BAGUIO CITY, June 19, 2020 – Twenty-eight (28) heirloom rice farmers from Sadanga, Mountain Province will receive native cattle under the SAAD Integrated Cattle Raising with Heirloom Rice Production Project amounting to Php 895,500 on June 30 after being granted with certificate of award at Baguio Country Club, Baguio City on June 19 to Mayor Gabino Ganggangan. This project is part of the Php 4,234,050 worth of projects for 2019.

The turn-over ceremony was led by Sec. William Dar, Department of Agriculture; Dr. Myer Mula, SAAD-National Program Director; Dr. Cameron Odsey, CAR – Regional Executive Director, and Mr. Teofilo Landes, SAAD-RPMSO Focal Person together with Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Chairperson – Regional Peace and Order Council.

Based on consultation with Dr. Rogelio Bagawi of the Provincial Veterinary Office, native cattle are suitable in the area because the hybrid ones are prone to diseases and higher mortality cases. Aside from that, the weeds in the rice fields of the farmers could be a good source of food for the cattle.

The event was held during the joint meeting of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) and Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC).

Project Implementation in Sadanga for 2019 and 2020

Sadanga is a fifth class municipality of Mountain Province with a poverty incidence rate among families of 37.4% (PSA 2018). It was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the SAAD Program for FY 2019 to 2020.

The projects implemented in 2019 are the Integrated Farming on Legume, Swine, and Poultry Production with four (4) sub-projects which are the legume production, swine production, poultry, and cattle production worth Php 4,234,050. 

For FY 2020, the following are the projects to be implemented with a total cost of Php 2,629,140.

1)  Integrated Cattle Raising with Heirloom Rice in Sacasakan (Php 2,050,794) to cater 50 household beneficiaries; 

2) Integrated Cattle Raising with Heirloom Rice in Bekigan (Php 485,376) benefiting an organization; 

3) Poultry Production Project in Anabel (Php 92,970) covering 10 households.

Mayor Ganggangan is grateful for granting a total Php 6,863,190 livelihood projects to the municipality from the SAAD Program because it helps him with his advocacy on community resilience consistent with Cordillera culture amidst the threat of CoViD-19 pandemic and the social cost of communist conflict in the region. Benefitting from these projects are 188 farmer-beneficiaries and an organization (30 members).

Writer: Evangeline Yambot, SAAD CAR Regional Information Officer

Jennifer Valcobero, SAAD NPMO PR and Comms

Marie Abigail dela Cruz, SAAD NPMO PME Officer

Source: DA-CAR RAFIS, SAAD Mountain Province