Officials and residents of Barangay Doles are hopeful a brick factory that will soon rise in the village will be their vehicle to a better quality of life.

The brick factory project, a joint endeavor of the Doles ISF Upland Farmers Association, Municipal Government of Magpet, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Science and Technology, Technology Resource Center and the Office of the 2^nd Congressional District of Cotabato, was formally launched July 21.

In his message during the ground breaking and time capsule laying ceremonies, Magpet Mayor Efren Piñol thanked to Mr. Gaudencio Pacete  who donated a portion of his farm lot for the brick factory site.

Mayor Piñol also called on the people of Doles to take care of the project which he said is a sign of the municipal government’s care for them.

Joining Mayor Piñol during the ceremonies were Vice Mayor Florentino Villasor, Councilors Rodolfo Anib, Lorenzo Hernandez, and Primitivo Talotalo.

Cotabato 2^nd District Congressman Jun Piñol meanwhile said that given enough technology, the Doles brick factory has the capability to compete with other producers of royal porcelain in the country because of the very good quality of clay in Doles, which was confirmed by Napoleon Ladines of the Institutional Technology Development Institute-Department of Science and Technology.

The office of Cong. Piñol, Mayor Piñol’s younger brother, has allocated P1.5 million for the project, of which P300,000.00 has been initially released.

The first term congressman also challenged the community to make all vacant lands in the barangay productive by planting them to permanent crops.

He also promised the farmers of Doles a mechanical dryer saying the brick factory project is only the beginning of their partnership.

As project partners, the Department of Labor and Employment, represented during the project launching by Regional Director Gloria Tango and DOLE Provincial Director Rosalita Escleto, is providing funding support worth P300,000.00.

The DOST and TRC will meanwhile provide technology support to the project.

Rene Oxina of the Technology Resource Center (TRC), who was also present during the project launch, will be teaching 15 selected Doles residents brick making technology which includes clay preparation, mixing and forming bricks, and decorative tiles-making among others. (Crisaldy G. Villasand)