PROJECT PROPOSAL

PROJECT TITLE : Animal husbandry interventions for SACADA WORKERS

and their dependents

PROJECT COMPONENT : 30 PERSONS ENGAGED IN SACADA WORKS

SITE/COVERAGE : MUNICIPALITY OF BALETE, AKLAN

PROPONENT : LGU c/o Mayor Noemi C. Cordero

PROJECT STATUS : NEW

PROJECT DURATION : SIX MONTHS

FUNDING SOURCE : DOLE

ASSISTANCE SOUGHT : FINANCIAL (Php. 299,170)

BACKGROUND

The SACADA workers or sacadas coming from this municipality are one of the marginalized
work groups that need dramatic interventions from the government. The LGU so far has not
made any interventions to develop improved land use practices by these workers that could
lead to increased household income and increased animal husbandry for market uses. An
underlying constraint to achieve this objective is chronic shortfalls in food production,
contributing to about 20-40% of resident households having insufficient food during the last 2
to 4 months that were worsened by the El Niño phenomenon.

The LGU, in view of the opportunity coming from the Department of Labor and Employment,
deems it high time to make the necessary steps to address this problem. It has some ideas but
lacking the fund to introduce in the context of rural livelihoods and resource production some
models for development, such as those implemented in similar communities, particularly those
which have adopted the so called “Community Markets for Conservation and Rural
Livelihoods”, or COMACO. The basic approach of COMACO is to target households who are
most vulnerable to food shortages and to organize them into formalized producer groups as a
basis for learning improved farming skills. If they adopt these skills and if group members also
adopt by-laws, which define specific obligations the group will make to reduce threats to the
production of key natural resources in their area, then the group is eligible to receive
farm/livelihood input support.

The LGU has initially identified the sacadas through its Balete Labor Market Information System
which database were generated through skills mapping conducted during the summers of 2009
and 2010. It aims to organize the same in the context of rural livelihoods and resource
production. Considering that these workers are for the most part of the year outside of Balete,
the LGU deems it proper to involve their other household members in the organizing and skills
trainings for them to become first a food secure household and then to expand their livelihood
skills to develop marketable goods (rice, hogs, poultry, goats, honey, etc.)
OBJECTIVES

LGU is seeking the use of DOLE funds (Php. 299,170) to assist 30 households of sacadas in
the Municipality of Balete, initially in Barangay Cortes. This support will make available required
inputs to promote three important needs of food security and income generation in these areas
and will lead to reduced threats to hunger and poverty in this barangay:

1. Poultry

The first is backyard poultry production, which is significantly below levels adequate to
sustain families with a reliable, year-round supply of nutritional protein. While it shows that on
the average, all households in Cortes numbering to more or less 455, own and raise native
chickens, seldom a household harvested them in bulk and sold at the local market.

Demands for native chicken are high and yet the actual contribution to household income
from the sale of chickens was minimal at the average of Php. 500 per household per year. On
average, households owned at any given time 8 to 15 chickens, which also contributed an
important source of animal protein to a family’s diet. The present market price of native
chicken is at Php. 150 per kg live weight.

2. Goats

Secondly, the LGU seeks to improve goat husbandry and market support for goats to
promote alternative meat and milk sources as well as alternative income sources. It is said that
the goat is the poor man’s cow because children and old folks who cannot afford cow’s milk
prefer drinking goat’s milk. Yet, it is a known fact that a hybrid goat now is sold at Php. 450 per
kg live weight while the native one is pegged at Php 180 per kg live weight.

Inventory per the Community profile of Barangay Cortes shows that not a single household
in the barangay is raising goats as to date. In the municipality, goat raising is undertaken by
small farmers. On the average, goat raisers have one to two goats in their backyards. No
commercial-scale goat farms exist in Balete as of today.

It can be noted that these potentials derived from goat raising have not been fully utilized
although demands for goat meats and milk are now becoming higher compared to the last
decade. In a study conducted by a government agency, it was found out that goats are multi-
purpose ruminants producing 58.4% milk, 35.6% meat, 4.3% hide and 1.7% fiber. According to
them, these small ruminants can provide the answer to improved nutritional requirements of
the predominantly rural farm families of Balete.

3. Native Hogs

Thirdly, the LGU finds it necessary to encourage the raising of native hogs considering its
low input requirement and potential income generation. Raising of native pigs demands little
attention as they are not susceptible to diseases. They easily adapt to the weather conditions
and suited to foraging as they are omnivores.

Native pig is the prepared breed by both the lechon makers and the gastronomes for its
distinct taste and quality. Demands for it is generally at its highest during the peak season of
December to January. Yet lechon makers and traders have the hard time finding for one as
most hog raisers have shifted to raising hybrids for its marketability and higher profitability.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The project is dispersal type starting with 30 households of sacadas and is designed to
spread out to other households in the community in due time. It takes the Bahay Kubo
paradigm as its springboard even as it attempts to adapt the COMACO model in implementing
this animal husbandry intervention.

Program components for goat raising involve the setting up of forage grass nursery,
skills training on planting and maintaining of forage grasses such as Napier grass and grazing
management.

STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

This animal husbandry intervention shall be implemented by the LGU through the
collaboration of the Public Employment Service Office and the Municipal Agriculturist Office.
The DOLE will provide the funding requirement needed and provide other technical and
administrative assistance should the project demands for additional skills training and
replication. Monitoring shall be done by the Agricultural Technician assigned in the area.
Assistance from the Barangays officials may be tapped from time to time.

The sacadas shall be organized to facilitate the dispersal of the project returns.
Household beneficiaries shall have the obligation to turn over two piglets, two pairs of chicken
and a kid during the first instance. Identification of the next beneficiaries shall be decided by
the LGU and the DOLE in consultation with the organized SAKADA workers.

BUDGETARY REQUIREMENT

1. Poultry
30 mature native roosters @ Php. 300 per head Php. 9,000
30 mature native hens @ Php. 250 per head 7,500
30 sacks crack corn @ Php. 1250 per sack 37,500
Total Php. 54,000

2. Goat
3 One year old Bucks (Anglo Nubians) @ Php. 6,750
Per head 20,250
27 One year old Does (Anglo Nubians) @ Php. 5,400
Per head 145,800
Total Php.166,050

3. Hogs
3 male native uncastrated piglets @ Php. 1,500 per head 4,500
27 female native piglets @ Php. 1,500 per head 40,500
30 sacks rice bran @ Php. 360 per sack 10,800
Total Php. 55,800

4. Skills Training on Forage Grass Planting and Maintenance

And Grazing Management
One-day onsite skills training
32 Meal packs @ Php. 150 per head 4,800
Honorarium of Trainer @ Php. 250/hr 1,750
Planting materials (varieties of forage grasses) 500
Total Php. 7,050
 5. Forage Grass Nursery Establishment
2 Laborers @ Php. 160 per head 320
2 Meal Allowance @ 100 per head 200
Rental of farming implements (or draught animal) for one day 500
2 rolls barb wire @ Php 2,500/roll 5,000
25 pcs. Madre de Cacao posts @ Php 10/post 250
Total Php. 6,270

6. Administrative Expenses Php. 10,000

Grand Total Php. 299,170

PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY AND REPLICATION POTENTIAL

The sustainability and replicability of the project are on the top of the concerns of the
LGU. It sees the project as a pilot project that could be replicated among clusters of
farmers/families in Cortes as well as in other barangays. The resolved to strengthen the
sacadas’ organization is geared towards the sustainability of the project to provide a stable and
adequate source of income for its members/cooperators.

Al F. de la Cruz

May 31, 2010

Balete, Aklan
Philippines