BANTAY, Ilocos Sur, Sept. 27 (PIA) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Ilocos awarded Php25.7M worth of farm machineries and equipment to the leaders of farm cooperatives and farm associations in the first district of Ilocos Sur at the Ilocos Sur Community College Hall here on September 25.
It was spearheaded by DA Sec. William Dar, DA Assistant Sec. Noel Reyes and DA in the Ilocos officer-in-charge Regional Executive Director Nestor Domenden assisted by Governor Ryan Luis Singson, First District Rep. Deogracias Victor Savellano, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members (SPM), and some mayors of the local government units (LGUs) of the district.
A total of 34 farmer and fisherfolk associations from the 10 LGUs of the district benefitted from the distribution which were under the Farm Mechanization Program of DA.
In his message during the program, Secretary Dar emphasized the vital role of all farmers and fisherfolks in maintaining and increasing food sufficiency in the countryside especially with the onset of a health crisis.
“Ang sektor ng agrikultura ay bumabangon pa rin kahit na may pandemya. Sinasabi ko sa mga meeting namin sa IATF na ang food security ay equally important as that of the control of the COVID-19. Kung wala tayong pagkain ay hindi natin malalabanan ang COVID-19. Nakita natin na in the last five months, maraming food supplies, walang pila, walang chaos, at walang food riots, ganun katindi ang problema natin sa COVID-19 but despite of that, kayo na mga magsasaka’t mangingisda ay nagpagod, nagsaka at nangisda,” he said.
“In the DA, we are committed to good governance so sana mabantayan natin itong mga proyekto natin para sa ganun karamihan, if not all of these services, in the form of machineries, agricultural inputs, and others ay makakarating sa ating mga magsasaka’t mangingisda,” he added.
He also applauded the programs and services of the provincial and city/municipal government in Ilocos Sur for continuously helping in providing the needs of the farmers and fisherfolks to improve their yield and their incomes.
"We are expecting, hopefully, a bountiful harvest this time around at gusto natin masabi sa buong mundo na hindi tayo magkukulang ng pagkain despite of this pandemic because we have the farmers and the fisherfolks continuing their business of food production and you have the national, provincial, and the city/municipal government helping so that these farmers become very productive, competitive, and resilient," he further added.
Secretary Dar also approved the resolution authored by SPM Efren Rafanan in regard to the establishment of an agriculture research station including that of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in San Juan, Ilocos Sur.
“I will also direct the ATI to come and be a part of the Research and Extension Center in San Juan, Ilocos Sur para iyong mga training na pangangailangan dito sa probinsiya ay nandito ang ATI na mag-implement ng mga programa natin,” he said.
Wilson Navarro, president of the Mannalon ti Daya Farmers Association, Inc. of Vigan City, expressed his gratitude for the machinery they received.
“Napalaos ti panagyamanmi ti Department of Agriculture para iti ‘Combine Harvester with Baler’ a naawat ti asosasionmi. Dakkel ti maitulongna daytoy iti panagtalonmi. Sapayla koma ta saan a mauma a tumulong ti gobierno kanyami a mannalon (Nagpapasalamat kami sa Department of Agriculture para sa ‘Combine Harvester with Baler’ na natanggap ng aming asosasyon. Malaki ang maitutulong nito sa aming pagsasaka. Nawa’y hindi magsawa ang gobierno na tumulong sa aming mga magsasaka),” he said.
The said distribution was held in the afternoon while the turn-over ceremony for the 42 farmers’ organizations of the second district of Ilocos Sur was held in the morning.
A total of Php55.8M worth of agricultural machineries and equipment were awarded to the whole province. (JCR/AMB/JMCQ/PIA Ilocos Sur)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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