KAPANGAN, Benguet – “Produce, Produce, Produce. From this 5.5-peso million worth of project, you will not pay any sum to the government. What we only ask from you is to produce enough pork along with the other Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) beneficiaries around Cordillera, to cater the meat demand here in the region,” Director for National Livestock Program (NLP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Dir. Ruth Miclat-Sonaco said during the turn-over ceremony of the INSPIRE project to the Sagubo Multipurpose Cooperative (SMC) in Kapangan, Benguet on November 21, 2023.
“Do you know why the department came up with this INSPIRE project? It is an intervention to address the effect of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country,” Sonaco explained to the attendees of the turnover ceremony.
The turned over INSPIRE project to the SMC comes with a biosecure- and climate-controlled animal housing, fencing, feeds and biologics, biogas system, basic farm equipment, shower area and initial stock of 75 heads of piglets.
DA-Regional Field Office-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-RFO CAR) Regulatory Division Chief Ruben Dulagan said, “Increasing the number of hogs from 75 to 300 heads and having your cooperative generate income will be the measurement of your success. And now that this project is going to be turned over to you, your job now is to conduct business”, he added.
In behalf of their cooperative, SMC chairman Mr. Arthur Pudin expressed his gratitude to the DA offices including the provincial government and Kapangan municipal government for the project. “We are grateful for this opportunity handed to our cooperative to operate a big project and responsibility like this and we give our assurance that we will do our best to sustain and ensure its success,” he said.
Also attending the turnover ceremony were personnel from the DA-NLP national office Dr. Shiela Mae Biñas and Dr. Lethelle Dumlao and DA-RFO CAR Dr. Leisley Deligen and Dr. Henry Gwyn Salasa from the Regulatory Division.
To show their support for the SMC INSPIRE project, representatives from the Mayor’s Office, Municipal Agriculture Office and barangay officials of Sagubo were present.
In addition, Sonaco along with her staff and personnel from the DA-RFO-CAR led by Mr. Dulagan and Dr. Deligen visited the other INSPIRE project in Caliking, Atok, Benguet to see their biogas system.
Finally, composite team visited the Baguio Animal Breeding and Research Center to catch a glimpse of the dairy farming activities, including the sheep and swine production projects.
By Tan Dulag