MAFAR livelihood starter kits to community-based organizations

BASILAN – Twelve community-based organizations have received a livelihood starter kit worth PHP1,849,770 from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

In a statement on Tuesday, Director General for Fisheries Services Pendatun Patarasa said one of the project interventions is the provision of starter kits for community-based organizations to support their livelihood start-up process in generating income for the organizations.

The project will provide various types of starter kits to each of the beneficiaries like hand tractors with trailers, welding machines, rubber crepe machines, halal meat processing kits, and repair tools in the Lamitan and Isabela City.

He said MAFAR distributes interventions that will definitely help farmers to ensure that they will pursue doing agriculture.

He added the beneficiaries underwent agricultural training before they qualified for the starter kit.

“MAFARs mandate is to uplift the living condition of farmers and fisherfolk in the region, so we make sure that they are given a start in their livelihood,” Patarasa said.

Datu Fadh Jaljalis, Chief of Agriculture in MAFAR Basilan, who represented Provincial Director Hanie Muadz Junuban, Al-Hadj in the turn-over ceremony, expressed support to agency’s program.

Meanwhile, more community-based organizations from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi province will also receive their own livelihood starter kits by the coming days.

They were the first recipients in the province as the agriculture sector was considered the hard-hit industry due to the pandemic.