Two hundred fifty Valenzuela City residents were the initial recipients. One of them, Gabriel Aguinaldo, proudly received the symbolic piglet, during the ceremonies, from Mayor Emmanuel "Bobbit" Carlos and City Agriculturist Nestor Mansano.
Mang Gabriel gave a sheepish smile as he looked at his photograph with Carlos, Mansano, and his piglet published in The STAR last week.
"I’m taking care of it very well," Mang Gabriel said in Filipino. Ang lakas kumain. (It eats a lot)," he chuckled.
Mang Gabriel has been living in Valenzuela for the last 10 years. He shares a house with wife Susana and their children, Michael, 19, and Jocelyn, 10, in Sitio Bilog, Barangay Balangkas.
He does not have a permanent job and earns only through his "sideline businesses" such as selling vegetables. Aling Susana, meanwhile, maintains a sari-sari store. The couple earns between P100-P250 a day. Despite the meager amount, his family is able to eat three times a day, Mang Gabriel said. His son Michael, however, has stopped his schooling because of financial straits.
Malaking tulong sa aming kabuhayan itong biik (This piglet will help us a lot.)," Mang Gabriel said.
In an interview, Mansano said the city government decided on this livelihood project because it is easy to take care of and sell pigs. The city government spent P350,000 for its swine livelihood program, he added.
Cross-breeds were distributed to the recipients because they have been acclimatized to the hot, humid weather, unlike pure breeds, Mansano explained.
To sustain the program, each of the 250 recipients has to give back two piglets to the city government. These piglets will be distributed to the next recipients. This was also why only female piglets were distributed.
"The recipients can hire boars to mate with their sows," Mansano said, adding that in Valenzuela, a "barako" or boar can be hired for P450-P500.
The recipients were chosen according to some very simple criteria: they must have a pig pen, the capability to feed and take care of the piglet, and had attended a livelihood seminar.
According to Mansano, a two-month, 10-kilo piglet can cost as much as P1,300 if bought from a piggery. And there is an additional charge of P65 for every additional kilo.
It will take a full year before the pigs can have offsprings. But for Mang Gabriel, it would be worth the wait. This is why Mang Gabriel takes good care of his piglet, which remains unnamed.
The morning after receiving the animal, Mang Gabriel immediately gave it a bath. After the interview, Mang Gabriel said he was going back home to clean its pen.
He is also preparing the pre-starter feeds. Mang Gabriel said he estimates that his piglet can consume at least five kilos of feed every five days. A kilo of pre-starter feed costs P29 per kilo.
Mang Gabriel said he does not mind investing a bit as long as his piglet will be healthy and strong. In fact, he is reluctant to give his piglet kitchen refuse or what is known as kaning baboy. "Baka magkasakit (It might get sick)."
"Huwag din lang sanang mamatay ( I just hope it doesn’t die)," Mang Gabriel said.
The perennial floodings in his barangay is his worst problem, Mang Gabriel said. He was engaged in backyard piggery a few years ago and was able to sell at least three pigs. He had to quit the business, however, because of the constant floodings.
The flood in Barangay Balangkas caused by the high tide and heavy rains brought by typhoon Feria has yet to subside, Mang Gabriel said.
During the interview, the flood was a few inches below the knee. At worst, it could be waist deep, he added.
Barangay Balangkas is one of the perennially hardest hit areas because of its low elevation. Nevertheless, Mang Gabriel said he will work hard and patiently wait until he can sell the offsprings of his piglet a year from now.