Mt.Province town self help group receives pass-on gifts

Philippine Information Agency

The Heifer International – Philippines in partnership with the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. (JVOFI), conducted last Monday the  original placement ceremony to another partner families in this municipality.

According to James Comicho, community facilitator of JVOFI, there are 28 identified original partner-families in barangay Bunga of this municipality that benefited from the program after having completed the 12 Cornerstone workshop, which is a prerequisite to receiving the gift.

Comicho said 27 of the partner families received one ready to breed pig(gilt) each and the other one partner family received one boar which will be used by the group for breeding their gilts. Each of the families also received two hens and one rooster, assorted vegetable seeds, assorted fruit tree and timber tree seedlings, yellow corn seeds, soy beans, and vermin compost.

Comicho said the 71 families in barangay Kayan who were earlier recipient of one gilt, one hen, and one rooster each under the Heifer project were also included during the ceremony last Monday to receive assorted vegetable seeds, fruit tree, and timber seedlings and vermin compost.

Heifer International is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to relieving global hunger and poverty. It provides gift of livestock and plants as well as education in sustaining agriculture to financially-disadvantaged families around the world.

This Heifer project is similar to the livelihood project being implemented by the local government because the beneficiaries of their project also pass on to others what they have received. The only difference is, the family recipients of Heifer project undergo a series of seminars focusing on the 12 cornerstones namely: passing on the gift, accountability, sharing and caring, sustainability and self-reliance, improved animal management, nutrition and income, gender and family focus, genuine need and justice, improving the environment, full participation, training and education, and spirituality.

Under this program, these original partner families are also expected to pass on the same gifts they have received to pass-on families when these animals bear offsprings.  To ensure the sustainability of the project, the partner families should practice the 12 cornerstones. There will be also regular monitoring of the project.
Heifer and JVOFI are non government organizations that are involved in providing livelihood assistance to poor families in different areas in the region.