Irene Dadios, member of the Tayabas Federation of Rural Improvement Club (RIC), stands in front of her pig pen. She, along with 37 members of the RIC, received three native pigs, feeds, and bilogics from the “Native Pig Production” PRDP enterprise.
PRDP native pig enterprise helps nanay’s to provide for their families
For the 69-year old nanay Irene Dadios, providing for her family is a fulfillment. She contributes P500 a month by selling her pandan and buhi hats in their town but she admits, this amount is inadequate to sustain their needs.
Dadios and other 37 nanay-members of the Tayabas Federation of Rural Improvement Club (RIC) can now augment their income through the “Native Pig Production” enterprise, the first Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) native pig enterprise in the CALABARZON region.
The PRDP enterprise will distribute a total of 150 native piglets as well as feeds and bilogics in two tranches. Each recipient will raise three piglets, two male and one female. One of the recipients of the first tranche, Dadios, was able to sell to raise two 35-kilogram male native pigs and sold them for P4,025 each. “Nahirapan kami makabawi matapos kaming masalanta ng bagyo [nung 2017]. Nasira rin ang mga pananim namin. Masaya ako dahil dito [sa proyekto] hindi na namin kailangan ng pampuhunan. Nakakatulong pa kaming mga nanay para madagdagan ang kita [para sa pamilya] lalo na at ok ang kita sa native pig dito sa amin (It is hard for us to recover after the typhoons last year devastated our farm and produce. I am happy and grateful for this enterprise project because we don’t need to worry for capital and we will surely earn from this since native pigs has good market here),” she shared.
Florencia Palambiano, president of the RIC, stated that an equitable benefit-sharing of a 70/30 scheme will be implemented to sustain the enterprise operations. Out of the net income of sales, 30% will go to the federation while 70% will be given to the member-beneficiary. The association also requires the member-beneficiary to donate two piglets from the raised female hog for dispersal to other members. In this way, more members will benefit in the project.
“Talagang pinagmamalaki ko [yung project] dahil 150 native pigs ang ibibigay sa amin. Malaki ang tulong talaga sa amin lalo sa mga nanay. Kapag ito ay nagtuloy-tuloy, matutupad na namin yung balak namin sa RIC na maka-pagproduce at benta ng sarili naming longganisa (I am very proud that the RIC has been granted 150 native pigs through this project. It is a great help for us, mothers who want to earn extra. If this enterprise thrives, I am hopeful that our dream to produce our own brand of longganisa can come through),”
Palambiano expressed her gratitude and shared their future plans to have their own brand of local longganisa.
Aside from monetary gains, Palambiano observed that the native pig enterprise encouraged more membership and strengthened unity among current members. The RIC meets every month to share knowledge on hog raising, selling price, and good market.
The “Native Pig Production” is one of the seven PRDP microenterprises for calamity-stricken areas in Quezon under its enterprise development (I-REAP) component. #### (Rio Christine Bustamante, DA-PRDP South Luzon PSO InfoACE Unit)
