science and Technology-Region 4-A (Calabarzon or the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon area) and Batangas Provincial Science and Technology Center (PSTC).
The program Community Empowerment thru Science and Technology (CEST) established hollow block production facilities in the towns of Agoncillo, San Nicolas, and Laurel, three of the hard-hit communities in the Taal Volcano eruption in 2020.
The DOST said that target beneficiaries from the three municipalities underwent training conducted by Jenalyn O. Narvarte, general manager of the Asosasyon ng Dacanlao sa Higit na Kaunlaran (ADHIKA) Producers Cooperative, a PSTC-Batangas community-based project.
Hollow block making surfaced as one of the potentially viable enterprises to help the people recover from the eruption and support their families.
Production facilities are in strategic locations in each municipality to ensure income and employment generation.