SORSOGON CITY – First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta – Marcos personally led the first Lab for All (Laboratoryo, Konsulta at Gamot para sa Lahat) caravan in Bicol, held at the Sorsogon Provincial Gymnasium here on July 18, 2024.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero; Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman J. Prospero Devera III; Congressman Bernadette Escudero; and Governor Edwin Hamor graced the event.
Also in attendance were Sorsogon City Mayor Ester Hamor and the Local Chief Executives of the 14 municipalities of Sorsogon.
Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Deogracias Victor “DV” Savellano was represented by OIC Regional Technical Director Lorenzo L. Alvina. He turned over a total of P7,878,500 – worth of interventions to walk-in clients and pre-selected farmers cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and LGUs.
The DA Bicol has distributed 500 pcs grafted pili seedlings from the Sorsogon Dairy Production and Technology Center; 3,000 packets vegetable seeds and 100 pcs bamboo planting materials from the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP); and 2,500 copies IEC materials from RAFIS. RSBSA registration was also conducted on site.
Meanwhile 10 FCAs received Lab for All Livelihood Package from First Lady Louise Araneta – Marcos. The livelihood package consisted of 48 heads ready-to-lay pullets, 1 set egg machine cage to house 48 pullets, 8 bags poultry express feeds, 1 disinfectant, 1 liter multi-vitamins, 100 grams antibiotic.
These are: Gimagaan Indigenous People’s Farmers Association of Donsol; Bgy. Gogon Farmers Association of Donsol; Pangpang FA of Pilar; Minanticaan FA of Castilla; Samahang Mangingisda ng Bgy Kuwatro (SAMBAK) of Sta. Magdalena; Bgy. Fabrica Livestock, Poultry and High Value Crops Farmers Assn. of Barcelona; Porog Rural Fisherfolks Assn of Bulusan; Alyansa kan mga Parasira sa Sorsogon (from municipality of Bulan); Cabiguhan Poultry FA of Gubat, Sorsogon; and Green Thumb Catanagan Community Farmers of Juban, Sorsogon.
15 Municipal and City Local Government Units of Sorsogon also received 200 heads mallard ducks (worth P100,000 totalling P1.5M) for distribution to qualified FCAs. While 8 LGUs, namely: Bulan, Gubat, Sorsogon City, Castilla, Prieto Diaz, Barcelona, Irosin and Sta. Magdalena received a total of P6M project under the swine calibrated repopulation. Each LGU received 45 heads swine for 15 individual recipients, P22,500 worth feeds, P21,000 worth piglets and P6,500 worth animal drugs.
The caravan was participated in by numerous government agencies and private sector following a whole of the nation approach. It is being supported by the Office of the President and the Department of Health. (Lovella P. Guarin – RAFIS 5) (Photo credit: RAFIS 5)