Dinagat Islands town’s egg farmers thrive through income source diversification
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — The members of the Bayanihan Makugihong Mag-uuma ug Mangingisda Asosasyon (BMMMA) take pride in their diversification initiative, which helped the enterprise thrive amid the energy crisis with higher operational costs.
The BMMMA of Barangay Bayanihan in Libjo, Dinagat Islands is a farmers’ association (FA) under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) program.
It is primarily engaged in poultry enterprise and manages about 500 laying hens that support BMMMA’s continuous expansion, including its recent venture into corn and vegetable production and retailing.
The diversification into corn and vegetable production and retailing, supporting members and the enterprise in safeguarding their income amid the Middle East tension that sparked on February 28.
Jenalyn Meril, business manager of BMMMA, shared the record of its income from corn and vegetable production and retailing. “Our harvest of vegetable crops on March 19 allowed us to sell 181 kilograms of corn, 44 kilograms of ampalaya, and 119 kilograms of string beans among our members and to our neighbors in the barangay.”
“Nikabat ang amo halin sa pagbaligya sa mais ug gulay sa P16,188” (Our sales from corn and vegetable retailing hit P16,188), she said.
Meanwhile, for Cesar B. Montellana, president of BMMMA, the DA’s SAAD program played a significant role in improving members’ lives and transforming them from mere food producers to agri-entrepreneurs.
“Padayon ang among paningkamot nga mapalambo ang among produksyon sa itlog, apil ang among pagpananom ug baligya sa mais ug gulay, para matabangan dili lamang ang among miyembro, kundili ang tibuok probinsya” (We will continue to work hard to improve our egg production, including our corn and vegetable retailing, to help not only our members, but the entire province), he said.
Bolstered by the unwavering support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the DA-SAAD aims to reduce poverty and enhance local agricultural production through livelihood assistance to marginalized Filipino farmers and fisherfolk. The program is committed to improving the economic conditions of underprivileged communities by providing opportunities in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
In 2024, the program supported 28 FAs in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte, with P36.3 million worth of funding under the food production and livelihood component. In the Province of Dinagat Islands, it nurtured six FAs with a budget allocation of P6.64 million, empowering these community-based enterprises (CBEs) for sustainable, long-term income sources. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands with a report from DA-SAAD Caraga)
