Prov’l gov’t supports Indigenous People to boost agri-devt
LINGAYEN — The provincial government recently turned over a P297, 000-subsidy to Sitio Mapita High Value Crops Growers’ Association of the Indigenous People (IP) community in Sitio Mapita, Aguilar for the implementation of an irrigation project to further boost the Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP) in the village that started in 2009.
Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr., assisted by Provincial Agriculturist Dalisay Moya, Provincial Treasurer Marilou Utanes and Provincial Development and Planning Officer Benita Pizaro, handed the cash grant to Mapita village leaders who paid a courtesy call on the governor on May 28.
Maricel San Pedro of the FEP-Technical Working Group (TWG) said the irrigation project is needed to increase agricultural production in the highland village and to sustain the FEP project.
“The amount given by the province is big enough for the whole community,” San Pedro said as she noted the active involvement of the Provincial Agriculture Office and Provincial Planning and Development Office in the program.
Juanito Rola, the first farmer graduate of FEP, said the IP community that relied on traditional farming for decades has already adopted modern farming, particularly organic farming.
“I’ve been a farmer for 35 years, but it was only few years back when farmers in our community were introduced to the FEP,” Rola said.
Espino, who vowed to support the community in their agri-developemnt projects, cited the program’s contribution to poverty alleviation by improving agricultural productivity among farmers.
Aside from the cash grant, the governor assured the construction of a training center, conference room and dormitory for FEP trainees and completion of watershed in the sitio.
He likewise urged village leaders to prioritize health and sanitation.
“We shall see to it that 100 percent of residential houses will have septic tanks,” he said.
Dave Calaguio, TWG Project Coordinator said new methods and technologies in farming were introduced in trainings, seminars and study tours to higher education institutions with agricultural facilities for farmers to see and adopt.
FEP is a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project jointly initiated by private sector groups — Jollibee Foods Corporation, National Livelihood Development Corporation and Catholic Relief Services, national government agencies — Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform and Department of Trade and Industry, and academic institutions in collaboration with Local Government Units to transform farmers to become “businessmen and entrepreneurs.
The national program is implemented in the towns of Bani, Aguilar (Mapita), Alcala and Umingan and in Alaminos City. (With a report from PIO)
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