Badiangan receives P5M hunger mitigation projects from DA
Secretary Arthur Yap
Some P5 million worth of projects were released by Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap to the municipality of Badiangan. The projects are part of the government's hunger mitigation program. The hunger mitigation program is in line with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's "8 by '08" agenda of social payback to the people arising from the economic turnaround.
Four of the eight concerns of the President directly involve the agriculture department, namely, (1) mitigating hunger, (2) pulling down the cost of living, and generating (3) more jobs and (4) more investments, particularly in the countryside.
The water irrigation facilities got a bigger slice with P3 million funding. The water irrigation facilities include construction of check dam and deep well with elevated tank. The dam can provide water to some 50 hectares of rice land.
The town also received 993 cavans of hybrid rice seeds. They will receive an additional 400 cavans of hybrid seeds. The department have appropriated 600,000 cavans of hybrid seeds for its national rice program. Assorted lowland vegetable seeds and Darag, a native chicken were also given to the farmers.
The department likewise allocated funds for infrastructure projects such as the establishment of a community flat bed dryer, 1-toner rice mill, consolidated market and 1.5 kilometer road network. The town is an agricultural area. Among its produce are rice, corn, ginger, vegetables, coffee and banana.
According to Yap, he has instruction's from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to eradicate hunger in the countryside. The only way to eradicate hunger is to "increase production and people's access to food," he said.
Yap, was in Badiangan Friday for the cooperative day celebration. The activity also served as venue for the launching of hunger mitigating program. He was accompanied by other technical persons involved in the agricultural sector.
He said profitability can only be achieved by attaining gains from the farmers as producers and not just the market to gain from the produce of the farmers.
The department is also giving priority to local government units that give attention to agriculture.
"There are municipal agricultural officers in the different parts of the country that only engage on clerical work because of the failure of local officials in giving attention to the agriculture sector," lamented Yap.
According to Badiangan Mayor Suzette Mamon, they are fortunate to receive such hunger mitigating program package. The projects will be situated in six out of the town's 31 barangays. The covered barangays will serve as pilot areas of the project.
Mamon said the projects will be situated in Barangays Astorga, Tina, San Julian, Catubig, Bitaoyan and Iniligan. She assured that she will fully implement the package program they recently received from the agriculture department.