Services Reach Rural Folks

People in the rural areas of Bohol need empowerment to jumpstart their livelihoods, especially that they just recovered from the pandemic and typhoon Odette. The province, through the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian, helps farmers improve their lives.

Two days ago, Governor Aris Aumentado and Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz, head of the veterinarian's office, graced the Civic Action (CIVAC) at sitio Pasto, barangay San Isidro, Mabini. The province provided there two (2) bio-shredders, 20 gallons of molasses, 100 silage bags, and 200 indigofera seedlings. Bio-shredders helps produce fuel from organic material. Farmers can use the molasses, by-products of sugar-making process, as food supplement for bone and heart, and as anti-oxidant. Investors use indigo plants to dye.

The province also provided free consultations to 58 farmers, gave vitamins, purified, and gave artificial insemination to 65 buffaloes, 21 cows and one goat.
In his speech, Governor Aumentado stressed he wants the people in the far-flung sitio to feel the government wants to serve them.

Last July, the veterinary office also facilitated the Department of Agriculture’s post-Odette program giving out 56 poultry modules comprising 100 heads of broiler day-old chicks, four (4) sacks of feeds and rolls of polynet. These reached 47 municipalities through their people’s organizations.

The veterinarian office has continually served in several programs which include: 1) municipal native chicken production center, 2) municipal breeding centers for swine, 3) dairy program, and 4) milk feeding program.

To reach people in the towns, the chicken and swine centers are in the towns. The native chicken centers provide 25 heads, incubator, and polynets for individuals who undergo training in making the feeds.

The milk feeding program reaches to malnourished children identified through the Provincial Nutrition Council.

Among other achievements, the veterinarian's office inseminated 4,050 cattle or carabaos and 115 goats, which produced 2,004 offsprings with a monetized value of P40 million and P165k, respectively. It has conducted 34 veterinary missions and clinical services, and dewormed and gave vitamins to 4,180 animals.

The province also helped five towns for swine breeders with P200k each and operated the swine semen processing center.

For the commercialization of native chicken, the government of Bohol helped the Commercial Native Chicken Production and Marketing Enterprise operated and managed by the Bohol Upland Farmers Federation of Cooperatives (BUFFC).