BONTOC, Mountain Province – Officers and members of an association of farmers in Barangay Bontoc Ili, Bontoc, Mountain Province are all smiles as they received one unit of hand tractor with complete accessories on October 23, 2023, at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol grounds.
The Amkinak-Cafellaw Irrigators Association, a Civic Society Organization which is registered under the Department of Agriculture (DA) with 42 members is the grateful recipient of the said farm machinery.
According to Municipal Government Assistant Department Head Catherine Agcon of the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMAg), the one unit of hand tractor with complete accessories was funded by the DA.
As its counterpart, the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU) shouldered the hauling of the farm machinery from Baguio City to Bontoc, Mountain Province, thereby, helping the recipient association to save money for the hauling or transportation cost.
Aside from this, the OMAg provided technical assistance to the Amkinak-Cafellaw Irrigators Association in the preparation of the proposal and required documents.
Agcon mentioned the assistance provided to the said farmers’ association aims to reduce the production cost of rice farmers so they can save up some for their savings and other farm needs.
She added that the machinery, which is given by the government for free, is meant to make the farmers’ lives more convenient, work will be faster, and there will be more gain compared to manual or traditional ways of farming.
Bontoc Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., who led the turnover of the farm equipment to the recipients expressed his utmost gratitude to the DA for its continuous support to the farmers in the locality.
The mayor further stated that with the meager budget of the Bontoc LGU, it has to seek support from the national government and other stakeholders to address the crucial needs of its constituents. He mentioned that the realization of the said undertaking signifies a strong partnership and collaboration between the DA and the Bontoc LGU in continuously empowering the community through the provision of various assistance.
With this, Tudlong encouraged the farmers and fisherfolks in other barangays of Bontoc to strengthen their associations or cooperatives.
“You need to organize yourselves for institutional development for farmers and fisherfolk for easy lobbying of assistance and support from the government,” he added.
Likewise, the mayor advised the Amkinak-Cafellaw Irrigators Association to take care of the hand tractor provided to them so they can use it for years and be able to harvest more palay.
This endeavour forms part of the present administration’s roadmap which is ENLANGAKHA: Achieving the Vision for a Dynamic Bontoc. One of its pillars is Empowering Communities.
Meanwhile, other officials present during the turnover were Sangguniang Bayan member Benedict Odsey II and Municipal Agriculturist Renato Falag-ey.