TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, August 3 (PIA) -- Five Boholano families who have proven themselves to be good members of Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Micro-Finance program received P150,000 worth of livelihood kits as RAFI’s Project Bacon gets to Bohol.

During the turnover of the livelihood kits at the Calape Multi-purpose gym, RAFI Client Enterprise Development and Business Incubator and Accelerations Services Officer Dominic Censio explained that in line with their organization’s vision of touching people and shaping the future, they are awarding the kits which include two gilts or young female pigs, sacks of feeds, vitamins, disinfectants, anti-bacterial preparations, and regular visits by livestock technicians.

The gilts, all certified by Pilmico as coming from a good breed, was bought by RAFI at between P50,000 to P75,000 each to make sure these female pigs could deliver the desired number of litter in a span of time.

In case of accidental deaths of the dispersed animals, the beneficiaries are not liable and they would not be asked to pay as long as these gilts have been properly taken care of.

The kits are given to beneficiaries of the RAFI microfinance services who have been proven to have the capacity to pay and the knowledge to manage the livelihood business entrusted to them, Censio added.

The livelihood kit beneficiaries include Elizabeth Cornelio of Bagtic Catigbian; Merielyn Madilat of Ile, Dimiao; Valeria Celades of Abucay Sur Sikatuna; Arcelisa Bersales of Union Ubay; and Mersalie Cuasito of Camias Calape.

Part of RAFI’s non-financial help for micro entrepreneurs, the release of the kits is also RAFI’s means of helping other beneficiaries as the first cycle beneficiaries are to produce 18 litters from the gilts for redispersals.

Done in partnership with Pilmico, Project Bacon has already delivered to Mersalie Cuasito the two gilts and recently, four sacks of Pilmico feeds.

She borrowed from RAFI micro-financing services to add to the capital for her small store.

The loan was supposed to be paid in six months, but RAFI extended the loan payment terms after Cuasito reported the calamity that hit Bohol.

“They are good, they granted the loan payment term extension for two months, so I kept the supposed payments for more capital,” Cuasito said.

According to Nicomedes Ninolas, RAFI microfinance district head for Bohol, the first cycle for the livelihood kit is feeding the gilts until they give birth to litters, and the gilts usually get productive and could give birth twice in a year.

"Most of these livelihood projects we are giving are in response to the general efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate the economy after the pandemic and the effects of typhoon Odette," Ninolas, who heads the 21 RAFI micro-financing outlets in Bohol, added.

Aside from micro financing, RAFI also offers loans, savings and insurance packages for their beneficiaries. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)