There is nothing more rewarding and inspiring than hearing a story of how a little help could change people’s lives for the better.
Rogel Tampus, a devout Iglesia Ni Cristo and chicken farmer from Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur who raised the huge Oriental chicken called Shamo, came to my farm about three years ago to buy Manok Pinoy breeders.
A year later, he posted on his Facebook page photos of the chicken he produced by cross-breeding his Shamo to the Manok Pinoy hens which came from me.
The Oriental-looking chicken were so beautiful that I went to his farm in Kinuskusan, about 20 minutes away from my farm in Kidapawan City, to buy back some breeding materials.
That started a friendship between me and the Tampus family.
My cousin Neri taught Rogel how to vaccinate his chicken while I opened a credit line for him so he could get feeds and biologics from a Pacifica Agri Supply Store branch in Kidapawan.
To support him, I added 30 hens on credit and gave him fishing nets which I acquired for free from my friends in the fishing industry, Nathaniel and Marivet Caballero of Gen. Santos City.
A month ago, he gifted me with a beautiful Shamo trio which I now keep in my breeding yard.
Yesterday, I invited Rogel to my radio program, Ang Totoong Magsasaka, to share his chicken story as part of my effort to determine the viability of backyard chicken raising for rural families.
He was joined by Dr. Erwin Palmones and Micu Angeles of Kidapawan City who are also into backyard chicken raising after acquiring breeding materials from me.
I was deeply touched when Rogel told me that the chicken which he raised and sold helped the family survive the economic difficulties caused by the COVID 19 Pandemic.
Today, he has about 600 chicken in his farm which could easily be valued at P160,000 and he has acquired two incubators with a total 1,200-egg hatching capacity.
The incubators will help him expand his poultry farm saying that backyard chicken raising has really helped his family through the hard times.
Rogel profusely thanked me on air yesterday but the words of thanks and appreciation were not the reasons why I was filled with happiness.
It was actually the thought that the simple idea of reintroducing backyard chicken raising as a livelihood activity actually worked in making life better for the country’s poor rural families.
This will be my inspiration as I pursue the launching of the Mindanao Backyard Chicken Raising Program for Rural Families this year.
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
#EnsuringFoodSecurity!
#ReducingRuralPoverty!
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