ILOILO – The provincial government is set to distribute piglets to over 800 rice farmers from six municipalities affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
During its regular session last week, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) greenlit Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.’s request for authorization to sign Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) with the recipient municipalities.
The municipalities involved are Cabatuan, Igbaras, Leon, Miag-ao, Tigbauan, and Tubungan.
A letter dated July 31, 2024, from Governor Defensor to the SP, highlighted the need for immediate enactment of the resolution to expedite the MOA implementation.
Under the agreement, funds allocated for piglet procurement and distribution are as follows: Cabatuan will receive P96,000; Igbaras, P240,000; Leon, P3,348,000; Miag-ao, P36,000; Tigbauan, P1,236,000; and Tubungan, P5,268,000.
The funds, totaling P12,780,000, will be drawn from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) trust fund.
The distribution of two piglets per selected rice farmer beneficiary falls under the province’s alternative livelihood dispersal program, managed by the Provincial Agriculture Office. This initiative aims to provide farmers with additional means of income that do not rely heavily on water, unlike traditional rice farming.
Defensor emphasized that this program is distinct from the sentineling program managed by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).
The sentineling program, with an allocated budget of P13,668,000, supports local farmers in transitioning from areas with high to moderate risk of African Swine Fever (ASF).
This move by the provincial government not only offers alternative livelihood options to farmers but also aims to boost the swine inventory of the province, which has significantly declined since the ASF outbreak in October 2022./PN
