Agusan Sur association gains livelihood support from DSWD
By Kelvin Kennt R. Generalo
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur(PIA) — The Panaghiusa Pasta Association in Barangay Pasta, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, is strengthening its livelihood activities through a P900,000 project on integrated chicken egg and tilapia production through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with support from the local government unit (LGU) of San Francisco.
The project aims to provide association members with an additional and sustainable source of income through poultry and fish production.
As part of the assistance, the association received 480 heads of chicken, 2,000 tilapia fingerlings, a poultry house, a fishpond, three months’ worth of feed, and other materials and supplies needed to operate the project.
For Rosalyn Sibonga, president of the Panaghiusa Pasta Association, the livelihood assistance program provides members with opportunity to augment their income and support their families.
“We are farmers here, and we are thankful, most especially for the funds they gave to us as an additional livelihood for our families and for each of our members,” Sibonga said.
She also shared that association members have organized a schedule to ensure the project is properly monitored and maintained.
“We organized our organization, and each of us has our own schedule to monitor the project. We are happy because we are already starting to harvest eggs,” she added.
The poultry component has already begun producing eggs, giving the association an opportunity to generate income from the project while continuing to develop the tilapia production component.
Meanwhile, the DSWD and the LGU of San Francisco expressed hope that the project would continue to grow and become a sustainable source of livelihood for the association and its members.
San Francisco Mayor Grace Carmel Paredes-Bravo said the project has strong potential because of the community demand for eggs and encouraged the association to maximize the assistance it received.
“We saw its potential because eggs have a great demand. I hope, like the other organizations, they can also produce 14 to 15 trays of eggs a day and eventually expand the project,” Paredes-Bravo said.
The project demonstrates the importance of providing community organizations with livelihood opportunities that can help them build sustainable sources of income. Through continued management, cooperation among members, and support from partner agencies and the LGU, the Panaghiusa Association hopes to expand its production and generate greater benefits for its members.
Barangay Pasta is among the beneficiaries of livelihood assistance provided through the collaboration of the DSWD and the LGU of San Francisco, aimed at helping community organizations establish and strengthen income-generating activities. (KKRG, PIA Agusan del Sur with a report from PTV Agusan del Sur/Photo Courtesy: LGU San Francisco)