PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – Mas magiging madali na ang pagbubungkal, paglilinis ng sakahan at paghahanda ng lupa ng mga magsasaka ng Salvacion Farmers Association dahil sa mga makinaryang pinagkaloob ng Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka  – Rehiyon ng MiMaRoPa.

Sa ilalim ng High-Value Crops Development Program at sa pakikipagtulugan ng Puerto Princesa City,  pinagkaloob sa nasabing samahan ang isang (1) unit ng Cultivator at isang (1) unit ng grass cutter na may kabuuang halaga Php 274,000.00.

Ang mga nasabing pinagkaloob na makinarya ay naglalayon na matulungan na pagaanin ang kanilang trabaho sa kani-kanilang sakahan at bawasan ang kanilang gastos sa paghahanda ng kanilang sakahan.

Nagpahiwatig ng pasasalamat si G. Alberto Jagmis, Jr. ang presidente ng asosasyon.

“Dahil sa nabigay na kagamitan pangsakahan mas magiging madali po ang aming paggugulayan. Mas paiigtingin pa po namin ang aming samahan upang makapag produce pa po kami ng gulay at makatulong din sa aming pamilya,” wika ni G. Jagmis Jr.

Personal na sinaksihan ang aktibidad ni Vice Mayor Maria Nancy Socrates, Puerto Princesa City Councilor na sina Hon. Elgin Damasco, Hon. Patrick Alex Hagedorn, Hon. Henry Gadiano, Hon. Herbert Dilig at Deputy Mayor North West Cluster Hon. Modesto Rodriguez.

Kasama naman bilang kinatawan ng Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka si  Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer Vicente Binasahan, Jr.

Pinahiwatig ng city government of Puerto Princesa sa pangunguna ni Mayor Lucilo Bayron na lubos ang kanilang suporta pagdating sa agrikultura dahil isa ito sa mahalagang pinagkukunan ng pagkain ng taong bayan lalo na sa panahong ito.

“Makakaasa kayo na ang suporta ng city government ay pangangalagaan at bibigyan ng pansin ang ating mga magsasaka dahil kayo (magsasaka) ang nagpapakain sa bawat lamesa ng pamilya,” mensahe ni Mayor Bayron.

Nagtapos ang aktibidad sa pagbenta ng kanilang mga naaning gulay. # # # (DA-RFO IVB, RAFIS)

GREAT Women Project 2 beneficiaries join DA’s 1st Online Trade Fair for women

When COVID-19 disrupted the travel and tourism industries, many entrepreneurs were forced to shut down their businesses or lay off some of their employees to stay afloat. But not the Gender Responsive Economic Action for the Transformation of Women (GREAT Women) Project Part 2 beneficiaries Hunny G. Quiano, Aurora A. Rico, and Carina V. Arellano. Knowing that there are families and communities that depend on their agri-enterprise’s operation, they hurdled past the difficulties brought about by the pandemic and embraced the new normal with courage and hope. 

Yet, they admitted that it wasn’t an easy feat especially as COVID-19 threats linger. They appreciated and welcomed initiatives by the Department of Agriculture to provide marketing support services via online or digital platform.

“Ang pandemic po kasi masyadong nakaapekto sa atin and then ang ginagawa po namin sinu-sustain po ng HGQ Handicrafts ang weavers kahit po walang order during pandemic, sinu-sustain po namin ‘yan and hindi po kami tumitigil na mag-online selling. I’m very thankful kasi nag-live selling po ang Department of Agriculture. Ipinagpapasalamat ko  po ‘yun,” Quiano said.

Quiano, who is the proprietor/manager of the HGQ Handicrafts in Nabua, Camarines Sur, was among the 25 exhibitors nationwide who participated in the Department of Agriculture’s 1st Women in Agriculture Online Trade Fair held live via a social media platform on August 25 to 26, 2021. The activity was designed to encourage agripreneurship among women and support the promotion and marketing of women agripreneurs’ products to boost their income and productivity under the new normal.

Two other Bicolano women entrepreneurs and GREAT Women Project beneficiaries, Rico of T’limlams Foods and La Mode Vines from Calabanga, Camarines Sur and Arellano of Arellano Nature’s Farm and Products from Castilla, Sorsogon sold and promoted their products via said virtual and digital event. The DA-Bicol Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) headed by Adelina A. Losa facilitated their participation in the activity in collaboration with the WEE GREAT Women Project led by DA Gender and Development Regional Focal Person Aloha Gigi I. Bañaria. 

Each exhibitor was given 20 minutes to discuss her products and advocacies. DA-Bicol AMAD staff assisted them in receiving, recording and responding to queries as well as in the consolidation and recording of actual, booked, and negotiated sales. During the actual live selling held on August 26, 2021, Quiano generated P21,100-worth of sales for her native bags, Arellano sold P5,505-worth of sales for FDA-certified bottled food products while Rico gained P2,285-worth of sales for her soy-based products.  

