New head of TLRC bares job program

Federico Laxa, newly appointed director-general of the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC), has unveiled a four-point program that would create more livelihood opportunities for the people, especially the marginalized sector, and help alleviate poverty.

In his first meeting with TLRC employees, Laxa vowed to make the agency more dynamic in line with the Arroyo administration’s thrust to combat poverty by generating livelihood and employment opportunities.

Laxa, who used to work in the TLRC in the late '70s as head of its Technology-Economics Group, said the initial phase of the program will focus on strengthening the agency and fulfilling its mandate to develop livelihood projects.

This, he said, would be accomplished through the delivery of technology, multimedia livelihood materials, training, funding assistance and other related services.

The second phase, he said, will involve the "rationalized convergence of government efforts to impact heavily on its anti-poverty program." On the part of TLRC, it must enter into strategic alliances with other government agencies involved in poverty alleviation to be able to attain an integrated approach in implementing pro-poor programs, according to Laxa, a successful businessman.

Taking the lead in the information technology (IT) efforts of the government is the third point in the program drawn up by Laxa, who has 27 years of management experience highlighted by nine years in government, the most recent of which is as mayor of Macabebe, Pampanga.

"Making the TLRC the foremost repository of information regarding livelihood from all government institutions and instrumentalities with such component is part of this strategy," he said.