MOUNTAIN PROVINCE, January 22, 2020 – The Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program in Mountain Province turns over etag chamber in Ankileng, Sagada and compost shed in Catengan, Besao.
An Igorot food delicacy, etag, is cured and aged small slab of meat, usually pork, made through salt-treating, sun-drying, and/or smoking.
For this purpose, the chamber, which costs Php 375,000, was given to Ankileng Rumang-ayan Organization (ARO). It measures 2 meters in length, 2 meters in width, and 3 meters in height. It will benefit sixty (60) members of ARO.
In addition, the Catengan-Bunga Farmers Rise Up Association (CBFRUA) received the Php 350,000 compost shed. It has a total area of 30 square meters. Thirty (30) members of the CBFRUA will be benefited by this project.
With Mt. Province Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr.’s quest to uplift and improve the living conditions of every farmer in the province through livelihood projects had seek the assistance of the Department of Agriculture (DA) an agricultural development program grant for the province under the SAAD Program.
During the inauguration ceremony
“I am very happy because you (farmers) give value and appreciation to the efforts and mindfulness of our Governor. Nu ilan tako nan ingkan nan gobyerno idwani ay tumulong ay mangited amin tapnu rumang-ayan nan biyag tako, asup kuma ta siya datuna nan gapu ay gumagetan tako namnamed ta ipapati tako abe ay mangikkan is biyang tako. Perseverance, hard work, and humility nan pinaka ingredients tapnu maging successful tako,” Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer (APCO) Engr. Beverly Pekas said.
(… As we can see how the government helps us to improve our way of living, we hope that these will serve as a reason for you to work hard even more as your counterpart. Perseverance, hard work, and humility are the key ingredients for us to be successful.)
Eng. Pekas also reminded the beneficiaries that in order to sustain the projects for long-term benefit, it is their task to maintain the project’s serviceability.
“Idwani ta nay wada et nan dinawat yo, usaren yo, operate, maintenaren yo. Nu man pay ta madadael, you also bear the responsibility ay mangsimpa,” she added.
(Now that you have received these (interventions), use it, operate and maintain it. In cases of damage, you also bear the responsibility to fix it.)
Furthermore, Eng. Pekas challenged the farmers to continue with unity and cooperation until the projects’ completion.
“Itultuloy yo nan nay da naigwa ay projects. Gaget, gaget, gaget kayet nan maibagak ta siyay gumawisan sin biyag. Nu man wada menkurapay, sadot laeng di. Asup ya one year from now, sumubli kami, wda to nan business launching sin produkto yo. Adu ton sin produkto ay mail-ila, well-packaged and labeled with the respective names of your organization,” she added.
(We hope that you continue these projects. Persevere, persevere, persevere is what I can say, ‘cause this is the key for a better life; if a person stays needy, it is only because of laziness. We hope that a year from now, we will return to attend the business launching of your products. Plenty will be seen that are well-packed and labeled with the respective names of your organization.)
Meanwhile, Executive Assistant to the Governor June Pinayakan expressed how glad Lacwasan was that his wish for his people has been granted.
“I ask the beneficiaries to carry on with the spirit of unity and cooperation that you have established within yourselves and with the community. Baken kuma si gapo ay adi tako in kinaawatan nan naay da umal ali ay programa ken datako nu di ket siya pay kuma karkaro nan gapo ay maes-esa tako. I believe, nu eesten yo, wada kailaan si progreso isna ili tako. Love your barangay, love your municipality and love your province. Thank you,” Pinayakan delivering the governor’s message.
(… We hope that these projects that are given to you will not be a reason for our misunderstandings instead may this be a reason for our oneness. I believe, if you do your best, we will see the progress in our barangay.)
Delivering their congratulation messages were municipal mayors James B. Pooten, Jr., and Johnson D. Bantog, from the municipality of Sagada and Besao, respectively.
