Thirty-three associations in Bago City, Negros Occidental are recipients of more than PHP17 million in total projects under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
On Tuesday, the egg-laying project of San Jose Farmers Association in Barangay Calumangan was launched, led by Mayor Marina Javellana-Yao and association chair Reynaldo Caballero.
The 28-member association received a seed capital of P500,000 through the DSWD-Negros Island Region (NIR).
“There are still other organized associations in the city about to launch their projects. Like the San Jose Farmers Association, we hope for a successful implementation of these other projects,” project development officer Geljane Premacio said in a statement.
Yao said the project is a step towards food sustainability and provides more livelihood opportunities for the Bagonhons.
“This program is a clear message of believing in the capacity of the people, in the strength of the community, and the goodness brought by dedication and hard work. Every egg that will be laid, every source of income this project creates, is not just about food on the table, but about lives built on hope,” the mayor said in her message.
The San Jose Farmers Association was recently organized through the assistance of the Presidential Commission for Urban Poor and was endorsed to the DSWD through the Program Convergence Budgeting, under the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty.
Caballero said they are producing 90 eggs daily while raising 90 heads of chicken specifically for egg production in a 200-square meter production site, which is part of the association’s one-hectare communal area.
“We are currently producing eggs mainly for the consumption of the community. We sell at farmgate price. We really want to help the community, and this is a big help for us in terms of livelihood,” he said, thanking the government for providing them with a livelihood opportunity.
The SLP is a capacity-building program for the identified poor, vulnerable, and marginalized households and communities aimed at providing viable interventions and support to improve the program participants’ socio-economic conditions by accessing and acquiring necessary assets to engage in and maintain a thriving livelihood. (PNA)
