CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Twelve tons of dressed chicken were given to soldiers and policemen in war-torn Marawi City as a strategy to provide an additional market for broiler chicken.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said chicken suffered a drop in demand in the market because of the recent case of bird flu outbreak in Pampanga.

Piñol was quick to note that the chickens were not from Pampanga or any of the areas recently affected by the outbreak.

Pinol said that police and army men received the first shipment of dressed Halal chicken from President Rodrigo Duterte who wanted to provide the fighting men and women better food while in combat.

"Actually, the supply of broiler chicken was supposed to include the Marawi evacuees but this was opposed by some Maranao leaders who said that giving chicken coming from bird flu areas was an insult to them. This was, of course, an unfounded claim because all of the chickens in the bird flu affected areas were actually killed and disposed of. Due to the opposition of some Maranao leaders, it was decided that the supply will only be given to soldiers and policemen," Piñol said.

Pinol added that the first shipment of 11,874 kilograms (11.87 tons) of frozen dressed chicken arrived in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental from Davao on September 16.

"These frozen goods were donated by Jonathan Suy of Ana’s Breeder Farm, Inc., the company owner of Farmers Fresh Chicken Brand, to the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines currently deployed in Marawi City for their daily consumption. A total of 2.4 tons of the said frozen broiler chicken are currently being delivered directly to Marawi City from Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental as facilitated and coordinated by DA-RFO 10 under Director Carlene Collado," Piñol said.

“Five more deliveries will follow carrying a total of two to three tons, as requested by our troops in Marawi. There will be additional deliveries of chicken until the soldiers and policemen have completed their task in Marawi City,” Piñol added.