ILOILO CITY, Sept. 7 – The Department of Agriculture (DA) here has distributed goats and hogs to nine towns in the province and cities in Iloilo.

Some 93 goats were distributed to beneficiaries in the towns of Barotac Viejo, Dingle and the component city of Passi. Likewise, some 210 hogs were given to the municipalities of Banate, Bingawan, Lemery and Miag-ao, as well as to Iloilo City and Passi City.

Johnny Luces, Livestock Technical Assistance Unit of the DA, said that this is part of their support to the government’s Comprehensive Livelihood Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP).

Luces said that the program aims to help poor farmers, indigents, expatriates, out-of-school youths and OFWs who lost their jobs. The goats and hogs will allow them to start a new livelihood with the support of their municipal agriculture office (MAO), he added.

There are three barangay recipients of goat and hogs per town, while each barangay has 10 beneficiaries, he said. The MAO will monitor the beneficiaries and provide technical assistance.

Towns given goat were given 30 females and one buck for reproduction and breeding. While towns given hogs each received some 30 hogs that may be able to breed.

Luces said that as of August, the DA spent around P714,000 for this CLEEP-related project. The project is expected to create more than 50 jobs in the province alone. Luces said the DA has similar projects in other provinces in Western Visayas. {(PNA) LAP/AJP/LPCarnaje}