FIGHTING POVERTY. Arteche, Eastern Samar Mayor Roland Boie Evardone (left) talks to beneficiaries of a livelihood program to be granted by two non-government organizations in this undated photo. The project will focus on egg production. (Photo courtesy of Arteche local government)
TACLOBAN CITY – Two non-government organizations have forged ties with the local government unit of Arteche, Eastern Samar to implement livelihood projects in two poor communities.
The project being carried out by Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Zero Extreme Poverty (ZEP) 2030, and the local government, will cover Carapdapan and Beri villages.
“La Salle Foundation through PBSP will be providing some 40 egg-laying machines with 4,000 chickens for the two associations. This is a big help considering that as of 2022, we are only 20 percent sufficient with our egg production,” Mayor Roland Boie Evardone said in an interview Friday.
The program will double the local egg production in Arteche town, according to the mayor.
“The project we want to implement is something that is within the value chain. The one that has a demand in the local market to ensure that the association's project will be sustained with or without government support. There’s a high demand in the local market,” Evardone added.
The project, in line with the local government’s food security initiative, will directly benefit 20 families with about 60 members.
PBSP, its program partner, is the largest business-led non-government organization seeking to reduce morbidity and mortality in the country, improve nutrition, and achieve universal health coverage among poor families, helping poor and disadvantaged children and youth to complete basic education.
Arteche town and ZEP 2030 started their partnership in 2018.
ZEP 2030 is a collective movement backed by 17 civil society organizations aiming to reduce extreme poverty among millions of Filipinos by 2030.
Their operation is focused on health, education, environment, livelihood and employment, agriculture and fisheries, housing and shelter, peace and human security, and social justice.
Before this poultry project, the locals were implementing a program encouraging gardening within one’s backyard with each village growing a particular vegetable to meet local requirements.
Arteche is a 3rd class town with a 58.66 percent poverty incidence. The town has 16,320 population as of 2020. (PNA)
