CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (CAR)—The Department of Agriculture (DA) – Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program conducted field monitoring of free-range chicken heads (88 to be exact) in Barangay Malubibit Sur, Flora, Apayao on April 26, 2018.

A week after the provision of electrolytes (vetracine) vitamin, each chicken gained 3-4 kilograms in weight and started laying eggs to the delight of some fifteen (15) beneficiaries.

“Agyaman kmi iti programs ti SAAD ta naikkan kami iti nayon ti pag inkaman mi, ken nu ipalubos ti apo,  maysa kamin run a supplier ti free range chicken,” one of the beneficiaries said, which means “[n]agpapasalamat ako sa programs ng SAAD dahil nabigyan kami ng pandagdag income namin, at kapag will ni Lord, magiging isa kaming supplier ng free range chicken,” when translated in Filipino.

As of writing, each chicken has already produced at least 75 eggs ready to be incubated for hatching as well as to be distributed to the second beneficiaries.

Under the SAAD Program, DA shall focus on the poorest provinces, in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s thrust to increase food production and to trim down poverty incidence through the provision of livelihood projects.

Contributor: Marjorie A. Tangliben, SAAD Apayao Area Coordinator (AC)

Additional write-up/Copy Editor: Ela Arciaga, SAAD NPMO PR & Communications Officer