800 North Cotabato farmers to get organic fertilizers

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines - At least 800 more local peasants stand to benefit from another agricultural intervention package that the North Cotabato provincial government will launch.

North Cotabato’s provincial agriculturist, Eliseo Mangliwan, on Wednesday said they now have organic fertilizers to be distributed to the farmers, besides the technical services they are to extend to them as part of the project.

The fertilizer dispersal activity was planned by Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza and the personnel of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Mangliwan said.

Mangliwan said the beneficiaries of the project are farmers residing in agricultural enclaves in North Cotabato’s Aleosan, Libungan, Midsayap, Tulunan and President Roxas towns, and in different barangays at the provincial capital, Kidapawan City.

The fertilizers were procured using allocation from a P4-million incentive the North Cotabato province received from the Department of Agriculture for winning the agency’s nationwide Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers’ Award last year.

“The province got the award because of the massive support of the provincial government to the local agriculture sector, which is comprised of Muslim, Christian and Lumad communities,” Mangliwan said.

The beneficiaries of this month's fertilizer package are members of the Small Water Impounding System Association in the province, where the provincial government and the agriculture department had constructed water catchment structures designed to irrigate farms to boost the productivity of farmers.

Mangliwan said the organic fertilizers they are to disperse anytime soon are safe to use and can increase the yield of farmers by several folds without any harmful effects to their health and the environment.

Mendoza on Tuesday renewed her pledge to help improve the lives of farmers in North Cotabato.

Mendoza, in her state of the province address (SOPA) at a public gymnasium in Makilala town last Tuesday, also lauded the continuing cooperation among her ethnically diverse  constituents in keeping the fragile tranquility in the province.

She said her constituents remained resilient as they confront mounting security challenges while forging ahead with their community peace and development initiatives.

Mendoza, in her SOPA, reaffirmed her commitment to vigorously continue her socio-economic interventions for Muslim, Christian and lumad communities to sustain the momentum of North Cotabato’s improving security and investment climate.

Thousands graced Mendoza’s SOPA, a yearly activity meant to keep local folks abreast on the accomplishments of the provincial government and its peace and development thrusts that are still to be implemented.

Mendoza’s SOPA was preceded by her turn over last week to beneficiary-communities of six vital projects her office and the Department of Agriculture jointly implemented in the hinterland Magpet town in northeast of North Cotabato.

The projects, a communal water reservoir at the Bagumbayan National High School in Barangay Bagumbayan and a barangay hall and a water system in nearby Barangay Sallab, were accomplished according to target dates stated in work plans.

Mendoza and Magpet municipal officials also launched then the full electrification of Barangay Imamaling, which the provincial government bankrolled.

The governor also turned over to Magpet residents a covered court that can also be used as venue for community gatherings in Barangay Manobo and a water system and a post harvest facility in Barangay Kinarum, both in the same town.