by E. Soviet Russia A. dela Cruz
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture
Through centuries, the town of Kalibo has evolved as the center of numerous historical events, both, political and cultural evolution that contributed to the invaluable heritage of the Aklan people. It has remained the land of enchanting sights and sounds, like the Sto. Niño (Ati-Atihan) Festival and the home for centuries of skilled weavers in the piña fiber industry which has produced the exquisite gossamer-like piña cloth now world renowned.
The Municipality of Kalibo is a first class Municipality with 72,984 people. Approximately 75 percent of the family households are engaged in farming and the remaining 25 percent are either employed in the government or private sector or are entrepreneurs. The Municipality has a total land area of 5,075 hectares comprising 16 barangays, two of which are bounded by island waters. There are eight barangays located along the coastal areas of the Visayan Sea and seven barangays by the Aklan River basin.
Vegetable Sector – the total land area primarily devoted to vegetable production in Kalibo is 106 hectares. Barangays Mobo and Bakhaw Norte, Linabuan Norte, Tigayon, Estancia, Tinigaw, and Bakhaw Sur are located along the Aklan River and have served as the vegetable baskets of the town.
On June 21, 2008, the Ati-atihan Town of Kalibo was ravaged by tropical cyclone Frank, the worst in living memory to ever hit the town. Packed with devastating force, Frank destroyed or torn in shambles everything on its path. The rampaging flood waters wiped out all the standing crops and farm animals and beasts of burden that farmers use in the field.
Fishery Sector – Kalibo has a total of 271 hectares of land devoted for fishponds, 268 hectares of which are brackish; the remaining three hectares are fresh water ponds. There are 168 registered fisherfolks in Kalibo who are engaged in catching or capturing fish mainly by fish nets.
The heavy rain that accompanied super typhoon Frank brought havoc to the fishery sector in Kalibo. In fact, the flood water that rose and engulfed the whole town was the deepest in Kalibo’s history. In some areas, the flood water was between 10 to 14 feet deep. The strong current of the flood water toppled numerous walls and dikes of fishponds. In some areas, flood water and high tide submerged fishpond embankments. On the other hand, violent waves coupled with a strong under current entangled and severed many of the fisherfolks’ fish nets. Several motorized bancas were damaged or lost during the storm.
Rice Sector – The rice bowl of Kalibo straddles over nine barangays. These are the barangays of Mabilo, Briones, Nalook, Caano, Pook, Estancia, Tigayon, Linabuan Norte, and Andagao. Kalibo has 880 hectares of irrigated rice land with an average yield of four metric tons per hectare. Some 345 hectares lowland rain-fed yield an average production of three metric tons per hectare.
Miraculously, the rice crops were spared from the havoc of the typhoon. Only 10 to 20 percent of the standing rice crops suffered from the onslaught of the storm. Farmers are optimistic. They harvested the fields starting September.
Though the rice crops were spared, the same cannot be said of the houses and livestock of the farmers. Their meager resources, intended for their agricultural production, were exhausted in repairing their destroyed homes, and in buying for the much needed food and medicines, which have, unfortunately, gone up exorbitantly after the typhoon.
Livestock and Poultry Sector – The livestock and poultry industry in Kalibo directly suffered from the storm and the flood waters that followed. The industry suffered further losses due to infections, diseases, brought about by contaminated water supply, the lack of medicine and care given. Its owners were all busy attending to their own personal needs. In one barangay alone, an estimated 300 heads of large animals (cattles, cows, and carabaos) were lost.
The Rehabilitation of the Agriculture Sector - As Kalibo starts to rise from the quagmire and effects of the storm, the agriculture sector is at the forefront in its agenda for rehabilitation. As early as a week after the storm, the municipality formulated and released its immediate rehabilitation program for the agriculture sector. It also has continuously appealed to both the government and the private sectors for the much needed funds that can bankroll the programs.
Vegetable Development – Kalibo needed to acquire 450 kilograms of assorted vegetable seeds estimated to value at P250,000 to be distributed to the seven barangays that are primarily devoted to vegetable production. The vegetable production is estimated to utilize 320 bags of fertilizer and would require budgetary requirement of approximately P620,000. The intended acquisition of 16 hand tractors, seven water pumps and 30 portable sprayers are also included in the rehabilitation program. These hand tractors shall take the place of the beasts of burden that farmers used to cultivate their farm fields but were lost during the storm. The utilization of hand tractors will certainly fast track the agricultural production.
Thru the representation made by Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo to the Office of the President, the Department of Agriculture delivered to Barangay Mobo four kilos of assorted vegetable seeds and two sacks of corn seeds. The private sector, the Convoy of Hope, also donated one barrel of assorted vegetable seeds. One hand tractor was donated by Mr. Jose Ernesto C. Rodriguez, a business man from Cebu but presently based in Manila. Rodriguez’s donation was brand new hand tractor received by Kalibo of the 16 hand tractors it seeks to acquire.
At present, the Municipal Agriculture Office promotes a program "Butil ay Buhay". Under this program, the Municipal Agriculture Section actively solicits seeds from the government and private sector for distribution to farmer beneficiaries. The program also gives tribute to the importance of seeds as it symbolize the beginning of life and upon such seed, all living creatures depend for its sustenance and existence.
LGU-Kalibo also seeks funds to help finance the rehabilitation of its plant nursery in barangay Tinigaw and to acquire a bigger track of land that shall regularly produce the needed seed requirements for the vegetable sector.
Fishery Development – the rehabilitation of the fishery sector consists of requesting the national government for funds to provide financial assistance for the repair of fishpond dikes and embankments, acquisition and distribution of bangus and tilapia fingerlings as well as organic fertilizers and mollusticide for fishpond preparation. The total needed funds for the rehabilitation of the fishery sector is estimated to reach P4,561,200.Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento of the Bureau of Fishery and Aquatic Resources sent 30 fishing nets to Lgu – Kalibo distributed to its fisher folks.
Rice Development – LGU Kalibo seeks funding from the national government to help fund the acquisition of fertilizers and other inputs to assist rice producing farmers. In addition, LGU – Kalibo is also preparing a 2-Year Rice Sufficiency Plan CY 2009-2010. Under the program, farmers are encouraged to adopt high quality seeds like certified inbred and hybrid seeds. Certified seeds are pure, clean, full, and uniform in size and have a minimum germination rate of 84 percent.
The program seeks to increase production of rice and to attain self-sufficiency in food by the year 2010 by adopting an integrated crop management, use of high quality rice seeds, educating the farmers and adopting technologies that will enhance production, providing post harvest and mechanization, marketing assistance, incentive system, regulatory services and monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the program.
At present, discount coupons on fertilizers are distributed by the Department of Agriculture and LGU-Kalibo as financial assistance to rice farmers.
Livestock and Poultry Development – the rehabilitation of the livestock and poultry sector consists of restocking the swine and cattle by dispersal program. It also identifies the need to acquire 800 gilts to be distributed to the 16 barangays in Kalibo. The acquisition of gilt instead of piglets will help accelerate the restocking of swine in the Municipality. Veterinary vaccines, drugs and supplies are included in the rehabilitation program which is estimated to reach to P500,000.
There is plenty of work to be done for the Municipality of Kalibo. Frustrations and disappointments will certainly haunt the rehabilitation program but with the government and the private sector helping out each other, we can build better Kalibo, much better than the one battered y Tropical Cyclone Frank.
The agriculture sector is still in need of financial and technical assistance and any help may be channeled to the Municipal Agriculture Service Division, Kalibo Municipal Office, Kalibo, Aklan. /MP
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