Most housewives, home buddies and farmers patronize backyard animal raising as an additional income for the family. Vacant lots are used to rear pigs, chicken, ducks and other domestic animals while farmers raise carabao, cattles, cows, and goats.
This endeavor of the Kapampangan people to alleviate their lives from poverty was witnessed by the provincial government thus, including livestock among its rosters of livelihood programs.
Gov. Lilia Pineda instructed the provincial veterinary office (PVET) under the leadership of Dr. Augusto Baluyut to conduct survey among farmers, households and aetas who would like–and are deserving to be the recipients of the animal dispersal program of the capitol.
For this year, the provincial government has distributed 100 pigs, 2000 native chickens, and 83 pregnant goats. According to Dr. Baluyut, the program promotes livestock as a livelihood especially to aetas.
“Raising domestic animals is very easy and inexpensive. We distributed native chicken that eat left-over foods, native pigs and goats that feed on grass because we consider the condition of our beneficiaries who are poor families, “ Dr. Baluyut said.
Also included in this program of PVet is artificial insemination for propagation that benefited 4,919 swine and cattles, that produced 7,534 offsprings. Furthermore, in order to prevent diseases and epidemic on domestic animals, the office gave free veterinary drugs and vaccines on hemorrhagic septicemia (22,613 cattles, carabao and goat/sheep), porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome (14,693 animals) and medical treatment (4,010).
Data from the provincial veterinary office showed that since Pineda’s administration, they have benefitted 104,647 backyard livestock farmers. ●JENNA LUMBANG
