BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Provincial Government, through its Provincial Veterinary Office and in partnership with the Agricultural Training Institute- Cordillera Administrative Region (ATI-CAR) and the Department of Agriculture- Regional Field Office (DA-RFO-CAR) conducted a three-day training on basic meat processing to target beneficiaries held at the Archog’s Hotel and Restaurant on August 20-22, 2024.
The said participants were beneficiaries of the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program and are members of qualified Farmer Cooperative Associations (FCAs) in Mountain Province.
Provincial Veterinarian Rodelio B. Bagawi said that the activity aims to assist hog raisers to process their own produce and provide a variety of safe food for their family. He said that food processing has a lot of advantages like adding value to local meat products and it will also help the local population not become too dependent on outside sources; thus, aiding to prevent the entry of hog diseases in the locality.
During the opening program, Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr., represented by Community Affairs Officer June C. Pinayakan of the Provincial Governor’s Office, expressed his support to the training and thanked the DA and the ATI-CAR for continuously augmenting the services of the Provincial Government to assist local hog raisers and FCAs in the province.
He said that the activity is in line with the “Barangay Muna” program of the current administration with the goal of empowering the communities by bringing government services to the grassroots level.
Moreover, Engr. Windel G. Baaten of the ATI-CAR said that the activity is a follow-up of the training for trainers on meat processing, an activity that was earlier conducted by the agency to identified agricultural extension workers and personnel from the different line agencies and local government units in the whole CAR to effectively facilitate trainings to local FCAs.
He also mentioned that the activity under the INSPIRE program is one measure of the government to alleviate the effects of the African Swine Fever that hit the Philippines in 2019. With this, and all other programs that are being and will be implemented by the DA-RFO-CAR in partnership with the Provincial Government, he said that the government is creating an opportunity for the hog raisers to venture into meat processing.
The speakers for the training were Agriculturist II Jennifer Soposop of the DA-Cordillera Administrative Region, Agricultural Technologists Charlene D. Lumiwan and Reecca B. Boaging of the Provincial Veterinarian Office, Agricultural Technologist Sheryl Kate F. Tumingeb of the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU), Senior Trade and Industry Specialist Jones G. Malwagay of the Department of Industry-Mountain Province, Agriculturist II Merjil Damoking of Tadian LGU and Josie P. Lingaling of Bauko LGU.
Meanwhile, the course contents of the activity were lectures on good manufacturing practices, basic concepts on food preservation and processing, product costing and product packaging, and labeling. Aside from the lectures, demonstrations and return demonstrations on preparing and processing different meat products like pork tocino, Japanese siomai, pork nuggets, longganisa and patties were conducted.
During the closing program, Assistant Provincial Veterinarian Doris C. Cobaldez encouraged the participants to apply the learnings that they acquired from the lecturers and observe good manufacturing practices in their business.
Further, Suposop urged the participants to re-echo the things that they have learned to their fellow organization members and said that the training is a collaborative effort among the FCAs and the Provincial Government for endorsing their requests.
For their part, the participants said that they have learned a lot from the activity and were one in thanking the Provincial Government, ATI-CAR, DA, and the trainers. By Hail, MP
