The provincial government recently launched another innovative livelihood program – organic native lechon – to provide additional income-generating opportunities to farmers and other qualified individuals in the province.
Dubbed Pampanga Organic Native Lechon, the project was launched in barangay San Pablo II in Lubao town with concerned heads and officials of the provincial government, board members and farmers associations in attendance.
Governor Lilia G. Pineda said that it is high time that the province promotes its native organic roasted pig and at the same time provide livelihood opportunities to marginalized families and needy sectors, particularly the farmers, in the province.
The provision of livelihood opportunities to target sectors in the province is one of the priority programs of the Pineda administration. Last year, the governor also spearheaded the launching of its Negosyo king Panyulung Program (NPP), a community-based credit assistance undertaking which provides financial loans to micro-enterprises.
During the launching program, the governor encouraged the farmers to raise native pigs as an alternative source of income while waiting for their crops to mature.
Raising native pigs require minimal cost as they are only fed with organic food such as grass and left-over food.
At present, native pig raisers are mostly found in barangay Cabetican in Bacolor town.
The provincial government, through the Provincial Cooperative and Entrepreneurial Development Office (PCEDO), will provide financial loans to qualified beneficiaries with minimum interest only.
Aside from PCEDO which is headed by Mamerto Gatus, the livelihood project is jointly implemented by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVet) with Dr. Augusto Baluyut, Jr. and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist at the helm and the Arts, Culture and Tourism Office (ACTOP) headed by Rey Arciga.
Provincial Board Members Monina Laus, Trina Dizon, Teresito Lingad, Dein Henson, Nestor Tolentino, Tarcicio Halili, Cris Garbo, Ric Yabut and other department heads of the provincial capitol provided much needed support to the project launching.
All the guests who partook of the three native organic roasted pigs are one in saying that Litson Kapampangan is definitely healthy and nutritious as it contains less cholesterol.
The governor is hopeful that with the promotion of the native roast pig, the economic status of the farmers and qualified individuals will greatly improve as with the tourism industry of Pampanga. (Pampanga PIO)
