Cebu City launches program to help upland farmers

CEBU, Philippines — In order to help the local farmers in the city, the Cebu City Agriculture Department (CCAD) has implemented the "Cebu City Agripreneurs Program" (CCAP).

City Agriculturist Apple Tribunalo told The FREEMAN that they came up with this initiative to aid the local farmers in the upland barangays in trading their fresh vegetables.

She said this program was implemented as per the directive of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

"Early of 2018, the mayor directed me.  He wants (a) shopping center to buy the products of farmers kay si mayor interested gyud siya sa agriculture. And then I work it out, this is in partnership with the Vicsal foundation," Tribunalo said.

Vicsal foundation is connected with Metro Gaisano, which is the identified buyer of the farmers' products.

To formalize the partnership, Mayor Tomas Osmeña has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Vicsal Foundation last month.

Under the agreement, Gaisano shall buy every product at P5 lower than the Carbon Market price and shall buy every Tuesday and Friday of the week, among others.

Tribunalo said the buying station of this program will be at the Cebu City Resource Management and Development Center (CREMDEC) in Barangay Taptap.

Every Monday and Thursday, city-owned vehicles will gather the various vegetables at designated points, so that the farmers would not have to spend anything for the transportation of their goods.

"Ang system ani is ang Gaisano will have their orders two days before, then ipasa nila sa CCAD because it's not just kung farmer ka, ma-enter ka. No, they have to enrol (to) this program so that ma-centralized namo ang among kuhaanan," she said.

CCAD had a full swing implementation of the program last November 20 wherein around 30 local farmers took part of the program.

These farmers who are from Barangays Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Taptap, Adlaon, Tabunan and Lusaran joined the orientation facilitated by CCAD on the third week of October.

In fact, Tribunalo said that they got positive feedbacks from the participating farmers for the privilege to sell their products to a big-scale entrepreneur.

"Ang importante ani nga program is not the output but the outcome sa ilaha.  Imagine, this program will subsidize them by giving inputs for two cropping seasons," she said.

Today, CCAD will distribute agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and others.

"The city government will be subsidizing the farmers' input needs from seeds to fertilizers, tanan-tanan. Even hoses and drums will be given to them with an area requirement of 1,000 sq. meters per commodity," Tribunalo said.

Tribunalo hopes that the program will be expanded to other upland barangays in the city. (FREEMAN)