IN ITS effort to help alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) has launched its initiative regarding the “Manok at Itlog sa Pamayanan” project.
This is among the subcomponents of the “Pagkain at Kabuhayan” under the PCAARRD’s Good Agri-Aqua Livelihood Initiatives towards National Goals (GALING-PCAARRD) Kontra COVID-19 program.
The Manok at Itlog sa Pamayanan project aims to provide the communities that were affected by the pandemic with livelihood options through raising duck, native chicken, and commercial broilers and layers.
Among the projects under this subcomponent include the “Distribution of Duck Eggs and Day-old Ducklings from DOST-funded projects” to augment the food supply and income for the affected sector during the pandemic.
Implemented in Regions 3, 4A, 6, 9, 11, and 12, the project dovetails with an on-going DOST-funded program called ITIK for LIFE.
It provides duck farmers’ access to the new duck breed called ItikPINAS (IP) and capacitates the beneficiaries to be able to venture on duck egg production and marketing.
This venture also aims at commercializing the breed and making quality IP ducklings and egg products available in the market.
These IP lines are strains of native egg-laying ducks, genetically superior to “Pateros” ducks, which were developed through years of breeding and selection by a research project funded and monitored by the DOST-PCAARRD.
Participating agencies in the program include the Central Luzon State University, the Bureau of Animal Industry-National Swine and Poultry Research and Development Center, West Visayas State University, Western Mindanao State University, Department of Agriculture- Regional Field Office 11, and Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU).
Duck eggs produced from DOST-funded projects to augment food supply and income during the pandemic in participating regions were continuously inventoried and packed by the project team from their institutional farms for distribution to affected communities and frontliners.
Identified barangays in the cities of Muñoz and San Jose in Nueva Ecija; Tiaong in Quezon; Pavia, Ajuy, Jaro, Badiangan, and Calinog in Iloilo; San Ramon in Zamboanga City, Tugbok in Davao City, Bagumbayan in Sultan Kudarat, and Surallah in South Cotabato benefited from the duck egg distribution.
A total of 26,940 eggs generated from farmers and institutional flocks in the six regions were distributed through the program.
These were valued at P5.30-P6.10 per piece. Although lower by P1.25-P1.50 from the prevailing market price, the farmers generously gave their produce to the project team to be donated to frontliners and needy communities.
Some farmers in Surallah, South Cotabato even gave their eggs for free to the project as their way of showing support and appreciation to the frontliners in their communities.
According to Michael John Benavidez, ITIK for LIFE Coordinator in Region-12 and faculty of the SKSU, the participants were among the 10 farmers selected at the start of the program in 2017.
They were trained on duck raising and egg production, and were given 300 female and 33 male ducklings./PN