“Actually sobra po akong nagpapasalamat and very honoured po ako na napili ako ng Region V na mag-present sa 1st Online Trade Fair ng Department of Agriculture. Gusto ko lang pong magpasalamat sa Department of Agriculture and GREAT Women Project para sa pagbibigay ng oportunidad para mai-showcase namin ang produkto ng HGQ at saka maipagmalaki ang Region V na meron po tayong globally competitive products na maiki-cater sa global market,” Quiano said.

She added that the activity will help sustain her business which engages and supports over 500 rural women, particularly farmers’ wives, who serve as weavers.

Likewise, Rico expressed her excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the said activity. She related that because of the pandemic, her business relies mostly on walk-in buyers and friends who send their orders through her online account and Facebook page. With her participation in the online trade fair, Rico sees an opportunity to share her soy-based products’ health benefits and expand its market not only in Bicol but in other provinces nationwide. She also considers it a breakthrough as she conquered her fear of public speaking.

“It was very exciting! I’m so grateful of course sa GREAT Women Project and then sa DA, sa AMAD very grateful ako. Kasi ‘yung live selling kadakol na nakakailing, kadakol ma-inform na ongoing and another ‘yung information about the benefits of soya informed din sila,” she added. 

Josie Nonacido, who represented Arellano, agreed saying that the online trade fair will promote their products despite limited travel and tourism activities because of the pandemic. Arellano Nature’s Farm and Products sell bottled products like atchara, coco jam, and turmeric powder as well as handcrafted pili shell novelties made by members of the Rural Improvement Club of Nasipit in Castilla, Sorsogon.

In his message of support to the activity, DA Secretary William D. Dar stressed that digital marketing—bringing women agripreneurs from various regions nationwide in the social media stage to show their products, is one of DA’s new normal of doing things to address the issue of limited access to market pursuant to the Magna Carta of Women and Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA). This law aims to empower Filipino farmers and fisherfolk, particularly the women and link them to profitable markets for their produce.

From August 26 to 30, 2021, the three exhibitors from Bicol have generated a total sales worth P45,345. Losa said that the success of the 1st Women in Agriculture Online Trade Fair highlighted the advantages and potential of digital marketing under the new normal. She therefore encouraged more agripreneurs to invest on packaging and licenses with Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) and license to operate from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

“Magandang ma-develop ang online platform sa mga agribusiness enterprises because many consumers are active online,” she said.

The 1st Women in Agriculture Online Trade Fair was organized by the DA Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in partnership with the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service DA Central Office and AMAD at the regional field offices and Regional GAD Focal System as part of the Gender-Based Activities for the DA’s preparation for the 2021 United Nations Food System Summit (UN FSS). (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA RAFIS V with reports from Kae Perlas Bobis, DA AMAD V)  Photo Credits: Vincent Emil Pasumbal, DA RAFIS V

Photo caption: Hunny G. Quiano of HGQ Handicrafts, Aurora M. Rico of T’limlams Foods, and Josie Nonacido who represented Carina V. Arellano of Arellano Nature’s Farm pose for a photo with DA Gender and Development Regional Focal Person Aloha Gigi I. Bañaria and DA-Bicol AMAD Chief Adelina A. Losa during the 1st Women in Agriculture Online Trade Fair held on August 26, 2021. (DA-RFO V, RAFIS)

DA-7 turns over first SPIS in NegOr

The Department of Agriculture -Central Visayas (DA7) turned over the P5 million Solar Power Irrigation System (SPIS) to Barangay Tara Farm Family Association (BATAFFA) in Mabinay, Negros Oriental.

The SPIS is the first in Negros Oriental and second in Central Visayas (CV) that is expected to irrigate some 21.3 hectares of rice field to include the newly converted and expanded land in the locality.

Neil Owen Lubid, President of BATAFFA expressed his gratitude to DA for the said project, as they can now plant rice in both wet and dry seasons.

He said that water supply is the number one problem of the rice farmers in the area and “we are known as the rice supplier of our municipality,” Lubid said.

“Dako gyud kaau og ikatabang kining maong patubig sa pagpadako ug pagpataas sa among abot. Makatanom na gyud mi sa second copping bisag ting-init. Sa una kausa ra gyud mi makatanom sa usa ka tuig kay tungod aning kakuwangon sa tubig,” Lubid said.

(This water system helps us increase our yield and income because we can now plant even during dry season. Before, we could only plant once a year due to lack of water supply.)

BATAFFA Farm Manager Billy Bajandi said that the facility will encourage them to work harder.

“Karon nga aduna nami igong supply sa tubig sa among basakan, among doblehon ang among kakugi ug paningkamotan namo nga makasuporta mi sa panginahanglan dili lamang sa among pamilya kung dili sa tibook nasud kay samtang buhi pa kita, mukaon man gyud ta,” Bajandi said.

(Now that we already have enough supply of water, we will double our hardwork and persistence for us to support not only the needs of our family but for the country because as long as we are alive, we have to eat).

Mabinay Municipal Mayor Joeterry Uy is hopeful that more facility like the SPIS shall be offered for the other barangays of Mabinay as their municipality is an agricultural area.

DA7 APCO-Negros Oriental Sarah Perocho encouraged rice farmers to continue farming for them to produce more food. She assured that DA will support them technically and provide their agricultural needs to boost farm production. # # # (DA-RFO VII, RAFIS)