AgSur IPs receive P2.3M worth of support for abaca, banana production
AGUSAN DEL
SUR -- In time for the World Indigenous Day celebration, a P2.3 million support
for abaca and banana production in Sibagat of this province was turned over by
the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga through its Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng
Kababayang Katutubo (4Ks) Program to CADT 093 or Wawa Sectoral Tribal Council
(WSTC) in Bagat Site Landmark, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur on August 8, 2021.
DA
Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo said that the intervention
will greatly help the tribal council and the LGU since the commodity requires
less crop care and maintenance and can thrive with just enough sunlight
and water.
“This can
produce so many financial returns for the farmers. In terms of processing, a
semi-mechanize approach will be a big difference compared to the manually
cleaned and harvested,” Dir. Monteagudo said.
Municipality
of Sibagat Mayor Maria Liza L. Evangelista also said that Abaca is the
municipality’s one-town-one-product and presently requires more support to
boost its production. “Over 90 percent of the inhabitants of Sibagat come from
the CADT area which covers 20 out of 24 barangays. Through a dialogue we had
with different agencies and the local farmers, I am very happy that our tribal
council is very interested in boosting the production of the commodity pushing
us to be one of the best producers of abaca in the region,” she said.
Indigenous
Peoples Mandatory Representative Datu Lumad II Samuel Behing also
shared his words of commitment saying that the council is delighted to accept
responsibility for boosting the abaca and banana production in the
municipality.
“The
council asked for this project so we take full responsibility along with the
assistance from the LGU, the DA, and the NCIP. The LGU targets 2,000 hectares
of abaca production and we can be of help with our 20 hectares, and another 20
hectares also allocated for banana production,” Datu Behing said.
DA-4Ks
Focal Person Edelmira Luminarias said that of the P2.3 M production inputs,
P600,000 was apportioned for 20,000 pieces of banana suckers; P600,000 for
20,000 pieces of abaca suckers; P600,000 for 1,200 sacks of organic soil
ameliorants; and P500,000 for farm tools such as pole pruner, bolo, a hole
digger, and shovel.
“Last 2019
even before the 4Ks Program was implemented, CADT 093 had already indicated its
interest for the assistance of their banana and abaca production. However, due
to its big requirement, it was not lodged into the regular program. Until 2020,
the 4Ks Program was installed making CADT 093 as one of our pioneer
recipients,” Luminarias said.
Part also
of the implementation of the 4Ks Program in the region is the involvement of
the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) – Caraga spearheaded by
Atty. Marlon Bosantog.
“One of
the most important partner of the NCIP is the DA since the program that we have
right now, looking forward and moving forward, is food security. The DA and the
National Government have seen that we have at least 48% of the land and water
area in the Philippines that are owned by the different tribes. Five million of
which were already given titles and the remaining millions of it, even though
they still have no title yet, are is still owned by them,” RD Bosantog said.
Before the ceremonial turnover of the production inputs, a thanksgiving ritual was done first by the tribal leaders of the Wawa Sectoral Tribal Council. (Kent Warren H. Fugoso, DA-RAFIS13/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
