CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pamp. — Governor Lilia G. Pineda commended the farmer-achievers in the province during the Aldo ding Ortelano or Farmers’ Day as part of the week-long celebration of Pampanga Day.
She recognized the important role and contribution of the old and young farmers in food security program of the government and providing for the economic well being not just of their own families but of their particular communities and the province as a whole.
The governor gave certificates of recognition, cash prize and goodies to senior citizen farmers and farmer-achievers.
“Para maipakita ninyo sa mga apo ninyo na kinilala kayo ng pamahalaang panlalawigan sa inyong pagpupunyagi bilang mga magsasaka”, she said.
She announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) through Secretary Proceso Alcala and the Regional Field Unit in Pampanga, has given two units of combined harvester, two hand tractors, a mini tractor, four big tractors, one thresher, two reapers, one warehouse, one multi-purpose drying pavement for the use of Pampanga farmers.
The 50% counterpart which should have been paid by the farmers’ associations for these equipments was already paid by the provincial government.
These pieces of good news were met with loud applause by nearly 500 farmers who were present especially when she promised to give more attention to their sector’s needs.
“Inuna ko lang ang pagsasaayos ng mga government hospitals para kung magkasakit kayo o ang pamilya n’yo, may mapupuntahan kayong maayos na ospital,” the governor declared.
She also announced that the province received from the national government a big slice of the budget for the dredging of waterways while assuring them of more support in the coming year.
“Kayo ang nagpo-produce ng pagkain nating lahat kaya gusto naming umunlad pa kayo, at binigyan naming ng espesyal na araw ng pagkilala ngayong pagdiriwang natin ng Pampanga Day.”
Rep. Agapito Guanlao of Butil Partylist thanked the governor for her support to and recognition of the farmers. He also gave two shallow tube wells, 10 bags of rice and vegetable seeds and green houses for senior citizen farmers.
He said that he continues with his Gulayan sa Barangay project and invited them to go to his office for anything that they need on their vegetable gardening.
Guanlao disclosed that “Pampanga used to be the vegetable basket of the Philippines, so continue to plant more vegetables and try to reclaim this distinction”.
To serve as incentive to farmers, he informed them that he would sponsor a competition among barangays on vegetable farming with the following as prizes: P100,000.00, first prize; P50,000.00, second; and P25,000.00, third.
Regional Director Andrew Villacorta of the DA RFU 3 congratulated the farmer-awardees and assured them of their office’s support. He relayed Sec. Alcala’s message encouraging them to ensure their bountiful harvest toward food self-sufficiency.
“This can be done especially with the increased budget of the department from P35 billion in the previous years to P61 billion next year.
Among the awardees as agricultural achievers were the following: Ener Singian, outstanding rice farmer; Ronald Manalang, outstanding fishpond operator; Pepito Lagman, outstanding Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC); Domingo Torno, chairman, Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Council (MAFCI); Severino Lugtu for the Candaba Duck Raisers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC), outstanding small farmer organization; Reynald Abalos, outstanding corn farmer; Patria Bueta, Bodega Rural Improvement Club (RIC),outstanding RIC; John Joseph Centeno, Mekeni Abe-abe of Porac, outstanding 4H club; Reynaldo Guevarra, outstanding high value commercial crop farmer; Eduardo Briones, outstanding rice seed grower; Jesus Tulabut, outstanding farmer on dairy production; Rommel Bernardo, outstanding farmer on native chicken egg production; Enrico Castro, outstanding farmer on native pig production; Grace Diño, outstanding poultry egg producer; Arthur Dizon, outstanding farmer on small ruminant production; Royce Lising, special award as regional outstanding young farmer; Adelina Laurente, special award as regional winner on the search for outstanding RIC; Nestor Garcia, special award as regional winner on the search for outstanding MAFC; Atty. Mamerto Villanueva, special award as regional winner on the search for outstanding small farmer organization; and Mauro Sebastian, outstanding mango grower.
Also given plaques, cash prize and bags of goodies were farmers from every district accompanied by their Municipal Agriculture Officer (MAO).
Also present in the event who helped the governor in handing out the awards were Board Members Monina Laus, Trina Dizon, Fritzie David-Dizon, Nestor Tolentino, Cris Garbo; Crispin Guintu of the Office of Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), adviser on agriculture Roy Imperial, Dr. Augusto Baluyut, head of the Veterinary Office, and Arlo David of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
As the farmers’ representative, 91-year old farmer Serafio Naguit, expressed their thanks to the governor and other provincial officials, “karakal meging gobernador, ya at deng kayabe nang gugubyernu, ila mu ing ikit kung sasaup at manantabe kekatamu, nanu pang pantunan tamu?”
At the end of the farmers’ day, two shallow tube wells, 50 sprayers and 40 bags of assorted farm inputs were raffled off, capping a very successful Aldo ning Ortelano. (Pampanga PIO)
