BAGUIO CITY – In support of maintaining a safe and secure environment that assists young boys aged 5 to 17 years old who have experienced abuse, abandonment, and/or neglect, the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR), Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Council (RAFC), and Saint Louis University (SLU) in Baguio City signed an agreement that would provide agriculture-related activities as an additional part of the programs and services provided by the SLU Sunflower Child and Youth Wellness Center or the halfway home for the boys in Baguio City.
In the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing ceremony held at the Alejandro Roces Boardroom of SLU, University President Father Gilbert Sales expressed the university’s appreciation for the collaboration between the educational center and the agriculture department.
“The Memorandum of Agreement that we signed, I know that our “Talun ti Namnama” will devote further hope and even expand to include other agricultural, livestock, and fishery practices. Please accept our gratitude to your agency for this opportunity for a fruitful relationship. May this agreement usher in more opportunities and more collaboration between us for the promotion of sustainable agriculture and sustainable lifestyle as well as ecological economics,” Father Sales said.
The halfway home promotes reintegration with capable family members or possible referral to a child-caring institution that will care more permanently for their overall welfare. It provides basic home-based care, educational assistance, case management, spiritual formation, sports and expressive art programs and recreational activities, referral for psychological assessment and psychotherapeutic interventions, independent living programs, and follow-up community-based programs.
Father Sales stated that although SLU does not offer any agriculture-related courses, the university’s commitment to agriculture and the environment is still relentless, and have been pursuing programs and activities to promote sustainable agriculture and sustainable lifestyle.
“Through the Sunflower Centennial halfway home for boys, our key program called “Talun ti Namnama’ or Farm of Hope which is a back-to-nature agri-project that we initiated to uphold sustainable production of vegetables and fish for food consumption and eventual resource generation of the home through hydroponics and aquaponics intended to augment the food supplies that are healthy, naturally grown and harvested within the vicinity of the home.,” the University President stated.
DA-CAR OIC-Regional Executive Director Atty. Jennilyn Dawayan explained the availability of many possibilities for collaboration that the university and department can venture into particularly on rice, corn, high-value crops or semi-temperate vegetables, and livestock, particularly on the need of the university for backyard support, and the support from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources through their collaboration with the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Council or the RAFC which represents the private sector.
“There are many projects that we can collaborate with and we will join the university in the challenge of ushering in such partnership. One of which is gender and development wherein five percent of our funds are to be used for projects, aside from chicken, hog, and dairy production, the Kadiwa can also be done here that would service the mothers, professors, and students who would like to eat healthy and fresh vegetables,” the Regional Executive Director explained.
Director Dawayan also reiterated the possible collaboration between DA-CAR and SLU on how to assist private cooperatives engaged in the agri-based industry where the department can fund such private cooperatives depending on their proposed projects, or assist in further research which the DA supports.
“We do not only look at food sufficiency but we are also looking at sustainability in its operation because program or project partners must not only acquire resources from the department but be able to graduate and become more sustainable. We also hope that the partner organizations can be registered as accredited civil society organizations for it be able to acquire other benefits from the various projects available from the DA,” Director Dawayan added. By JTLlanes
