PH DA Grants P27 Million To Cordillera Farmer Coops – Usec Sebastian Gives 1Million-Dollar Advice!

Good fortune doesn’t come as golden as this: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has awarded a total of P54.5 million to Cordilleran farmers as of 23 Dec 2021.

ANN says on 23 Dec, “Agri-Stakeholders Inaugurate P26.7M BAPTC Processing & Packaging Facility; (DA) Turns Over Marketing & Consolidation Grants to FCAs, Tinoc LGU[1]” (Author Not Named, Business.facebook.com). The P26.7M was for the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) “to enhance postharvest services to farmers by providing equipment for postharvest, processing, packing ,,,to improve the quality of products.” The fund is under the DA Bayanihan II stimulus package jointly implemented by the DA and the Benguet State University (BSU) based at La Trinidad, Benguet. The BAPTC is on the Strawberry Fields at the BSU campus.

BSU President Felipe Salaing Comila committed BSU to provide “the best experts in the University to help and assist towards the (improvement) of trading vegetables as well as in the better packaging of agri-products.”

Separately, a financial grant of P27,865,000 under the Enhanced Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita was awarded to farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and one local government unit (Tinoc) in the Cordillera. The Certificates were awarded by Agriculture Undersecretary (Usec) Leocadio Sebastian and assisted by Cordillera Regional Technical Director (RTD) for Operations Danilo Daguio and RTD for Research & Regulations Jennilyn Dawayan.

The grant was for the FCAs to establish a postharvest facility for value-adding on farmers’ produce, as well as procuring transport and delivery vehicles. This is in line with the DA’s goal to intensify the operations of Kadiwa not only in Metro Manila but in the regions, to enhance food availability and facilitate accessibility to consumers in high-demand areas through partnerships with other government agencies, local government units, farmer groups, private sector, and community organizations.

Marcos Luciap, Chair of the Tawangan Agrarian Reform Community Multipurpose Cooperative, acknowledged BSU “as a partner in development not just in terms of education.” He thanked the DA for including the FCAs in its programs, saying “It shows that the government support to us farmers is (comprehensive).”

Municipal Mayor Samson Benito of Tinoc, Ifugao committed LGU Tinoc to “the continuous operation and maintenance of the agri-programs and assistance that they have received.”

After those millions of pesos, Mr Sebastian gave a golden message to all:

Usec Sebastian shared his experiences and observations… particularly (in) Vietnam and Malaysia. He gave emphasis on three aspects, namely reduction of production cost, diversification in crops, and improvement of marketing system.

Thinking with Mr Sebastian, I agriculturist and warrior writer now emphasize his emphasis on reducing production cost and diversifying crops.

Farmers must cut down the high cost of farming – with more science and more art (management).

Farmers will profit more growing more crops simultaneously. Should one crop fail, other crops will save each farmer’s labors & family.

The above image[2]is typical of Cordillera farms. Britannicasays there are 4,000 square miles of such rice terraces[3]– imagine how many millions of pesos more Cordillera farmers could earn following Mr Sebastian’s advice?!@517


[1]https://business.facebook.com/rafiscordillera/posts/2477004629101212?__tn__=K-R

[2]https://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/Attraction_Review-g294249-d3208819-Reviews-Hapao_Rice_Terraces-Banaue_Ifugao_Province_Cordillera_Region_Luzon.html#/media-atf/3208819/102246756:p/?albumid=-160&type=0&category=-160

[3]https://www.britannica.com/place/Banaue-rice-terraces

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