Photo by Faisal Camsa Jr./BIO
COTABATO CITY—Farmer residents of this city benefited from the livestock assistance worth Php2.135 million provided by the Bangsamoro Government’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
The program, in collaboration with the Cotabato City Agriculture Office, aimed to help the beneficiaries to have an additional source of income and improve their livelihood.
According to MAFAR Senior Agriculturist Seeham Pangol, a total of 675 heads of free-range native chicken worth Php337,500.00 were distributed to 43 individual farmers and one (1) association.
Meanwhile, 300 native goats worth Php1.8 million have been distributed to 95 farmer beneficiaries and seven (7) associations living across the 37 barangays in this city.
Disumimba Rasheed, Assistant to the Provincial Director for SGA and Cotabato City, emphasized that MAFAR was grateful to serve the farmer residents of Cotabato the distribution aimed to increase farmers’ profit thru chicken production.
“For the first time, the MAFAR and the City Government of Cotabato engaged in these collaborative efforts and initiatives which aim to alleviate poverty and improve the livelihood of our partner farmers in the city,” Disumimba said.
Secretary to the Mayor Guianodin Abdilah expressed his gratitude for the assistance from the BARMM, thru MAFAR, while hoping that every beneficiary should consider the support as everyone’s religious obligation in taking care of it.
“Your utmost care for this project is crucial, and hopefully, it will bring positive outcomes to be the source of your additional income in the future,” Abdilah said.
Both Aragon Lauban Sanday of Kalanganan II and Noraisa Amirol of Tamontaka have considered the assistance as a form of blessing for them wherein they could soon support their grandchildren in their studies.
Al-Sef Farmers and Fisherfolks Association in Kalangan II Member, Rayhana Aguiao, also expressed appreciation for the assistance they received, saying, “rest assured our commitment to take good care of this livestock.”
Further, Cotabato City Supervising Agriculturist Officer Roy Jesus Fiesta urged all the beneficiaries to take good care of the animals and to let them multiply more.
“We will closely monitor this project and let us see if we will provide rewards to those who perform well in taking care of their respective animals,” Fiesta stressed.
MAFAR’s Regular Dispersal Program of the Livestock and Poultry Management Section led Tuesday’s distribution. (Kasan Usop, Jr./BIO)
