THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD  recently launched “Gatasang Kalabaw Kontra Kagutuman at Kahirapan” (GK3K) in San Andres, Balungao town in collaboration with local governments to help mitigate the immediate impact of the hunger and poverty crisis and helping vulnerable populations through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

“Through this project, we will provide the twelve members of the SLP with 300 households, which will have a good and sustainable livelihood,” Monina Josefina Romualdez, DSWD Undersecretary for Operations Group, said.

Under the GK3K program, the beneficiaries will focus on carabao breeding and producing carabao milk, followed by the processing of carabao milk, hide, and meat in the second year.

The DSWD Region 1 has highlighted GK3K as the most extensive Program Convergence Budgeting-Zero Hunger initiative in the area.

“We want to continue empowering families, elderly, all age groups of society, and give them a more sustainable livelihood,” Aileen Serrano, acting regional director of Commission on Population and Development Region 1, said.

To boost the program, Balungao local government supplied 10 hectares of land for carabao housing, forage area, and vegetable cultivation site, as well as over P4 million in logistical support and materials, while the Philippine Carabao Center- Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University offered specialized training to the beneficiaries, along with the provision of additional carabaos and artificial insemination services.

The Department of Trade and Industry will also supply milk production equipment through its Shared Service Facility program.

The program will offer seed capital and community mobilization funds to provide financial support to the beneficiaries.

Balungao Mayor Theresa Peralta thanked all the agencies involved for their support for the town. “No one will go hungry as long as you work hard and persevere,” she said  (PIA Pangasinan/JSZ)

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