Around 100 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program from the town of Magdalena in Laguna Province completed the three-day organic hog raising training provided by Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay in the said province.

This training was conducted for the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program after the partnership between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office IV-A and Costales Nature Farms last August 2015 under the agency’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

The SLP is one of the core poverty reduction programs implemented by the DSWD alongside Pantawid Pamilya that seeks to improve the socio-economic status of beneficiaries through community-based capacity building for micro-enterprise development or employment facilitation.

In the partnership, the Costales Nature Farms has agreed to provide a two-day technical training and a one-day farm immersion to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya.

The said number of beneficiaries from Magdalena completed the training in two batches in August and October 2015. These beneficiaries have also been provided a starter kit, which includes a piglet and feeds for the first cycle.

“Malaking tulong po ang training na ito sa aking pamilya. Bukod sa nagkaroon ako ng kaalaman sa pag-aalaga ng baboy, natutuwa ang buo kong pamilya na magkakaroon na kami ng bagong pagkakakitaan,” said Norma Araw, a recipient of the training from Brgy. Tipunan in Magdalena.

To date, there are 50 other beneficiaries from the said town scheduled for a new batch of training this November.

Aside from Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries from Magdalena, beneficiaries from other municipalities including Majayjay and Nagcarlan in Laguna Province have underwent the same kind of training.

This organic hog raising training is continuously done by the Costales Nature Farms in a per batch basis covering areas in Laguna and will extend to other provinces in the region.# with reports from JMAmbrocio