DA extends P8.6M aid to tribal farmers in Agusan Sur
By
Jennifer Gaitano
Indigenous farmers who belong to the
Sibagat Manobo Dairy Producers Development Association, Incorporated (SMDP)
recently received P8.6 million worth of assistance under the Dairy Cattle and
Milk Production Project of the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office
in Caraga.
The project is part of the agriculture
department’s Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo (4K) Program which
aims to support the development of tribal communities in Sibagat, Agusan del
Sur.
SMDP received 20 heads of dairy cattle,
a hauling vehicle, a farm tractor, a forage storage facility (Bunker Silo), two
units of milking machine, a milk cooling tank, 10 units of milk containers, one
unit of forage chopper, a generator set, and a water system facility.
SMDP president Jimson Sumanda said that
they were able to earn P20,000 in their first attempt at producing and processing
dairy products.
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| The Dairy Cattle and Milk Production Project in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga increases the IP farmers’ productivity and income. Photo courtesy of DA-Caraga |
"We are really blessed and thankful to the DA because we are now starting to leave behind the old way of living and earning money like looking for something around in the forest to sell out. This time, we are making money out of this new way and feasible livelihood. We vow to double our efforts and make this thrive around," he said.
"Through DA's assistance, we hope
that more indigenous peoples (IP)-farmers not only here in our municipality but also in other
provinces will benefit from the same project and be able to earn a high income
from their produce," added Sumanda.
With this project, the municipal local
government unit (MLGU) of Sibagat is hoping to end malnutrition, one of the
standing challenges in the said municipality, since more children are now
drinking milk from SMDP.
Sibagat Mayor Thelma Lamanilao and Vice
Mayor Maria Liza Evangelista have been supportive of the various engagements of
the IPs with the different government agencies, including DA-Caraga.
“The local government of Sibagat
supports any endeavor that promotes the general welfare of the local farmers,
especially the IPs here in the municipality,” remarked Lamanilao.
The economy of Sibagat is heavily
dependent on subsistence agriculture. Its major agricultural products are
coconut, corn, coffee, cacao, fruits, vegetables, and root crops.
Meanwhile, DA-Caraga Regional Executive
Director, Engr. Ricardo OΓ±ate Jr., congratulated the beneficiaries and
expressed his hope to maximize the project, thereby uplifting their living
conditions.
"I believe that in every problem
there is a corresponding solution. We, in the government, just tried our very
best to make this project possible because this is what you asked for as one of
the ways to lessen your burdens—livelihood. With that, congratulations, and may
you maintain this project and make it sustainable. We are just at your
back," he said.
4K is a locally funded program that caters to indigenous people—farmers and fishermen—within their ancestral domains in the Philippines. The program has four components, namely, social preparation, production and livelihood support, marketing, and enterprise development, that focus on supporting IPs, while program management ensures the program is operating effectively. (JPG, PIA-Caraga, with a report from DA-Caraga)
