ILOILO CITY—The Italian Cooperation Agency has donated bakery equipment to this city and nine towns in Iloilo province as part of its three-phase program to help victims of last year's Typhoon Frank.

Italian Ambassador Rubens Anna Fedele said their program covers nutrition, construction of houses and rehabilitation of infrastructure in the typhoon-ravaged areas in Iloilo.

ICA project manager Sergio Quatrocchi said the bakery equipment shall provide nutrition to the beneficiaries.

“This is not just generosity. As human beings (we have to help those in need) because at the end of the day, all of us might need the offer of somebody else,” Fedele said.

The Italian government aid focuses on poverty alleviation, rural development, protection of children and vocational education, among others, he stressed.

The beneficiaries were the towns of Leganes, Pavia, Alimodian, Leon, Janiuay, Lambunao, Anilao, San Enrique and Carles, and Iloilo City.

Each bakery equipment costs P300,000, plus the initial ingredients for the operation of the equipment.

“These bakeries aim to produce low-cost but nutritious bread to students in public schools,” Leganes Mayor Adolfo Jaen said.

He said the operation will be managed by an association of women with the supervision of the local government unit.

The program also trains out-of-school youth to become productive, said Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office head Neneth Pador. /Inquirer