THE COVID-19 pandemic has caused displacements all over the world, aside from putting the lives of many people at risk.
At the forefront guarding the people are medical practitioners, the military, and logistics support personnel who staked their lives and are often distanced from their families in order to fulfil their jobs.
To help alleviate the struggles among these frontliners while manning critical COVID-19 checkpoints, the “Project Itik for Life” of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) offered a special package – itik eggs!
This undertaking was implemented by the Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU).
Frontliners from at least six community police assistance centers and two rural health units in Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat received 10 trays of boiled duck eggs and five trays of balut from the project.
The DOST-PCAARRD says this was the response of the SKSU administration headed by its president, Dr. Rolando F. Hechanova, and the Itik for Life Project Team led by Michael John Benavidez in support of the Bayanihan Act.
The eggs were outputs of the Itik for Life project, which is being implemented by SKSU to evaluate the production performance and egg quality of the Itik Pinas (IP)-Kayumanggi in Region 12.
The IP-Kayumanggi is a strain of layer-type duck, which was developed thru a breeding and selection R&D project which was funded by the DOST-PCAARRD.
Meanwhile, the project is expected to distribute more balut and fresh eggs to other areas like Surallah in South Cotabato, as farmer cooperators in this area have expressed willingness to set aside their produce for their frontliners.
Meanwhile, a similar initiative was also conducted in Davao.
Reaching out to frontliners is the Regional Field Office XI of the Department of Agriculture (DA-RFO XI), the lead agency in charge of the DOST-PCAARRD Itik for Life Project in Davao Region.
They also donated duck eggs to Barangay Manambulan, Tugbok District, Davao City, as a way of sharing the project’s produce to the frontliners and needy families.
It was learned that barangay chairman Cris Pecassion and his staff received the products from the project team led by Nida Gigayon of the DA-RFO XI Research Division, the project’s Regional Coordinator.
The Team also donated fresh duck eggs to Task Force (TF)-Davao in coordination with the Davao City-City Social Services Development Office, thru Elena Gabaton.
PFC Joy B. Almendras received the products in behalf of TF-Davao.
Melody Manungas from the Mayor’s Office of Davao City-Malasakit Center witnessed the turnover.
Just like the Sultan Kudarat Team, the Itik for Life-Davao Project will be reaching out to more frontliners in the coming days.
PCAARRD is one of the sectoral councils of the DOST, which is mandated to formulate policies, plans, and programs for science and technology-based R&D in the different sectors under its concern.
It coordinates, evaluates, and monitors the national R&D efforts in the AANR sector.
It also allocates government and external funds for R&D and generates resources to support its program. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
