NEGROS ORIENTAL – Beverly Gallentes, the Vice President of Cot-cot Trollers and Fisherfolk Association (CTFA) in Cotcot, Bangolonan, Basay, Negros Oriental, boasted their Chicken Egg Production which they have benefited from the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program of the Department of Agriculture Central Visayas (DA-CV).

“Makita gyud namo nga may income mi kada adlaw tungod sa among project,” said Gallentes. (We have seen that we have income every day because of our project.)

The said beneficiary is just one of the many recipients of SAAD in the province of Negros Oriental.

“Dako kaayo siya nga tabang ang maong proyekto sa among asosasyon ug sa among inadlaw- adlaw nga panginabuhian tungod kay mohatag man kini ug kita matag adlaw,” she added. (This project is really a big help to our association and to our everyday living because it gave us income daily.)

The association was one of the pioneering beneficiaries of SAAD. Last 2017, they received 5 packets of chicken layers or a total of 240 heads and some layer mash. In a day, the layers produced at least 7 trays of eggs. The ready buyers were the sari-sari store and small grocery outlets and bakeries. Mostly, they are within the community. Even those broken eggs, they can still earn from it because some individuals bought it for the cate of their children at school.

The outright payment of their buyers will then be deposited to their bank account every month.

By December 2017, the association earned a total amount of 77,000 pesos, wherein 70% of it was deposited to be used for the sustainability of the project. The remaining 30% was shared equally among members.

Luz Bador, the President of the CTFA also added that the project gave them better income compared to their fishing activities.

She was also the President of the Barangay Obat Health Workers Association (BOHEWAS) in Barangay Obat, Sta. Catalina. Negros Oriental, which happened to be another beneficiary of SAAD. They received 3 packets of chicken layer egg project.

With the implementation of the project to two associations, Bador led the conduct of consultations with the potential beneficiaries.

Aside from the chicken egg project, the CFTA also received floating tiller, hand tractor, mechanical rice thresher, rice mill, knapsack sprayer, certified rice seeds and fertilizers (urea and complete) in support to rice production in their rain fed agriculture areas. On the other hand, BOHEWAS also received knapsack sprayer (plastic), water pump with complete accessories, garden hose, feeders, waterers, wheel barrow, rake, plastic drum, spade, bolo, shovel and pail.

In 2018, the municipality of Basay and Sta. Catalina both received Goat Production and Upland Rice Production Project from SAAD. For the goat production, they were given 15 bucks, 60 does, 46 bags of feeds, and construction materials worth 300,000 pesos intended for the 15 goat sheds.

For the Upland Rice Production, they were also given 20 bags of dinorado seeds 40 kilos per bag), 240 bags of vermicast, 20 bags of urea, 20 bags of complete, 1 unit of rice cutter, 20 pieces of laminated sack, 1 unit of rice thresher and 6 pieces of knapsack sprayer.

The two municipalities were among the poorest of the poor based on the poverty incidence data submitted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) last 2015. ###

Writer: Jennifer A. Valcobero, SAAD PR & Communications Officer

Source: RAFIS, DA – Central Visayas