CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA)-Mimaropa awarded P4.3 million worth of farm machinery from the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) to associations and cooperatives in Oriental Mindoro particularly in the municipalities of Victoria, Gloria, and Bansud.
Representatives of the beneficiary-associations received the equipment.
The beneficiaries include the Narra Agriculture Cooperative and Victoria Kalamansi Farmers Federation. Each received a truck worth P1.2 million; Maralitang Magsasaka ng Mindoro also received a truck worth P1.5 million while Malubay Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association received a cassava chipper which is worth P248,500.
Agricultural provincial coordinating officer Artemio Casareno led the awarding of certificates of turnover to the beneficiaries along with Assistant Regional Corn and Cassava focal person Franz Gerwen Cardano, Regional HVCDP focal person Renie Madriaga, and chief of staff Edmar Mendoza.
“Sana ay maging ehemplo kayo na tumagal yung interbensyon sa inyong kamay at pakinabangan ng farmers’ association at kooperatiba. Lagyan niyo po siya ng tamang lagayan para makita naman namin na minahal niyo ang intervention na galing sa DA dahil hindi na kayo magbabayad ng trucking at mabilis na kayong makakagalaw. Sana ay paunlarin nyo pa ang mga natanggap nyo,”
["I hope you will be an example to take the intervention in your hands and benefit the farmers' association and cooperative. Put it in a proper place so that we can see that you safekeep the intervention from the DA because you will no longer pay for trucking and you will be able to move quickly. I hope you will further develop what you received,"] said Casareno.
In response, the farmer associations expressed their gratitude for the farm machinery given by the Department of Agriculture.
“Napaka-palad naming mga asosasyon dahil kung hindi sa mga taong ito na naging tawiran ng programa ay hindi natin ito matatanggap. Kami ay nangangako na inyong binigay ay amin pong iingatan at magiging kapaki-pakinabang sa mga miyembro ng MARBA,”
["Our associations are very fortunate because if it was not for these people who have been at the crossroads of the program, we would not have received it. We promise that what you have given will be kept by us and will be useful to the members of MARBA,"] said Mario Tejolan, MARBA President.
“Ito po ay malaking tulong sa amin at taos-pusong pinasasalamatan ang DA. Sa ngalan po ng Maralitang Magsasaka, umasa po kayo na ito ay aming pag-iingatan talaga,”
["This is a big help to us and we sincerely thank the DA. On behalf of the Maralitang Magsasaka [ng Mindoro], please hope that we will really take care of this,"] according to MMM Secretary Rachel Esquerra.
“Sa inyo pong lahat, kami po ay nagpasasalamat ng aming mga miyembro na kami ay nabigyan po ng ganito kaganda at bagong-bago na sasakyan. Malaking tulong po ito sa amin, sa mga gulay namin,”
["To all of you, we thank our members that we have been given such a beautiful and brand-new truck. This is a big help to us [and] to our vegetables,"] added Nolito Napa, NACo President.
“On behalf of VKFF, kami po ay nagpapasalamat dahil kami ay nabigyan ng hauling truck na magagamit namin sa pagkuha sa mga farm ng may kalamansian papunta sa aming processing center at pagdedeliver sa mga natapos na produkto ng kalamansi outside Mindoro. Ito ay malaking serbisyo sa amin dahil matagal na namin itong hinihiling at sa wakas natupad na,”
["On behalf of VKFF, we are grateful because we were given a hauling truck that we can use to take the lime farms to our processing center and deliver the finished lime products outside Mindoro. This is a great service to us because we have been asking for it for a long time and it has finally come true,”] said VFKK President Ruel Sanchez. (GATS/PIA MIMAROPA)
Banner photo courtesy of Department of Agriculture-Mimaropa
