Department of Agriculture-MiMaRoPa turned over a total of P46.4 million worth of farm facilities in Occidental Mindoro on Thursday, January 26, 2017.
Rice Processing Centers (RPCs) were awarded to Ligaya Multi-purposeand Trasnport Services Cooperative (LIMTRASCO) in Barangay Ligaya, Sablayan and Coconut Farmers of Occidental Mindoro MPC (CFOM-MPC) in Bgy. Central, San Jose worth P4.5 million and P13.5 million, respectively. While eight (8) tractors worth P2 million each with backhoe were turned over to the municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Paluan, Sablayan, Mamburao, Magsaysay, San Jose, Rizal, and Calintaan. Diversion dams worth P5 million each were also formally turned over to Paetan Farmers Association in Bgy. Paetan, Sablayan and Budburan Irrigation Association (BIA) in Brgy. Balansay, Sablayan. The municipality of Abra de Ilog also received a unit of corn combine harvester worth P2.4 million.
LIMTRANSCO’s RPC has an area of 300 square meters and 550 square meters for CFOM-MPC, both equipped with rice millers and dryers. On October last year, the two groups also received a working capital from the Agricultural Credit Policy Coucil.
The turn over ceremonies was held along the inaugurations of the RPCs in Sablayan and San Jose.
Filled with gratitude
The inaugurations cum turn over ceremonies in Sablayan and San Jose were filled of gratitude.
“Lubos-lubos po ang aming pasasalamat sa biyayang natatanggap namin sa DA, marami po kaming dapat ipagpasalamat sa inyo…,” said by Delfin Feliciano, Chairman of LIMTRANSCO, during the inauguration of their RPC held in Thursday morning.
Along with Jose Vidal’s, Chairman of CFOM-MPC, response was a pledge and encouragement to other farmer associations to be part of the DA’s corporate rice farming, a program were the local farmers will be the major supplier of the rice subsidy of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other agencies of the government.
“…Kami po na may RPC II ay magiging instrumento na iangat at pangalagaan ang buhay ng kapwa naming magsasaka! Maraming salamat sa RPCII na ibinigay niyo sa amin ito po ay malaking tulong hindi lamang sa amin kundi sa buong probinsiya ng Occidental Mindoro,” he added in his response after receiving the certificate of ownership in Thursday afternoon.
While Mayor Eduardo Gadiano of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro was overwhelmed with the assistance that DA has been giving to them. He said, “…kung hindi sa Department of Agriculture ay hindi magiging ganito ang Sablayan, ang agrikultura ang backbone ng aming development….Wala tayong malaking produce ng bigas at mais kung hindi rin dahil sa kanilang tulong. Maraming salamat po sa suporta, asahan po ninyo na pahahalagahan at aalagaan namin ito,” he said.
Provincial Board Member Antonio Jose Rebong III, Mayor Angeline Tria of Mamburao, Mayor Romulo Festin and Vice Mayor Rod Agas of San Jose also expressed their gratitude during the ceremonies.
Governor Mario Gene Mendiola was represented by their Provincial Agriculture Office-OIC Sofronio Baranda.
Not only the recipients send their gratitude but also Atty. Cipriano Santiago, DA-MiMaRoPa Regional Executive Director, thanked the local government units and the farmers for working together with DA to improve the agriculture sector of the province.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa local government unit, municipal agriculturist, agricultural extension workers. Sinasabi po namin na kahit gaanu kaganda po ang programa namin, without you in the field hindi po namin ito mai-implement. At sa mga farmers rin, hindi namin malalaman lahat ang mga pangangailan ninyo without your proposals. Kaya importante po na tayo po ay sumusuporta sa isa’t isa para sa ikakaunlad ng agrikultura,” he said.
