One of the vegetable plantations of farmer-partners of the provincial government of Biliran. (Photo courtesy of OPAS Biliran)
NAVAL, Biliran — Food and non-alcoholic beverages has primarily influenced the downtrend in the inflation rate of the province of Biliran from 2.3 percent in March 2025 to 1.1 percent in April 2025.
With an annual decrease of 0.7 percent in April 2025 from an annual increase of 0.5 in March 2025, food and non-alcoholic beverage helped decelerate the province’s inflation rate as reported by Renavil V. Cueva, chief statistical specialist of Philippine Statistics Authority in Biliran during a press conference recently.
According to Provincial Agriculturist Brian Sinangote, the provincial government had been selling rice at P20 per kilo since last year to target beneficiaries in their Barangayan Program, while the municipality of Biliran had been selling locally-produced rice at P20 per kilo to their identified beneficiaries since 2023 with the cooperation of their local farmers.
Sinangote announced that fresh and cheap locally-produced vegetables and fruits are available daily at the Office of the Provincial Agricultural Services (OPAS) to slowdown market prices on agri products.
With the vision of becoming self-sufficient in farm produce and independent from outside sources, the provincial government, through OPAS, launched “Garden-to-Table” program and High Value Crop Development Program (HVCDP) Prutasan sa Probinsiya Program: Pabunga ng Mangga sa Isla.
Under the “Garden-to-Table” program, farmer-cooperators are given calendar of planting and number to be planted enough for the demand of the entire province to avoid entry of outside products and instead supply other places with the surplus from the province.
The HVCDP Prutasan sa Probinsiya Program: Pabunga ng Mangga sa Isla, a partnership of 60%/40% scheme between the provincial government and local mango growers, sustains mango production with technology and support from OPAS and real profit for local growers with their 40 percent share of the harvest, according to Sinangote.
Sinangote is hoping the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the local government units arrange partnership in providing interventions for the high prices of fish in the island province to help ease inflation in Biliran. (MLT/PIA Biliran)
