Zamboanga del Norte, March 3-4, 2020 – The Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program in the Department of Agriculture (DA) – Regional Field Office (RFO) 9 turned over a total of ₱12,547,536 worth of projects to farmers’ associations in the municipalities of Labason and Siocon.

SAAD continues to live up to its mission of touching farmers’ lives by providing them with livelihood projects, farm machineries, and equipment.

The program formally turned over farm inputs for two (2) layer poultry projects with a population of 1,920 heads; a swine production project (11 heads), and two (2) corn production projects (80 hectares) with a corn mill and shed to farmers of Labason. The total cost of the projects is ₱5,995,175.

The farmers’ associations (FA) who are beneficiaries of the projects are the San Isidro FA (25 farmers), Kabuhayan FA (35 farmers), Gabu FA (61 farmers), and Lawigan FA (43 farmers).

“I really thank DA-SAAD for giving us these projects and I am beyond grateful for our layer poultry that did not just help us with our livelihood, but also gave us new source of protein food other than the accustomed dried fish,” said Kabuhayan FA president Eljen Deluyo.

SAAD Director Myer Mula, represented by SAAD National Program Management Office (NPMO) Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Officer Ashley Mae Apigo, extended his gratitude for the strong partnership between the farmers and DA-SAAD, together with its local counterparts.

“These livelihoods realize our vision of the future where local farmers feel and envision a sense of security in food, job, and income,” stated Dir. Mula in his message of support and empowerment to the farmers.

Livelihood projects amounting to ₱6,522,360 were also handed over to the farmers of Siocon. Some of the projects distributed were layer poultry (960 layers), broiler chicken raising (3,000 broilers), and swine production (13 heads) that were entrusted to P. Riconalla FA (68 farmers), Pangian FA (57 farmers), and Bulacan FA (58 farmers).

Bulacan FA president Salvador Lanoy shared, “I am very happy to receive the swine production project from SAAD without even spending a single centavo. This, among others, makes my joy just incomparable.”

Mr Lanoy then vowed to take good care of the project and further sought to expand it through the income that they will gain from the business.

DA-RFO 9 Assistant Regional Director Ferdinand Gamorot expressed his appreciation to the hard work of the beneficiaries and challenged them to produce abundant outputs and generate good income in line with the DA’s new agricultural campaign under the leadership of Secretary William Dar.

The activity also paved way for the ceremonial turnover of ₱7M worth of farm machineries and facilities under the Rice Banner Program that will cater to 838 hectares. Rice transplanter, rice thresher, pump and engine set, combine harvester, rice mill, as well as a rice processing center with multi-pass rice mill and recirculating dryer were awarded to farmers and irrigators’ associations (260 farmers) in Siocon.

A four-wheel drive tractor from the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) was also turned over to Siay Integrated FA (6 farmers).

Farm machineries and equipment such as rice reaper, walk-behind and riding-type rice transplanters, floating tiller, knapsack sprayer, pump and engine set, and recirculating dryer were also awarded to farmers and irrigators’ associations (328 farmers) in Labason.

Furthermore, Agricultural Program Coordinator for Zamboanga del Norte, Ana Aying, encouraged farmers to enroll in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) to secure themselves of agricultural assistance from the government.

Siocon Mayor Julius Lobrigas and Labason Mayor Eddie Quimbo were also in full support of the ceremonial turnover programs in their respective domains.

Also present during the two-day affair were DA-RFO 9 Field Operations Chief Reynaldo Campomanes, SAAD Provincial Coordinator Ronillo Dusaban, SAAD NPMO representative Natalianne Delos Reyes, SAAD Area Coordinators, local government staff, and farmer association members. ###

Writer: Darwin D. Reyes, DA-RFO 9 Information Officer

Editor: Natalianne Delos Reyes, SAAD Public Relations and Communications Officer