Heifer 'Passing on the Gift' Project Continues to Benefit Communities

In the “Heifer In the News” section, you will find news coverage of Heifer International’s projects and programs, from a variety of media outlets.

This article appeared on the Philippine Information Agency on Oct. 24, 2012.

By Juliet B. Saley

BAUKO, Mt. Province, Oct. 24 (PIA) - The Passing on the Gift project of the Heifer International Philippines in partnership with non-government organizations (NGOs) continues to benefit communities in the province.

 Heifer Project International is one of many nongovernment organizations involved in rural development around the world. It works at the grassroots by providing animals and training to organized local groups that request assistance.

 For the month of October this year, the project has benefited a total number of 133 families in this municipality. Each family received animals, fruit tree seedlings, coffee seedlings and assorted vegetable seeds.

 Ronalyn Butil, Community Facilitator of the Igorota Foundation Inc. (IFI) in this municipality said the original 29 families of barangay Tapapan who have received gilts, chicken, coffee seedlings, fruit tree seedlings and various vegetable seeds last year from Heifer through its partner Igorota Foundation Inc., have passed on last October 15, the same gifts to 29 pass on families in the same barangay.

 Butil also bared that aside from Tapapan, the 25 original families of barangay Poblacion, also in Bauko which received the gifts last year, passed on last October 20 the same gifts to 25 pass on families in barangay Mayag.

 Meantime, Shirley Socalo of the Cordillera Parents Federation Inc. (CPFI) said the 70 original families from barangay Banao who have received the gifts through Heifer’s partner, CPFI, gave the same gifts to pass on families in barangay Lagawa. Last October 18, 20 families received the gifts while other 50 pass on families of the same barangay got theirs earlier.

 In October 19, each family of the 57 original families from barangay Supang in the municipality of Sabangan passed on a gilt, 3 chicken, 2 each of rambutan and citrus seedlings, 10 coffee seedlings, and assorted vegetable seeds to 57 pass on families in barangay Guinzadan, this town.

 Marife Lucaney, Community Facilitator of Igorota Foundation Inc. in Sabangan said these families comprise the two organized self-help groups (SHG) , the GAPAS SHG with 35 pass on families from Guinzadan Sur and the Aggayen SHG with 22 pass on families from Guinzadan Sur.

 Lucaney said the family beneficiaries of the Heifer projects in Supang are prepared to pass on the gifts they have received since the offsprings of their animals are already grown but there are no ready families in lower Sabangan to accept the gifts so it was given to families in Guinzadan who are willing to avail of the program.

 She said not all the 57 pass on families received gilts. There are 12 pass on families that received threads to sustain their weaving industry; two received cloths for their sewing business; one family received a sack of tilapia feeds for their tilapia production; and another family who is engaged in wine making received jars, hydrometer and sugar.

 A Passing on the Gift Agreement was signed by each family recipient promising to comply with the given conditions such as; each family recipient uses the gift for their family’s benefit, take good care of the animals and other gifts received, report immediately to concerned party sick animals or any problems encountered on the given gifts, and to pass on the same gifts to another pass-on families.

 Another Passing on the Gift of Heifer will be conducted in barangay Dacudac in the municipality of Tadian on October 27.

 James Komicho, Community Facilitator of the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation Inc. (JVOFI) said some of the 100 original families from Kayan and Bunga who received gifts from Heifer through its partner JVOFI will be passing on the same gift to 55 pass on families from barangays Dacudac and Lenga. (JBS/PIA CAR-Mt. Province)