BAGUIO – The Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture through its Organic Agriculture Program (OAP) declared the winners of this year’s search for Regional Organic Agriculture Achievers’ Award.
Out of the 12 entries submitted for the 8 award categories, 8 from the province of Benguet, Ifugao and Kalinga were declared as winners in their respective category. There were four (4) winners from the province of Benguet, three (3) from the province of Ifugao, and one (1) from the province of Kalinga.
The regional winners are Mr. Berto O. Bayeng, Outstanding Municipal Focal Person, Benguet; Mr.Rogel A. Marsan Family, Outstanding Farming Family, Benguet; Municipal Local Government Unit (MLGU) Itogon, Outstanding Municipality, Benguet; La Trinidad Organic Practitioners Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LaTOP MPC), Outstanding Small Farmers Group, Benguet; Ms. Catherine Buenaventura, Outstanding Provincial Focal Person, Ifugao;
Mr.Villafuerte Camat, Jr., Outstanding Small Farmer (Individual), Ifugao; Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) Ifugao, Ifugao; and Ms. Rowena Gonnay, Outstanding Agricultural Extension Worker, Kalinga.
The Regional Technical Search Committee is headed by Engr. Danilo Daguio, RTD for Operations, Co-chairperson Lilibeth Paraoan, Organic Agriculture Program Focal Person, together with the provincial agriculture coordinating officers and the OAP staff as members, Mr. Ruben Dulagan, Dr. Anthony Bantog and Mr. Robert Domoguen as the evaluators and Dr. Lorenzo Cargauian, DA-CAR regional executive director and Balbina Ernesto, RAFC-CAR chairperson as the approving officers spearheaded the screening and validation for this year’s search.
Winners of the Regional Organic Agriculture Achievers Award were automatically nominated to represent the Cordillera Administrative Region to the National Organic Agriculture Achievers’ Award (NOAAA) 2017.
The NOAAA is given by the DA for LGU’s provincial and municipal, focal persons, agricultural extension workers, farmers’ organizations, small farmers and farming families for their exemplary contribution and unwavering support towards the implementation of RA 10068 and achievement of the National Organic Agriculture Program’s envisioned goals.
By Leny Mendoza
