Beverly T. Pekas, DA APCO for Mountain Province and June T. Pinayakan, Executive Assistant, Office of the Provincial Governor lead the inauguration, turn-over and acceptance ceremony for the Etag Chamber at Ankileng, Sagada (Upper Left Photo) and the Compost Shed at Cateng-an, Besao (Upper Right Photo). In attendance are members of the ARO (Lower Left Photo), members of the CBFRUA (Lower Right Photo), barangay officials, municipal and provincial employees and PCO staff.
MT. PROVINCE – The livelihood of farmers in the towns of Sagada and Besao is believed to improve as yet another two (2) Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) projects in the province has recently been completed and inaugurated at Sagada and Besao on January 22, 2020.
In two separate occasions, the inauguration ceremony for the completed projects was led by representatives from the Department of Agriculture – Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) and from the Office of the Provincial Governor (PGO). Agriculture Programs Coordination Officer for Mountain Province Engr. Beverly T. Pekas represented DA-CAR OIC-Regional Executive Director Cameron P. Odsey while Executive Assistant June T. Pinayakan represented Governor Lacwasan on January 22, 2020. In attendance were some concerned provincial employees from the Provincial Veterinary Office and Provincial Agriculturist Office, municipal employees from the Municipal Agriculturist Office and barangay officials and employees, and officers and members of the concerned farmer’s organizations.
The construction of the Etag Chamber at Ankileng, Sagada and the Compost Shed at Catengan, Besao, which was requested by the Ankileng Rumang-ayan Organization (ARO) and Cateng-an-Bunga Farmers Rise Up Association (CBFRUA), respectively are but only two among the numerous projects that were realized and ongoing in the entire province under the SAAD program of DA.
It is worth knowing that the grant of SAAD program in Mountain Province was only made possible because of the unending wish of Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. to reach out to his constituents through a more responsive agricultural development program.
In his quest to uplift and improve the living conditions of every farmer in the province through livelihood projects, he fearlessly asked Sec. Piñol, then incoming DA Secretary, during a meeting at La Trinidad, Benguet in 2016 for an agricultural development program grant to the province under the SAAD program.
This request by the Governor is in line with the DA’s mandate to uplift the socio-economic situation of farmers and SAAD’s objective to help alleviate poverty through provision of agricultural and related interventions in the poor farming and fisheries sector.
Hence, since Mountain Province is listed as one among the poorest provinces (based from PSA records) in the Philippines and majority of its people are relying mainly on agriculture as their source of livelihood, Sec. Piñol outrightly approved and granted this request by the Governor. The implementation period for this program is FYs 2019-2022.
In their respective messages during the turn-over ceremony of the above-mentioned SAAD projects in Sagada and Besao, Pekas and Pinayakan were one in congratulating both the farmer’s organizations for the successful implementation of their respective project.
They also commended the barangay and municipal officials for their active support to the SAAD program while dispensing their counterpart duties and responsibilities.
“I am very happy because you 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, hardwork, and humility nan pinaka ingredients tapnu maging successful tako,” Pekas said.
She also reminded the beneficiaries that in order to sustain the projects for long-term benefit, it is then the beneficiaries’ task to maintain these project’s serviceability at all times.
“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 said.
Furthermore, Pekas challenged the beneficiaries to continue with the unity and cooperation which they started because without such, the projects would have never been completed.
“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.
Likewise, in his message relayed by Pinayakan, Gov. Lacwasan expressed his gladness for his wish to relieve poverty in the province in the form of agricultural interventions to the poor farming sector is finally coming true.
“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,” he said.
Also, Sagada Mayor James B. Pooten, Jr. and Besao Mayor Johnson D. Bantog II represented by Ms. Alice Banog and Mr. Wagas, respectively, were one in congratulating the barangay officials and the farmer’s organizations members for making a propositioned project a successful one.
“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 Banog.
Similarly, in his message delivered by Wagas, 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.
In response to the messages above, the officers and members of ARO, represented by the ARO president vented 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.
In the same manner, Jerry Lucas, Cateng-an CBFRUA member and Besao SAAD beneficiary shared the organization’s commitment to do his/her 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,” he said. Meanwhile, for the FY 2019 SAAD implementation in Mountain Province, one barangay from each of the 10 municipalities of the province were granted P4-5 million each under the SAAD program.
