The Department of Agriculture (DA) has distributed livelihood assistance to farmers in Central Luzon as part of the government’s intervention programs to uplift the lives of those in the agricultural sector.

The DA, through the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture and with the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program, has started to provide free-range chickens and cows to farmers in the six provinces in the region — Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, Aurora, and Zambales.

DA Regional Executive Director Crispulo Bautista Jr. said on Tuesday the move is part of the government’s continuing effort to augment the income of marginalized farmers who rely on farming for their livelihood.

“Ang programang ito ay naglalayong matulungan ang mga magsasaka na magkaroon ng kabuhayan at upang pagyamanin pa ang mga interbensyon na ipinamahagi ng Kagawaran (This program aims to help farmers to have source of livelihood and enrich the interventions being distributed by the department),” Bautista said in social media post.

BP2 Program Focal Person Zayra Toledo said the program beneficiaries received 1,500 free-range chickens and 45 cows.

“Layunin ng programa na iangat at suportahan ang kabuhayan ng mga magsasaka (The program aims to uplift and support the livelihood of the farmers),” Toledo said.

Gerardo Bueno, one of the BP2 program beneficiaries from San Antonio, Zambales, thanked the DA for the assistance being provided to them and assured the department officials that he will take care properly of the cow that he received.

“Gusto ko lang po na magpasalamat sa DA lalo na sa Region 3 na patuloy ang pagbibigay ng tulong. Kami po ay natutuwa dahil hindi rin po namin inaasahan ito. Umasa po kayo na hindi namin kayo bibiguin at lalo pa namin itong pagyayamanin (I want to thank the DA especially in Region 3 which continuously provide assistance. We are glad because we did not expect this. Rest assured that we will not disappoint them and we will further enrich this),” Bueno said. (PNA)