School in Tuburan to get 8-hectare lot from mayor

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Technological University (CTU) in Tuburan town will soon have its annex campus and coffee research center.

This development came after Mayor Aljun Diamante and his wife, Teresita, donated their eight-hectare lot to the state university.

The memorandum of agreement for the donation was signed between the couple and the CTU President Dr. Rosein Ancheta and CTU-Tuburan Campus Director Dr. Pedrito Pontillas last Tuesday.

The signing was witnessed by Senator Cynthia Villar and Tuburan Vice Mayor Danilo Dimante.

Also, Diamante said the municipal government has an unused 400-square meter lot that is ideal for offices and training center, among others.

Diamante, however, said government agencies like the Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, Technical Education Skills and Development Authority, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Interior and Local Government, and National Economic Development Authority need to request for the lot.

"Yes willing mo-donate ang town, puwede ra sila mo-request,”Diamante said.

The projects, the mayor said, target to alleviate the lives of his constituents, especially the farmers and fisherman who remained the poorest of the poor.

“Para gyud ni atong matabangan ang atong mga farmers nga malingkawas sa kapobrehon,” he said, adding that the construction of a research center would help farmers achieve a sustainable coffee production.

Coffee farming in Tuburan, a midwest Cebu town, is now growing.

In fact, the mayor wants the town to become Cebu’s coffee capital.

About 1,000 farmers in Tuburan are now enjoying the fruits of the government-assisted coffee plantation, which covers 2,850 hectares in 16 barangays.

Named “Kape sa Tuburan” is now being used by some Cebu’s famous coffee shops and hotels.

The coffee farms produce up to two tons of organic Robusta coffee per month.

But Diamante said the supply still cannot meet the market’s demand.

Villar said coffee and cacao are considered as high-valued crops, but both cacao and coffee industries in the Philippines and abroad are facing a supply shortage.

"May shortage tayo sa Pilipinas nang coffee and cacao. We only produced about 20 percent of the demand and the rest of the 80 percent is imported. If we produced the 80 percent of the demand then wala nang imported and there is a huge demand abroad," she said.

"Coffee and cacao are the best inter-cropping under the coconut tree. So, yung kahirapan ng coconut farmers ma-solve natin yan pag naturuan natin sila nang intercropping," the senator said.

Citing the Philippine Coffee Roadmap for 2016-2022, Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries Chairman Dave Santos earlier said a comprehensive industrial strategy is needed to enable agri-business, manufacturing and service firms to upgrade, thrive, and become catalysts and engines for sustained and inclusive growth.

Santos added coffee farmers must also align their goals to the World Coffee Vision 2020 “Collective Impact for Sustainable Coffee Communities” and capacitate producers to take advantage of the many opportunities of the industry. (FREEMAN)