“Gapo ken dakayo et inted di DA nan project aynaay. Para ken dakayu na, maid teken is mangusar no baken kayo, isunga, sapay kuma ta wasdin yu aywanan ta bumaybayag di kausalana. Oray no kaat ay projects ono siping di ited di gobyerno kendatako, kumulang ay kumulang no adi tako anayan isnan wasdin tako kabaelan. Nemnemen tako ay nan sitwasyon nan munisipyo et menrugi kendatako isnan Barangay. No amin nan barangay isnan munisipyo et naeesa da, ay is paggawisan di ili da nan anapenda, maid gapo is adi menprogresoan nan Munisipyo tako,” Pooten said in his message imparted by his representative.
(Because of you, DA gave this project. This is for you, no one will be using it but you, which is why we are hoping that you would take good care of these for it to last longer. No matter how many projects or money will the government share to us, it will never be enough if we do not do our part. We must be mindful of the situation in our Municipality for it starts with us in the Barangay. If all barangays in every municipality work as one and think of their betterment, then there will be no reason that our municipality will not progress.)
Similarly, in his message delivered by his representative, Besao Mayor Bantog expressed his gratitude to the DA-CAR and to the Governor for bringing the SAAD program to the barangays of Besao.
“Wada nan naited ay programa ken datako, et wada ages met obligasyon tako as members ay mangayuwan sinay project ay akas sin panangayuwan tako sin ususar tako. Adi tako kuma mensadsadut. Nu ngag asenson nan Cateng-an, siya metlang di asenso nan munisipyo tako,” he further remarked.
(We are given these programs therefore it is our obligation as members to take good care of these projects just as well as how we take good care of our belongings. I hope that we will not be lazy enough ‘cause the progress of Cateng-an is the progress of our Besao.)
In response to the messages above, the officers and members of ARO, represented by its president, Ann Bangsoy, expressed their sincere gratitude to all the different concerned SAAD agencies. They also shared their commitment to the project granted to Ankileng.
“Iyaman san kateketeken ay ahensiya ay nangbadbadang ken dakami, san support ay inyali yo. Naay et natungpal nan amin ay bannog ya ling-et mi et asup apo ta mitultuloy pay san mangibingbingayan yo ken dakami isnan pagsayaatan nan ili tako,” she said.
(We are grateful to all the government agencies who came and helped us especially to the support you have given us. Now, our hard work and sweat paid off and we hope that you will continue sharing us blessings for the betterment of our barangay.)
In the same manner, Jerry Lucas, Catengan CBFRUA member and Besao SAAD beneficiary shared the organization’s commitment to do their responsibility for the completed Compost Shed project.
“Iyaman san kinwakinwani yu ay manpapigsa ken dakami. Dakkel ay makatulong ken datako san inmaliyan nan SAAD ay naay. Eesten mi ay mangaywan, mangmintinar, mangpataray sin project ay naay ta siya na nan makatulong sin alapaap mi ay continuous nan income. Nu man wda adi mangset, wda nan policy ay mangsungbat. Nan policy ay nay, siya manga-guide ken dakami,” Lucas said.
(We thank you for your empowering words. SAAD is a big help for us. We will do our very best to take care, maintain and run these projects that will help us in our vision on continuous income generation. Whoever does not do their part, we have policies to guide us throughout.)
SAAD’s implementation in the province
Mountain Province is among the poorest provinces (based from the Philippine Statistics Authority records) in the Philippines. Majority of its people are relying mainly on agriculture as their source of livelihood. The implementation period of the SAAD Program in the province is from 2019 until 2022.
For the FY 2019 implementation, one barangay from each of the 10 municipalities of the province was granted Php 4-5 million worth of livelihood project.
Also under each Php 4-5 million worth of livelihood project are Integrated Farming on Swine, Lemon and Vegetable Production; Integrated Farming on Swine and Rambutan Production; Quail Egg and Banana Production; and Fruit Trees Production Intercrop with soybean.
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Writer: Imelda U. Sawi, Mountain Province – Provincial Information Officer
Editor: Jennifer A. Valcobero, SAAD Public Relations and Communications Officer
