CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) – Joel Saludar, a 43-year-old coffee farmer from Barangay Kabankalan in Tuburan town expressed his gratitude to the government for the various assistance provided to farmers during the Post-SONA Forum in his town.
“Dako kaayo namo’g pasalamat kay daghan kaayo’g mga programa nga na-avail ang mga farmers like sa patubig, sa mga teknolohiya og unsaon pag-pamaagi sa pagpananum,” said Saludar.
(We are very grateful because there are so many programs here that the farmers can avail of, like irrigation, farm technologies and how to plant crops.)
He also thanked the national government for bringing to Tuburan the Post-SONA Forum, which saw several regional line agencies extending their services for free to qualified beneficiaries.
“Dako kaayo namo’g pasalamat sa Pangulo hilabi na gyud diri sa lungsod namo diri sa Tuburan usa sa napili, maoy nahimong host ang among lungsod. Dako kaayo namo’g pasalamat sa mga government agencies nga nisupport usab diri sa mga farmers,” said Saludar.
(We are very thankful to the President because our town became the venue [of the Post-SONA Forum.] We are very grateful to the government agencies that also supported the farmers here.)
Saludar expressed hope that the programs and services provided in Tuburan by various national government agencies would reach farmers across the country.
“Nanghinaot mi nga dili lang mahitabo kini nga mga programa sa among lungsod kundi lakip na sa tibuok nasod nga Pilipinhon,” said Saludar.
(We hope these programs will not be limited to our town but will be made available nationwide.)
Post-SONA Forum
Saludar was one of 350 farmers in Tuburan who attended the Post-SONA 2024 Forum in Tuburan on Nov. 8.
The event provided coffee and other farmers with insights from national government agencies on methods to enhance agricultural productivity, potentially driving tourism development and creating new opportunities.
Tuburan was the 3rd local government unit to host the 2024 Post-SONA forum, with the theme: “Cultivating Agriculture for Tourism Development and Opportunities under a New Philippines.”
Previous fora were held in Sultan Kudarat (Region 12) and Calapan City (Oriental Mindoro).
The forum highlighted the significant role of the tourism sector in creating employment for Filipinos.
PIA Director General Katherine Chloe de Castro, in her message during the forum, noted the forum’s significant impact on Tuburan, emphasizing that it had brought much-needed government services closer to the local community.
“Ito ay isang pagkakataon upang ipa-abot ang mga serbisyo at programa ng pamahalaan at para suportahan ang mga pangangailangan ng bawat Pilipino,” she said.
(This is an opportunity to deliver government services and programs and to support the needs of every Filipino.)
Various agencies took part in the service caravan alongside the forum.
The Department of Agriculture distributed seedlings, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided P2.2M in aid to six associations in Tuburan, supporting initiatives on general merchandise, mushroom and poultry farming, and tilapia cultivation.
This assistance reached residents in Barangays Cogon, Gimama-a, Montealegre, Colonia, and Caridad.
Additionally, 350 coffee farmers each received P3,000 under the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) program of DSWD.
The Department of Health administered free pneumococcal and flu vaccines, while the National Irrigation Authority offered rice at a discounted rate of P29 per kilo for vulnerable members of the community.
Other agencies that participated in the caravan of services include the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Land Transportation Office, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Statistics Authority, Visayas Command – Armed Forces of the Philippines, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.
A total of P5M in government assistance was distributed during the event. (MYP/PIA7 Cebu)
