Guimaras solon distributes farm implements
ESPINOSA
Guimaras lone district Rep. Edgar Espinosa distributed ten handtractors to farmer beneficiaries in San Lorenzo town recently as part of the Arroyo administration's Integrated Agricultural Mechanization Project (IAMP).
The Kubota handtractors distributed to San Lorenzo farmers is part of the fifty units alloted for the entire province of Guimaras.
Espinosa said the distribution in the province's four other towns will be done as soon as the remaining handtractors arrive.
Espinosa said aside from handtractors the IAMP also include other components such as warehouse, dryer, sheller for corn, and the training building for farmers.
He said the project which is under the supervision of the Depart of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has an overall funding of P80 million to be implemented in five years.
Farmer beneficiaries are chosen in coordination with the barangay officials of the respective municipalities.
The San Lorenzo distribution held at the Municipal Hall was attended by Municipal Mayor Arsenio Zambarrano, Vice Mayor Jimmy Gaho, the Sangguniang Bayan members, and all of the town's barangay captains.
Coinciding with the distribution of the handtractors was the signing of the tripartite agreement among Rep. Espinosa, Mayor Zambarrano and the PhilHealth representative for the turn-over of Espinosa's PhilHealth capitation to the municipality of San Lorenzo.
Capitation is a portion of the money from PhilHealth contributions which is being returned to the local government unit for use by the Municipal Health Office.
Zambarrano said the move would be a great help to their municipality as the money would be used to improve the services of the Municipal Health Office.
PhilHealth representative Victor Chua said there are 2,046 beneficiaries under Espinosa while San Lorenzo town has 1,080 accredited members.
Chua said the tripartite agreement would maximize the benefits that could be availed from PhilHealth.