DA IMPLEMENTS REFORMS; VOWS TO DISTRIBUTE 1-M FISHING BOATS NATIONWIDE IN 5 YEARS

In fulfillment of President Duterte’s moral obligation to provide available and affordable food for the people, agriculture secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol continues his nationwide consultation and dialogue with the people especially in the poorest provinces of the country as identified in the Department of Agriculture’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program.

“I really would go to the provinces to find out what President Duterte and the Department of Agriculture could do to uplift the lives of the farmers and fishers,” he said during his visit to Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental on August 9, 2016.  

“You have to understand that the poorest sectors of society today are in the farming and fishing sectors,” he added.

Speaking before the governors, mayors, farmers and fisherfolk’s leaders, and other agri stakeholders, Piñol discussed his plan of action to alleviate poverty in the top ten poorest provinces in the country, wherein Negros Oriental is enlisted as the fifth priority province under the DA’s SAAD program.

A total of P5.125-million worth of farm machineries and equipment was initially awarded to 12 farmers’ associations and two (2) fishermen’s associations of the six LGUs of Negros Oriental. On top of it, the Philippine Crops Insurance Corporation (PCIC) distributed P555,431-worth of indemnity checks to 64 rice, corn and livestock farmer-recipients of the Province of Negros Oriental.

During the visit, the agri chief appealed to the governors and mayors of both Negros Provinces to come up with detailed development plan in their respective municipalities that would identify the interventions they need from the DA.

“Tell us what you need so we can give it to you,” said Piñol.

Under the DA’s new leadership and policy directions, the DA will focus on food production and poverty alleviation as well, which targets to establish livelihood programs for the poorest sectors – farming and fishing.

Piñol stressed that DA’s target to increase fish catch is being supplemented the agency’s efforts to alleviate poverty, thus he asked Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo to identify fisherfolk families that have no fishing boats.

“We will provide two families a fiber glass boat to share, so that they will also share the responsibility of taking care of it,” he said.

The bancas are made by the Yolanda survivors from Tacloban as their livelihood.

To further expand the programs for fish and marine product sufficiency, the DA Chief also announced that in the next five years, the government targets to distribute one million fishing boats to fishing families nationwide, which in turn, help increase food production in the country but with corresponding responsibility on the part of the fisherfolk – to participate in the National Search for the Cleanest Coastal Communities, “Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan” program.

The winning coastal communities should meet the following criteria: 1) absence of illegal fishing; 2) observance of closed season; 3) well-protected marine sanctuary; 4) garbage-free coastal waters; and 5) sustained mangrove protection and rehabilitation program. The winning coastal communities will receive Presidential Awards and livelihood funds amounting to P10-million, which will be given in December this year.  #  Source -  (Jo Ann Grace B. Pera/DA-AFID)/www.da.gov.ph