The Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) Philippines. Corp., headed by Assistant Vice President Prateep Tongjan paid a courtesy visit to DA-10 executive Carlene C. Collado, relaying that it joins the department’s thrust in producing safe and quality food to local consumers in Northern Mindanao through its product offerings, including chicken feed from chick booster to broiler finisher feed. #

The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10), concluded its Php5,000 cash assistance to rice farmers, in the province of Bukidnon, who were affected by the low buying price of palay due to the Rice Tariffication Law.

DA-10 executive Carlene C. Collado explained that the cash assistance was accorded to qualified rice farmers, tilling an area ranging from 0.5 to 2 hectares and are duly registered under the updated Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

Said financial aid is under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA), sourced out from the tariff collections of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

Collado further expressed his gratitude to the provincial government thru Governor Jose Ma. Zubiri, Jr. and its municipal mayors for the support extended to the agriculture sector.

A total of 6,594 rice farmer-recipients received the Php5,000 financial aid from the 19 municipalities and cities of said province from April 20-24.

The towns and cities include Baungon, Talakag, Sumilao, Manolo Fortich, Impasug-ong, Lantapan, Cabanglasan, San Fernando, Malaybalay City, Damulog, Kibawe, Dangcagan, Don Carlos, Kadingilan, Maramag, Quezon, Kalilangan, Pangantucan and Valencia City.

Nova H. Omonlay, a 62-year old rice farmer from barangay Kisolon, Sumilao, Bukidnon, who has been cultivating her rice fields for more than 20 years, said,  “Dako na kaayo ni nga tabang alang sa pagkaon sa akong pamilya, labi na niining panahon sa krisis. Ang pagtanom sa humay ug ang kita niini maoy gisaligan namo alang sa among pagkaon sa tibuok tuig.”

[This is big enough to buy food for my family, especially this time of crisis. Rice farming is also the source of our income and this is where we also get money for our food for the whole year.”]

Aside from Bukidnon, simultaneous distribution of RFFA assistance was also conducted in the province of Lanao del Norte with 6,442 beneficiaries.# (MGBS)

Agri chief in Northern Mindanao Carlene C. Collado prepares the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-10) to adequately respond to Secretary William D. Dar’s food resiliency program amid community quarantine.

Available spaces in the DA regional office will be utilized to grow variety of vegetable seeds through its High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP).

“I am encouraging families to plant vegetables using available space or improvised containers, to ensure food security during this health crisis,” said Dir. Collado.

The “Plant, Plant, Plant Program or Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Laban sa COVID-19” is the flagship initiative of the agency to ensure sustained food production and availability, food accessibility and affordability with the threats of COVID-19.

Regional Technical Director for Operations, Carlota S. Madriaga openly invites interested individuals to avail of DA’s free vegetable seeds in the agency’s regional office.

Aside from DA-10’s free vegetable seeds, its three research stations, the Regional Center for Upland Development (RCUD) in Dangcagan, Bukidnon, Regional Center for Hillyland Development in Claveria, Misamis Oriental and Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex, have been propagating different crops to support this call.#

Cdeo City, April 24 – The 58th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army received assorted vegetable seeds from the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) in support to the agency’s “Plant, Plant, Plant Program” or “Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Laban sa COVID-19”.

DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga handed the 175 packs of 5-in-1 Pinakbet seeds to 58IB Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Ricky L. Canatoy to develop their existing areas for food production and livelihood for the soldiers.

Lt. Col. Canatoy shared that the agency’s campaign is a great help since it encourages people to be productive while staying at home during this health crisis.

Elson Jalapong, a sari-sari store owner in Barangay 23 cannot help, but be thankful to the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) as it brought the Kadiwa Market to their place.

Since the city-wide implementation of the community quarantine, his family has been making do with scarce income to provide for their daily needs. “I am thankful that DA brought the Kadiwa Market to our barangay. The products sold are cheaper and affordable that helps us save, especially that our daily earning is much lesser now during the quarantine,” he accounted.

“I am looking forward for another round of Kadiwa Market in our place,” Mr. Jalapong added.

For Northern Mindanao Federation of Dairy Cooperatives (NMFDC), more popularly known for selling under its brand name, Highland Fresh Dairy Products, the Kadiwa Market has helped their group get by the pandemic by maintaining steady sales.

“Our production has been affected since the implementation of the quarantine period. Our sales has dropped significantly. So, one of our strategies is to continue joining DA’s Kadiwa. Somehow, this helps us to maintain our daily sales,” Jhuryvie Sardovia Highland Fresh’s, accounting staff-turned-saleslady shared.

“More importantly, the Kadiwa Market, has kept me in having a job during the quarantine,” Sordovia added.

Barangay 23 Chair Mario Balsarza said his constituents has not only saved some money because of the Kadiwa Market, but it also prevented them from going to congested places like the public market, a precautionary and safe measure against COVID-19.

“I will look into inviting the Kadiwa Market some other time to our barangay. This is very helpful to our people during this time. I am very thankful that DA has considered our barangay as one of its display areas,” Balsarza asserted.

He also disclosed that the Kadiwa Market also enabled barangay residents to display their homemade products.

DA-10 aims to bring together individual farmers, farmer-groups, small, medium and large enterprises and corporations in Cagayan de Oro as vendors and suppliers of the Kadiwa Market roam around the city, supplying fresh and cheap food products to Kagay-anons.

The agency provides logistics and links Kadiwa vendors to target-benefitting barangays to sell their products.#(ATalib)

To ensure available and affordable food for all, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 continues its distribution of assorted vegetable seeds to the agriculture office of Cagayan de Oro on April 23, 2020 at the DA-10 compound.

Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga and Provincial Operations Center Chief Nilda B. Salas handed the assorted vegetable seeds to the Agricultural Productivity Office (APO) under the city government represented by Administrative Officer Marie Nathalie Dulla.

The said vegetable seeds will then be repacked and distributed to residents with the aim of adopting urban gardening in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

RTD Madriaga noted that there is no need to go to markets if people can grow vegetables at their own homes, especially during this quarantine period. # (AMBManto, DA-10)

To honor the dedication of frontliners amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) in partnership with the San Miguel Foods, Inc. distributed 18,000 eggs on April 22, 2020 at the DA-10 compound.

“We are thankful to San Miguel Foods, Inc. for donating 18,000 pieces of fresh eggs for our frontliners, in gratitude for their efforts in serving the public amid the COVID-19 crisis,” said DA-10 OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado.

Recipients include the Misamis Oriental Police Provincial Office (MisOrPPO), Philippine National Police-10 (PNP-10), National Economic and Development Authority-10 (NEDA-10), Department of Interior and Local Government-10 (DILG-10), Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), Department of Tourism-10 (DOT-10), Department of Health-10 (DOH-10), media outlets and employees of DA and its attached bureaus and agencies.

This is the second wave of food assistance shared by DA-10 to the region’s frontliners. It can be recalled that the food corporation has previously donated balut eggs, where frontliners received a total of 10,000 balut eggs.

In addition, assorted vegetable seeds were also handed out to the said agencies in line with DA’s efforts of promoting urban gardening amid the health crisis.

The director added that it is one of the agency’s strategies in ensuring that there will available and affordable food for consumers.

“We can be self-sufficient through urban gardening and it’s easy to harvest,” he said.

He further stated that the assorted vegetable seeds are still available for walk-in-clients at the agency compound, until supplies last.# (AMBManto)

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, farmers and consumers continue to benefit from the Kadiwa on Wheels program of the Department of Agriculture – Region 10 (DA-10) in two barangays in Cagayan de Oro City this week.

Spearheaded by the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), DA-10 continues its collaboration with the City Agriculture Office and farmer-associations in bringing agri-fishery products directly to the consumers in barangay Balulang and Gusa, this city.

Johanie Waya of the Canitoan Farmer’s Association Multi-Purpose Cooperative is thankful that they were able to dispose their produce, “Before, our eggplants rotted since we have difficulty in disposing them. Through DA’s Kadiwa on Wheels, we earned around Php40,000 a day.”

The same response was also shared by True Chef Sales Representative Regel Capuyan, “The Kadiwa on Wheels really helped us with our sales when we had an oversupply. We sought DA’s assistance for possible market and Kadiwa was the answer.”

On the other hand, Roland Yañez from the Miarayon Highland Farmer’s Association of Talakag, Bukidnon was happy to share their fresh produce to the consuming public during this quarantine period.

Aside from fruits and vegetables, poultry and milk products from other farmer associations and cooperative were also sold. “I am thankful that we are able to purchase our kitchen needs all in one place and at an affordable price. It was also facilitated well and social distancing was properly observed,” said Marilou Pasa, a resident of Villa Angela, Balulang.

Meanwhile, DA will continue its Kadiwa on Wheels in barangay Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro on April 24, 2020 (Friday) from 10:00 AM until 2:00 pm. # (AMBManto, DA-10)

Tubod, Lanao del Norte, April 24 – Fresh farm eggs and assorted vegetable seeds in cans and in packets were handed over to the town by the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10).

Leading the turnover is DA-10 executive Carlene C. Collado, which was received by Tubod Mayor Leoncio C. Bagol and representing Police Colonel Rene P. Solidarious, officer-in-charge of Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Office, elect Major Randy A. Pontanes.

The shared eggs, which were donated by San Miguel Foods, Corp., will be distributed to the town’s health workers and other frontliners of the COVID-19 crisis.

Meanwhile, the assorted vegetable seeds in packets (40 at 20 grams, 2 at 250grams) and in cans (8 at 50 grams each) will also be due for distribution to farmers and municipal residents, who want to grow their own vegetables for consumption, especially during this quarantine period.

The other 25 trays of eggs and 84 packets of vegetable seeds, on the other hand, are intended for the uniformed personnel manning the different quarantine checkpoints in the municipality.

Further, about 80 rice farmers in the town have also received cash aid under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance under DA. Reference codes were provided to be encashed at any M Lhuiller outlet, where each is expected to receive Php5,000.00. #

Standing by its name “Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita”, commonly known as the Kadiwa On Wheels and Express of the Department of Agriculture (DA), is gaining ground as it opens market opportunities for both farmer-producers and consumers despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The DA-Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) and the Agricultural Productivity Office (APO) from the city government of Cagayan de Oro, convened earlier this week, to tackle the strides, challenges encountered, and even the institutionalization of the Kadiwa following an overwhelming response since it took off a month ago.

For almost a month operations, the Kadiwa has generated sales of around Php1.9 million, from its patrons coming from barangays Agusan, Lumbia, Iponan, Kauswagan, Carmen, Puntod, Bulua, Kauswagan, Canitoan, Indahag, Macasandig, Balulang, 29 and 23.

“Through our Kadiwa, urban dwellers were able to buy fresh, healthy and nutritious produce and other food products, mostly from our farmer-groups, including the private sector at very reasonable prices,” Carlota S. Madriaga, regional technical director for operations said.

She explained that the initiative directly links farmer-producers and suppliers to the market, eliminating trading layers, thus translating to affordability of products.

Meanwhile, Arlene Bautista, one of the exhibitors during the Kadiwa, held in barangay Indahag remarked: “this [Kadiwa] is a big help for us. Products from our barangay, ranging from rootcrops, fruits and vegetables were brought and were sold here in CdeO, which allows our local farmers to earn income amid the pandemic.”

Recognizing gains and seeing that more barangays is yet to be served at the same time clamor from previously served areas, DA in partnership with APO has agreed to have this Kadiwa on a regular basis.

“As movement restrictions are being imposed during this time of community quarantine, it is targeted to be conducted from Tuesdays to Fridays to select barangays by the city government,” the director detailed.

Aside from assuring markets for our food security frontliners, Madriaga detailed, that the duo is eyeing for a more seamless conduct of the Kadiwa in the city barangays.

“With the current health threat, we are looking to further decongest the number of people coming into our Kadiwa, as we will open three outlets in a barangay, to allow more room for physical distancing while enforcing a ‘no mask and no exit pass, no entry’ policy while consumers are doing their marketing,” Madriaga elaborated.

For the agency’s part, the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division is at the moment tapping more farmer-producers and suppliers to source out more varied agricultural products for display during the Kadiwa, including securing its price list.

“By doing so, we can help more consumers identify what to buy and budget aside from preventing them to stay longer while heading out to the Kadiwa,” the director said.#