Government converts war zone into major farm area

Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor said yesterday the government is laying the foundation to convert Maguindanao into a major farm production area to the extent that the former war zone in the south may soon become a key supplier of agricultural inputs needed to fuel Mindanao’s drive to become the country’s food basket.

"We’re literally preparing the set-up to make this war-torn province become an important player in Mindanao’s agricultural development program," he said.

The DA chief said under orders from President Arroyo, the department has recently infused multi-million peso worth of development assistance to the two previously opposing camps of the province, Camp Abu Bakar and Camp S. K. Pendatun, with the goal of transforming them into model agricultural farms.

He said the assistance would consist of infrastructure support, provision of farm equipment and work animals, and other farm production inputs, including the establishment of demo farms and conduct of capability building measures to help civilians, uniformed personnel and former rebels lead normal and peaceful lives.

Montemayor said an initial P23 million worth of state support had been released during his trip to Maguindanao last Dec. 29, as direct government intervention to rehabilitate the areas around Abu Bakar, once the headquarters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and site of heavy fighting between rebel and government troops during the previous regime.

Of the amount, some P11 million will be used to repair the eight-hectare farm-to-market road from Barira town to barangays Rumayas and Sumesed, another P7.5 million for the repair of a six-kilometer farm-to-market road from sitio Deramayod to Barira, P4 million for 36 units of multi-purpose drying pavements, and P0.5 million to build a hanging foot bridge.

He said the DA is set to release this year more farm-to-market road development funds for the towns of Buldon and Matanog, adding that some P5 million of the road improvement budget had already been coursed through the defense department to enable the Philippine Army 54th Engineering Brigade do the work.