OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, May 31, 2022 – The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program awarded Php 477,522.00 worth of upland rice seeds under Upland Rice Production Project FY 2020 to Buhid-Mangyan farmers to assist them in preparing for the main cropping season.

The recipients hail from four farmers’ associations: the Ilya, Taganop, Mantay, Sangay Farmers Association (ITaMaSa FA) with 29 members; Samahan ng Magsasakang Katutubo ng Monteclaro (SMKM) with 85 members; Sitio Dulis Abong Salafay Hubkob Farmers Association (S. DASH FA) with 46 members; and Uyugan mga Ama sa Bato Ili as Fangabuyagan (UABP FA) with 36 members. In total, the projects will benefit a total of 196 beneficiaries.

ITaMaSa FA received 39 bags of rice seeds, while 100 bags were awarded to SMKM. On the other hand, S. DASH FA UABP FA both received 50 bags of rice seeds.

Table 1. List of beneficiaries and number of upland rice seeds allocated for each association

IP farmers are dependent on rain for plantation irrigation. If farmers are not able to secure rice seeds before the wet season starts, they would have to wait for the next planting season as irrigation is not available to the majority of the IP farmers’ lands. It will greatly affect their food supply if farmers are not able to plant on time.

“Nagpapasalamat po kami kasi nakatanggap kami ng binhi. Makakapagtanim kami ngayong taniman,” shared Mr. Rod Lopez, secretary of S. DASH FA.

(We are grateful because we received rice seeds. We will be able to plan this planting season.)

The Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of San Jose assisted with the activity and took the opportunity to profìle SAAD beneficiaries that are not yet listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

Ms. Joy dela Cruz, Agricultural Technician, encouraged the IP beneficiaries to enlist in RSBSA to make sure that the farmers will receive interventions from the Local Government Unit (LGU) and banner programs of DA when the SAAD Program ends.

The four (4) associations received machinery and draft animals from SAAD in 2021 to complement their farming activities in the field and make their production more efficient. Brgy. Monteclaro is one of the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) areas in Occidental Mindoro. ###

Writer: Dianne Francis A. Sy, SAAD Information Officer I

Sources: Jercel N. Catubig, SAAD Area Coordinator – San Jose,

Joy dela Cruz – Agricultural Technician, Brgy. Monteclaro