ILOILO – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region Office 6’s Iloilo Field Office distributed 726 heads of darag native chicken for the livelihood of 33 identified poor beneficiaries in Barangay Labigan, Sara town.
Darag production not only provides livelihood; it is also seen to boost Sara’s local industry which is the production of delicious and nutritious native chicken.
“We envision that Sara, Iloilo will become the darag native chicken capital of Iloilo province. We will provide our full support in this livelihood project” said Mayor Jon Aying.
As DOLE’s partner, the municipality will assist the beneficiaries in sustaining the project by providing materials and equipment such as water pumps, and facilitating research and trainings with West Visayas State University which is also a partner agency.
DOLE Regional Director Sixto Rodriguez Jr. stressed the importance of livelihood in the barangays.
“We are fast-tracking the release of livelihood projects in far-flung areas of the region. The assistance we are providing to the barangays and the empowerment of the marginalized sector is vital to the recovery of our economy,” he said.
DOLE Region 6 is putting emphasis in a productive livelihood by coupling local skills and materials with applicable technology to ensure its sustainability and high return of investment.
Each beneficiary in Sara, mostly farmers, parents of child laborers, women, persons with disability, and senior citizens, received 22 heads of darag native chicken with supplemental feeds, nylon screens, de-wormers, vitamins.
The beneficiaries were also oriented on how to take care of the darag native chicken, feed preparation, cage maintenance and feeding frequency.
“The provision of this livelihood project to the marginalized sector of our community will provide them with additional source of income and will help them become successful entrepreneurs,” said DOLE-6 Iloilo Field Office chief Melisa Navarra.
Navarra added that the project will also help prevent and eliminate child labor noting that the parents of child laborers also availed themselves of the project.
The dream of the local government of Sara to put up an infrastructure facility such as a chicken dressing plant if the project expands in the future intensifies the motivation of the stakeholders to make the project succeed. (DOLE-6/PN)
