The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) announced Monday that the Bantonan Community Development Cooperative (Bacodeco) in Barangay Bantonan, Albay, will benefit from a P5.5 million swine repopulation project. This follows the inauguration and turnover of a bio-secured, climate-controlled finisher operation facility.

The project, part of the Department of Agriculture's (DA) Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program, aims to help the swine industry recover from African Swine Fever (ASF) and boost productivity. The initiative includes modern swine farms, calibrated hog re-population, and easier access to insurance and credit services.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Maria Eugenia M. Alteza congratulated Bacodeco and expressed gratitude to the DA for selecting the cooperative as a recipient. “I see a bright future ahead for Bacodeco. Your cooperative is on the path to progress,” she said.

Bacodeco Chairperson Bertito M. Laganson expressed his gratitude to the involved agencies, saying, "We are very thankful to DAR. We hope to sustain this project."