Agri chief’s latest 'Biyaheng Bukid' lands in Kiamba, Sarangani
AGRICULTURE • 13:58 PM Fri Feb 16, 2018
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By:
Carl Ulysses Aguillon
Sec. Manny PInol with DA officials and farmer beneficiaries of Kiamba, South Cotabato. (rafis-12)
KIAMBA, Sarangani- Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Piñol never
stops.
In his latest edition of Biyaheng
Bukid , the agriculture chief of the Department of Agriculture (DA) docked
in Kiamba, Sarangani and brought government projects.
This affair was also in line with the celebration of the town’s Farmers’
Day for its 14th Timpuyog Festival and 70th Foundation
Anniversary.
As part of the Biyaheng Bukid ,
Secretary Piñol turned-over P5.2-Million worth of interventions, which include
50 units of fiberglass boats and 50 sets of gill nets.
The said municipality is one of the richest in Tuna catch and fishermen
here supply the canneries in General Santos City.
Farmers of Kiamba also received a commitment of P10-M loaning facility
under Production Loan Easy Access Program (PLEA). Another P5.5-M was allotted
by the agri chief, still under the PLEA Program, for its abaca farmers as part
of a 500-hectare expansion of its production.
Piñol, in his message, urged rice and corn farmers to become service
providers’ group.
I wantyou to organize yourselves as service providers’ group so you can
apply for a loan to acquire farm machineries and equipment, the official said.
He noted that they can aspire to loan up to P50-M to purchase or construct
modern grains complex with mechanical dryers.
Kiamba gets P20-M seawall from DA-BFAR
The agri chief committed an addition P20-M worth of funds for the
construction of a 100-meter breakwater expectedly to be utilized by fishermen
by the end of the year.
This was after he graced the inauguration of the P20-M fishport, a project
of the Philippines Fishports Development Authority (PFDA), in the town along
with Senator Manny Pacquaio, Governor Steve Solon, Mayor Danny Martinez and
other local officials.
The fund, according to Piñol will be coming from the Bureau of Fisheries
and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The official noted that this will easily be a great help to the fishing
industry in the town since the breakwater will prevent big waves from open sea
to harm small fishing boats of fishermen.
Piñol also instructed BFAR National Director Undersecretary Eduardo
Gongona to also allocate funds in the 2019 Budget for the establishment of an
ice plant and cold storage. (CUAguillon/DA RAFIS XII) ###