LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – In support to vegetable production in the province of Benguet, the Department of Agriculture–Cordillera (DA-CAR) awarded various agricultural interventions amounting to 15 million pesos during the opening program of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) on April 21, 2024 in La Trinidad, Benguet.
Five (5) recipients received the interventions under the High Value Crops Development Program namely Atok GAP Practitioners Association, AM AM Ug Igbo Farmers Association, I-Kapangan Farmers Entrepreneurs Organization, Kapangan Japan – Ex Trainees Young Farmers Association, and Madalipey Am-Am Farmers Association Incorporated.
The awarding was led by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, DA Undersecretary for High Value Crops Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, Benguet Lone District Representative Eric Go Yap, and Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas.
Speaker Romualdez also led the signing of Manifesto in Support to Local Farmers emphasizing the “unwavering support to local farmers, specially Benguet farmers, who serve as the unsung heroes for being the country’s backbone in ensuring food security,” as Benguet is the major source of semi-temperate vegetables, supplying 80% of demand in the country.
The BPSF, which is the country’s largest service caravan in the country, was officially launched in September of last year dedicated to delivering essential government services to underprivileged Filipinos in diverse communities nationwide. It showcases flagship government programs like Kadiwa ng Pangulo, Passport on Wheels, and driver’s license registration/assistance, among others.
Aside from the DA’s Kadiwa Program, the DA-CAR also offers various agriculture-related services including the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture registration and updating, civil society organization accreditation, Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System registration, Foodlane accreditation, distribution of information, education and communication materials, and farm inputs such as seeds, coffee seedlings, biological control agents and mokusako. Other services offered are rabies vaccination, pet deworming/consultation, pest and disease consultation, and advisories.
The 2-day BPSF in Benguet is the 15th service caravan in the country since its launching, where in 326 programs and services were offered by 70 government agencies in the region. The serbisyo fair will run until today, April 22, 2024. By Cy-j E. Waytan
