Goat raisers in Palawan partnered with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to help increase the production of Halal ruminants in the different municipalities in Palawan and Puerto Princesa City aimed to further facilitate marketing and trading Halal ruminants that will open potential economic activities to farmers, traders, and stakeholders.
Last week, the Palawan Goat Raisers Association in cooperation with Palawan Halal Development Council (PHDC) and Crescent Halal Farm spearheaded the 2-day Sustainable Halal Goat Raising and Forage Production recently held at Livestock Resource Center in Palawan Agricultural Center (PAC) of the Department of Agriculture located in Barangay Irawan, Puerto Princesa City in an effort to capacitate Halal ruminant farmers and raisers from different parts of Palawan. On the second day, the training focused on the hands-on Forage Production and Artificial Insemination for Goat. DA personnel served as resource person during the training including DA MIMAROPA’s Regional Technical Director Engr. Elmer Ferry, Marietta Alviz, Marissa Vargas, Ariel Culungon, Gomer Decano, Dr. Clyde Descallar and other technical personnel. Among those who supported the activity were City Councilor Elgin Robert Damasco of Puerto Princesa City Sangguniang Panlungsod’s Committee on Agriculture, and Provincial Board Member Nieves Rosento, and Muslim Scholar in Madina Almunawwara University Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) headed by Aleem Salim Abubakar Nasil.
Participants are goat raisers from Balabac, Bataraza, Brooke’s Point, Sofronio Espanola, San Vicente, Dumaran, Roxas, El Nido, Puerto Princesa, Quezon, and other towns. Among its members are government officials and employees who also raised goats including former El Nido Mayor and current Provincial Board Member Nieves Rosento, Imam Sonsong Camama who is a program manager of Puerto Princesa City Muslim Affairs Office, among others.
Said Alih K. Sha, owner of Crescent Halal Farm and who chaired Palawan Goat Raisers Association and Palawan Halal Development Council said that the training is funded solely through registration fees of the members and he is happy with the support and enthusiasm of the association members. Palawan Goat Raisers Association has been existing since 2014.
Ms. Alviz urged the members of Palawan Goat Raisers Association to apply for DA accreditation for Civil Society Organizations (CSO) to avail package of assistance from the national government agency and in order to boost Halal activities and programs. She also encouraged the association members to establish a Halal food shop and Halal restaurant to support trade and tourism in the locality and to cater tourists from neighboring Asian countries who preferred Halal food such as those from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.
Vargas who is the focal person of the DA regional office’s Halal program said that since Palawan is proximate to Malaysia and is part of the BIMP-EAGA network, a Halal certifying body is necessary in order to facilitate Halal trade. On their part, Palawan Halal Ruminant Raisers Association manifested their intent to become a Halal certifying body and will apply for accreditation.
Palawan Goat Raisers Association vows to strengthen their network to boost Halal trade in Palawan and beyond, and to raise public awareness on the importance of Halal food and to ensure the availability of Halal ruminants and other Halal food in the local market. They also eye renaming Palawan Goat Raisers Association into Palawan Halal Ruminants Raisers Association.