Rising Above Petty Politics! Braveheart Farms, City Govt. Join Hands To Save 17 Cattle

Early today, I talked by phone with Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista to ask his approval on my proposal to save and rehabilitate 17 heads of cattle which were obviously neglected in a city feedlot in Barangay Kalaisan.

Mayor Evangelista, who was the political adversary of my brother, Jun, in the last elections readily accepted my proposal.

My offer to save the cattle was made after

I passed by the feedlot on my way to South Cotabato yesterday to validate a report made by cattle nutritionist Arnel Corpux that the cattle were in very bad shape.

Yesterday afternoon, I saw the pitiful state of the cattle which were fed with banana peelings and some roughage.

I saw one emaciated cow drink water from the concrete floor of the feedlot, indicating that they lacked drinking water.

The sight saddened me because these cattle are part of a livelihood project that the Dept. of Agriculture initiated with the City Government when I was Agriculture Secretary.

If I remember it right, there were 24 heads of cattle in the project but yesterday I counted only 17.

I am one person who does not enjoy playing the blame game.

Yesterday I decided I would take up the issue with Mayor Evangelista.

While Mayor Evangelista was the political adversary of my brother in the last elections, I have managed to stay above the local political fray and maintained cordial relations.

Today, I offered to help take care of the cattle and rehabilitate them in my farm which is just a few kilometers away from the feedlot.

I have offered my farm as a learning site for silage making and cattle fattening with the help of Arnel Corpuz.

Mayor Evangelista accepted the proposal and said he would instruct the City Veterinarian, Dr. Gornez, to make the arrangements.

I am very pleased with the results of the conversation as it assures that the cattle will be cared for and the project I initiated with the City Government will succeed.

#RisingAboveParochialPolitics!

#TakingCareOfAnimals!