Fragile it is. If unintentionally broken and not rotten, that is the end of it. Though delicate, it sustains the everyday life of the Dasalla Family in Gregorio del Pilar, Ilocos Sur. Every egg being harvested is a new hope for a more fulfilled life.
“One egg a day is okay”, said Minalyn, 34 just like what she teaches to her Child Development Center pupils. This also applies to her family business – Chicken Production, Broiler, and Chicken Lay.
According to her, they harvest fresh eggs every afternoon which are being sold right away to their neighbors in Brgy. Poblacion Sur and gives them PhP300.00 earning per day.
Minalyn and her husband, Constante, 33, have been running their business since December 2015 after a training on chicken production given by the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer for Indigenous People in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (MCCT-IP in GIDA) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 1 (DSWD FO 1). After the third cycle of their chicken production, they were able to buy the sets of chicken last May 2016 which lead them to earn for the education of their two children, Mhecko, 14, and Faithlene, 8.
“Kahit malayo at liblib ang lugar namin, nakakarating pa rin ang DSWD sa pamamagitan ng MCCT. Parang napakaimposible na kaming nasa kabundukan ay nagkaroon ng negosyong manukan. Dahil po diyan, naipapakita namin sa iba na kaya naming mamuhay nang maayos at matiwasay dito sa aming lugar (Though we live in a far flung area, DSWD is still able to reach us through MCCT. It seems so impossible for us who are in the upland area to have a poultry business. Because of this, we can show others that we can live well and in peace in our place),” Minalyn testified.
The Municipality of Gregorio del Pilar, Ilocos Sur is reached by taking a 1 ½ hour jeepney ride from Candon City on a muddy, slippery, and rocky road and passing through the deep and raging river. Only one jeepney per barangay takes a trip to Candon City everyday so it is packed with daily commodities going back to the municipality.
The Bago couple strives to flourish their business in the years to come and become the sole egg supplier in their barangay. They believe that with their perseverance and determination, they can hatch out from poverty and grow while embarking on a fresh and abundant life towards self-sufficiency.
MCCT-IP in GIDA assists the IPs to have full and sustained access in the government’s social protection programs particularly the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Beneficiaries are entitled to assistance based on the results of annual Support Services Intervention assessment. (by: Jaesem Ryan A. Gaces, Information Officer II/Pantawid Pamilya)
