‘Handog ng Pangulo’ caravan delivers agri support to Agusan Norte farmers
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — More than P17.5 million worth of agricultural machinery and equipment was delivered to farmer organizations and local government units in Agusan del Norte, providing farmers with modern tools to improve productivity, reduce labor requirements, and strengthen farm and postharvest operations.
The assistance was provided during the Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat held on Monday, September 14, in Barangay Taod-Oy, Magallanes, bringing government programs, services, and livelihood interventions directly to communities and beneficiaries.
The initiative supports the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in strengthening the agriculture sector through increased access to farm machinery, production inputs, technology, and other interventions, aimed at improving productivity, reducing production constraints, and supporting farmers’ livelihoods.
The provincial conduct of the Handog ng Pangulo was led by Agusan del Norte Governor Ma. Angelica Rosedell M. Amante, in coordination with participating national government agencies and with the presence of the officials from the National Youth Commission (NYC), including Assistant Secretary Gervy M. Gumarit, Commissioner-at-Large; Assistant Secretary Juanquine Carlo Racho, Commissioner representing the Visayas; and Executive Assistants Julius Canal and Faith Grace Diocampo, representing President Marcos Jr.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga led the agricultural interventions, which included farming guidebooks, planting materials, and various machinery and equipment designed to address production, harvesting, and postharvest needs of farmers and agricultural organizations.
Among the major interventions was a P4.5-million Cattle Module turned over to the Municipality of Las Nieves, along with three units of corn combine harvesters, each worth P3.18 million, for the corn cluster areas of Madagayaung East Las Nieves EGA and Santiago.
The Vinapor Farmers and Livestock Raisers Association of Carmen, Agusan del Norte, also received a farm tractor worth P1.98 million, while the Sitio Antipolo Farmers Association of Buenavista received five units of multi-commodity drying facilities worth more than P1.4 million.
The Madagayaung East Las Nieves Corn Cluster Area, operating since 2019, now has more than 100 members and is among farmer organizations benefiting from the government’s agricultural mechanization support.
For Salvador C. Garcia, president of the Madagayaung East Las Nieves Corn Cluster Area, the provision of the corn combine harvester would make their work easier and help reduce losses during harvesting.
“Maminusan gyud ang among trabaho ug ang usik sa harvest (It will greatly reduce our workload and minimize harvest losses),” Garcia said, highlighting how farm mechanization can help farmers complete harvesting more efficiently while minimizing crop losses.
The interventions are expected to strengthen the capacity of beneficiary organizations and LGUs in farm production, harvesting, livestock activities, drying, and other postharvest operations, while reducing manual labor and operational constraints.
By providing farmers with appropriate machinery and equipment, the government is helping improve the efficiency of agricultural operations and enabling farmer organizations to better manage production and postharvest activities. These interventions can also help maximize harvests and contribute to more sustainable livelihoods in farming communities.
More than providing equipment, the Handog ng Pangulo caravan brings government assistance closer to communities, enabling farmers and other beneficiaries to access programs and interventions that can help improve livelihoods and make agricultural economies more resilient.
The activity formed part of the coordinated implementation of the Handog ng Pangulo serbisyo caravan, with various national government agencies working together to deliver direct assistance, information, and services to communities in Agusan del Norte. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte)
