LUPI, Camarines Sur, Feb. 16 -- Some 31 residents of Barangay Colacling here benefited from the multi-livestock production training and dispersal program of the Program Management Office (PMO) of the Bicol River Basin and Watershed Management Project (BRBWMP) recently.
Assistant Secretary Tomasito B. Monzon, BRBWMP program director and concurrently the presidential Assistant for Bicol, said that initially some 83 heads of piglets, goats and chicken were distributed to poor villagers in partnership with the Barangay Council of Colacling led by its chairwoman, Josephine Fandino.
Monzon said that a day prior to the dispersal, the recipients of the animals underwent training on animal care at the village hall to ensure that they learned how to care and propagate the animals given to them.
The animals consisted of 14 piglets, 65 hens and roosters, and four goats.
The next batch of beneficiaries who are scheduled to soon receive four goats, 14 hogs and 13 chickens were also already identified by the BRBWM-PMO.
A joint project of the BRBWMP-PMO and the Colacling Barangay Council, funds for the project is provided by the former while the latter buys the farm animals and is in charge of identifying the beneficiaries.
Recipients of the animal dispersal program are required to turn over to the barangay council the first female offspring of animals which will be distributed to next batches of beneficiaries.
Monzon said that aside from the dispersal program, the BRBWMP-PMO provided the barangay council of Tapi, also in Lupi town a "Bigasang Bayan" to give villagers access to low-priced but good quality rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).
The BRBWMP-PMO is also set to sponsor a skills training on welding for the out-of-school-youth of Lupi poblacion starting Feb. 18 this year.
Monzon said these livelihood programs are part of the package of benefits for the affected residents of the Libmanan-Cabusao Dam. (PNA)