KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato— As part of the upcoming T’nalak Festival 2025 celebration, the Office of the Provincial Veterinary Officer is gearing up for one of its most awaited contests—“Pinaka Mabigat na Hayop”, a unique competition showcasing the heaviest chicken, rabbit, goat, and chicken egg in the province.
Dr. Errol Javier of OPVET said the event aims to highlight and support the growing poultry and livestock industry in South Cotabato, noting that backyard poultry and livestock production has become a vital source of income for local farmers.
“This is not just a fun contest—it is our way of recognizing the hard work of our farmers and promoting small-scale farming as a sustainable livelihood,” Javier emphasized.
Competition Mechanics
The contest is open exclusively to backyard farmers across the province, with the following guidelines:
- All entries must be officially endorsed by the Municipal Agriculturist of the participant’s locality.
- Animals and eggs must come strictly from backyard production, not commercial farms.
- All participants must be registered farmers under the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
- Only one winner per category will be declared: the heaviest goat, rabbit, chicken, and chicken egg.
- In case of a tie in weight, the winner will be determined through a toss coin.
- Registration is free for all participants.
Attractive Cash Prizes
To reward the efforts of backyard raisers, the Provincial Veterinary Office has allotted cash prizes for both winners and non-winning entries:
- Chicken Egg: P500 for the winner; P300 for non-winning entries
- Chicken: P4,000 for the winner; P2,000 for non-winning entries
- Rabbit: P4,000 for the winner; P2,000 for non-winning entries
- Goat: P8,000 for the winner; P4,000 for non-winning entries
“This event also allows us to map and recognize the performance of local producers while adding a festive and educational component to the T’nalak celebration,” Dr. Javier added.
Organizers expect strong participation from backyard farmers across the province, as the event continues to build pride and excitement in the agricultural community.
The “Pinaka Mabigat na Hayop” competition will be one of the highlighted agricultural events of T’nalak Festival 2025, reinforcing the Provincial Government’s commitment to inclusive, livelihood-driven celebrations that empower grassroots farmers.
The event is part of the Farmer’s Festival organized by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist at the Provincial Demonstration Farm in the town of Banga on July 15-16, 2025.
