The Mongolbongol Farmers’ Association from San Vicente, Samar has resumed its poultry livelihood project with support from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 2, months after Typhoon Opong disrupted production in the municipality.
The association restarted the project last Dec. 15, 2025, after repairing damaged poultry housing and purchasing an initial 100 head of ready-to-lay (RTL) chickens using remaining funds. Members resumed daily operations this January, as part of a phased recovery plan aimed at rebuilding egg production and stabilizing income.
Before the devastating typhoon, the MFA managed 480 RTL chickens and recorded a 92 percent production rate. Typhoon Opong struck Northern Samar back in September 2025, damaging poultry facilities and killing the entire flock due to debris and environmental stress. The losses depleted the association’s operating funds and halted production.
Following the damaging results, remaining members agreed to continue the project rather than dissolve operations. With technical assistance from the SAAD Provincial Program Support Office–Northern Samar and the Municipal Agriculture Office of San Vicente, the group prioritized facility repairs and assessed options for restarting production on a smaller scale.
Association treasurer Charlie Fortunado said members decided to move forward despite limited resources.
“Dapat ipagpatuloy namon an amon nasimdan bisan nabalik kami ha zero tungod han bagyo,” said Fortunado. “Importante ha amon nga maipakita nga padayon an samahan bisan kulang an pondo.”
[We had to continue what we started even if the typhoon set us back to zero. It mattered to us that the association remained active despite limited funds.]
The association is currently focusing on stabilizing production from the initial flock while preparing for gradual expansion. Income generated from egg sales will be pooled and reinvested to support additional purchases and facility improvements.
The MFA plans to restore its pre-typhoon inventory by the end of 2026 through phased acquisition of additional RTL chickens, subject to production performance and available funds. The recovery plan is designed to rebuild operations incrementally while reducing financial risk during expansion. ###
