|
Displaced Farmer Families awarded Farm Implements |
|
|
|
|
Written by Leila A. Halud
|
|
Friday, 03 October 2003 |
DATU MONTAWAL, Maguindanao -- The National and ARMM Offices of Department of Agriculture (DA) led a convergence of services wednesday in this town along with other regional line agencies.
P300, 000 worth of plant seedlings, vegetables and gardening tools were given b the DA to 200 farmer families of armed conflict victims of this town and of Pagalungan, neighboring town of Montawal.
According to Ms. Jalika Mangocap, Senior Agriculturalist of DA-ARMM, 250 pieces of each of the tools such as hoe, shovel, bolo and sprinkler were distributed to the farmers, which they considered very helpful for their daily living subsistence.
Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo, who has just received his Honorary Doctorate in University of Southeastern Mindanao (USM) after 21 years since former President Ferdinand Marcos was conferred the honor by the same university, led the distribution at Montawal Municipal Hall.
A check amounting to P33, 000 for the acquisition of Solar Dryer Facility was also awarded to the residents of Barangay Buliok in Montawal under the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Program.
According to the DA, the said facility will help the farmers to effectively dry their crops and augment their daily income, which will hopefully “bring support and development in the countryside to the closest level.”
Lorenzo cited the case of farmers of Hagonoy in Digos, Davao Del Sur who used to yield only 60 to 80 cavans per hectare of crops but these days, the farmers produce up to 145 and at times 200 cavans in a year, which makes a gross of P10, 000-30, 000 every time of harvest.
This was because the community is united with reorganized system and proper mode of farming, and good marketing, Lorenzo told the farmers who gathered at the said Municipal Hall to avail the services.
“Kahit ano po ang ating relihiyon o ideology, kapag tayo’y nagsumikap at hindi lamang sa pansariling kapakanan ang ating hinahanap, nagkakaroon ng progresibong pag-angat (Regardless of religion or ideology, if we strive not only for ourselves, progressive uplift happens)”, Lorenzo said.
For his part, DA-ARMM Secretary Nassar Salmani ensured that for as long as the Autonomous Regional Government has enough funds, the government will continue to serve the conflict-affected constituents of ARMM.
The Department of Health-ARMM also offered free consultation led by Dr. Tato Usman. Medicines and vitamins for children as BP-5 Compact Food were also given to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) for free.
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed