Iligan IP farmer associations receive cacao seedlings to boost their farm productivity and income.

 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Aiming to boost farmers’ productivity and income, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) turned over 5,000 pieces of cacao seedlings to six Indigenous Peoples (IPs) farmer associations of barangay Rogongon, Iligan City.

Said intervention is also in support of Executive Order No. 70 or institutionalizing the whole-of-nation approach to end local communist armed conflict.

The P175K worth of project will benefit the 710 members of barangay Rogongon IP which include the -Malumpayad Tribal Farmer’s Association; Dungoan Indigenous People Farmers Association; Gabunan Farmers Association; Tawagon Bridge Tribal Farmers Association; Binasan Tribal Farmers Association; and Higaonon Tribal Community.

The IPs of Brgy. Rogongon is the beneficiary of DA’s ‘Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubong’ program, otherwise known as the 4Ks program which is intended to help in the development of tribal communities in the country.

The Rogongon IPs have around 6,700 hectares of farmland suitable for cacao production aside from growing abaca as their primary source of income and living.

Early in May this year, the community has also received Banana Cardava planting materials thru DA-10’s High-Value Crops Development Program.

Leading the turnover on behalf of DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado is LDN Provincial Operations Center Chief Abdulharis P. Paporo.

“With this aid, Rogongon IPs will be more interested to engage in entrepreneurial farming and become an active catalyst for change towards peace and development,” said Paporo.

Also present during the turnover was Iligan City Agriculturist Jose Desiderio D. Oyo-a.# (EMBentulan)