Bontoc – Six persons with disability (PWDs) organizations are among the fifteen people’s organization to receive livelihood assistance under the “Barangay Muna” Program of the Provincial Local Government Unit of Mountain Province on Friday.
Each organization received 100 heads of vaccinated free ranged chicks for production from the chick dispersal program that aims to help augment the income and improve the living condition of its beneficiaries.
According to June C. Pinayakan, Focal Person for Provincial Poultry Development Program, the provincial government has targeted the PWDs as recipients for them to become productive and at the same time be able to provide food and extra income for their families.
He said that the chick-dispersal is now the second release of the poultry animal for this year since the first batch of organization recipients received the same number of chicks last April. He added that since its conception last year, the program has now covered 120 people’s organizations province wide.
“A result of the continuous monitoring of the provincial government through its Provincial Veterinary Office including the municipal LGU partners, showed that the livelihood program has benefitted our first recipients last year,” Pinayakan said.
It will be recalled that the program started last year after the Provincial Government thru a Sangguniang Panlalawigan Ordinance appropriated the amount of 1.5 pesos annually for the program.
The said program was conceptualized as a countermeasure of the provincial government to the shortage of poultry eggs and meat in the province while also providing a source of food, income and employment to the province’s constituents.
Mr. Cyril Bacala, Jr., President of the Bontoc Differently Abled Persons (BDAP) Organization expressed his gratitude to the provincial government for prioritizing PWD organizations during the second release of the livelihood assistance for this year.
“This is a big thing for us, the provincial government has given us the opportunity to improve our livelihood and income. This will encourage our members to become dependable partners of the government in attaining development in the community by becoming productive citizens and as our counterpart, we will sustain it,” Bacala said.
Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwsan, Jr., during the Provincial Agricultural Board meeting last Thursday, appealed for the continuous assistance of the different municipal officials and agriculturists to help in monitoring the different beneficiaries of the program in their respective place.
He said that the program was conceptualize so that instead of buying eggs or chicken meat outside the province, our farmers will be producing and selling their own products; in addition, he said that such will be giving the people more opportunities to improve their livelihood.
With the positive responses that the program generated, the chief executive assured the funding of the program for next year’s budget to accommodate more organizations province-wide.
Meanwhile, Provincial Veterinarian Rodelio B. Bagawi who gave an orientation on proper poultry raising urged the recipients to sustain the government assistance and provide the chicken’s coop and food supply as their counterpart. He said that the Provincial Veterinary Office has been conducting poultry-raising seminars to assure the program’s sustenance.
The beneficiaries were further urged to take good care of the poultry animals in order to maximize its use. //Erwin S. Batnag
