Kidapawan City, North Cotabato - An innovative Livelihood and Nutrition Program designed by North Cotabato Vice Governor Manny Piñol has received a P1.2-M funding support from Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

The program called "Kabuhayan at Kalusugan sa Kabarangayan" (KKK/ Livelihood and Nutrition in the Barangays) is aimed at providing livelihood to women's groups in the barangays of North Cotabato with very high incidence of malnutrition.

Under the program, the women in a barangay identified as "critical area" in malnutrition will be trained to raise initially 10 heads of Anglo Nubian or La Mancha dairy goats and one buck. The milk produced from the does, estimated to be at least 1 liter each daily, will be served to Grade 1 pupils in the school in the barangay.

The women will be paid P50 per liter of milk produced ensuring them of a group income of at least P750 daily, Vice Gov. Piñol said.

"This will not only provide livelihood and address malnutrition but also improve the learning capacity of children in poor barangays," Sen. Escudero told Vice Gov. Piñol in endorsing the funding the program.

Under the program, Sen. Escudero will provide funds to be used in acquiring 100 heads of dairy goats valued at P12,000 each which will then be distributed to the first 10 barangays with the highest malnutrition rate in North Cotabato.

A counterpart of one buck (male goat) per barangay will be provided by the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) including the funding for the training of the beneficiaries and the forage development.

"This will be a sustainable and expanding program because the goat kids produced by the first 10 modules will be further distributed to the next 10 barangays until the program is established in all barangays with high malnutrition incidence," said Vice Gov. Piñol.

Vice Gov. Piñol said that the program is expected to succeed mainly because the women producing the milk to earn money for their families will be further encouraged by the thought that their own children will be drinking the milk themselves.

The milk production based on a 100-head doe level is estimated to earn the women P2 million every year, a fund that he hopes to be provided by the Provincial Government of North Cotabato under Gov. Jesus N. Sacdalan.

The program is tentatively set for launching Oct. 14 in Barangay Kinawayan, Arakan where the local officials and the barangay folk have started a joint effort in addressing malnutrition in the area.