OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, June 24, 2022 – The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program awarded livestock (caraheifer and goat) inputs worth Php 1,936,000.00 to Tao-Buhid and Alangan-Mangyan IP farmers.
The three cassava-producing associations were benefitted from the interventions, namely: Bagong Pag-asa ng Katutubong Alangan (BPKA), Malno Luwalhati Farmers Association (MLFA), and Lagutay Cassava Farmers Association (LCFA), while the other two associations under Upland Rice Production are: Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Tao-Buhid sa Malatongtong at Lagutay (SNTBML), and Paysarigan Mangyan Alangan Pandurucan (PMAP). In total, 225 members will benefit from these interventions (Table 1).
Table 1. Beneficiaries of caraheifer inputs from SAAD
According to Mr. Oliver B. Cosme, SAAD Area Coordinator of Sablayan, draft animals are ideal to use for land preparation as the farmers are situated in geographically disadvantaged areas, making it difficult for machinery to till the land.
“Ang hiling lang namin ay alagaan ninyong maigi, paramihin at wag ibebenta, para may magamit kayo sa inyong mga bukid. Kami sa Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMA) ay magiging katuwang ng SAAD sa pagmo-monitor ng mga proyektong ‘yan,” said Mr. Reynaldo Factor, Municipal Agriculture Officer of Sablayan.
(Our wish to the beneficiaries is for them to take good care of the animals so they can use them for their farm activities and not put them on sale. We, from the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMA), will work with SAAD in monitoring the projects).
On the other hand, SAAD awarded Php 400,000.00 goat production package to 50 indigenous people from two FAs namely: Fakasadian Funan Malatongtong Tagtanuman (FAFUMATA) and Samahang Magsasakang Katutubo ng Pandurucan (SAMAKAPA). The said small ruminant is a preliminary livelihood assistance while waiting for their cacao and coffee seedlings that are currently under procurement process and are expected to be delivered in July 2022 (Table 2).
Table 2. Beneficiaries of goat inputs from SAAD
To ensure fair chances among members, the goats were distributed among the beneficiaries by draw lots. A roll-over scheme was also established following this system of selection to guarantee that all members will receive goats when the first batch reproduces.
Mr. Factor expressed their gratitude on behalf of the beneficiaries, “Nagpapasalamat kami sa SAAD kasi napili ang mga samahan na ito na mabigyan ng mga ganitong uri ng proyekto dahil angkop na angkop ito para sa .”
(We are grateful to SAAD because these associations were chosen to receive interventions that complement their needs).
Sablayan is one of the new SAAD-covered municipalities in Occidental Mindoro in 2022 along with Calintaan as part of the program’s expansion in the province. ###
Writer: Dianne Francis A. Sy, SAAD Information Officer I
Source: Oliver B. Cosme, SAAD Area Coordinator – Sablayan
