Region 6 Agri Service Providers Are Agri Pinoy Rice Achievers

Region 6 Agri Service Providers Are 

Agri Pinoy Rice Achievers

by Sheila Mae H. Toreno

DA 6 RTD for Operations and Extensions Manuel O. Olanday encouraging the LGUs, AEWs and LFTs to strengthen their efforts in order to maintain Region VI in the national rice production during the Agri Pinoy Rice Achievers Awarding Ceremony held at Punta Villa Resort, recently.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office 6 has recognized the significant contributions of its local agricultural service providers to the development of the rice industry in Western Visayas during the 2014 Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers Awarding Ceremony held at Punta Villa Resort, June 1. 

A total of 58 technicians from the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Occidental were awarded “Outstanding Agricultural Extension Workers” (AEWs). Each of them received a plaque of recognition and P20, 000 cash incentive. 

On the other hand, five local farmer technicians (LFT)—two from Passi City, one from Pavia and two from Sta. Barbara, Iloilo—also received plaque of recognition and P20, 000 each as Outstanding LFTs. 

The municipalities of Dingle, Iloilo and Dumalag, Capiz were given special citations as the region’s outstanding municipalities which have successfully implemented the National Rice Program such as the utilization of high quality seeds of at least 50 percent of the total seed requirement and have attained a minimum average yield of 4.0 tons per hectare. 

Photo shows from left to right DA 6 RTD for Operations and Extension Manuel O. Olanday, Tubungan Mayor Vicente Gargaritano, Jr., four Outstanding AEWs (Lucas Tamara, Marjorie Tacardon, Ma. Elena Tanque, and Ma. Asuncion Tabucuran),  Rene Famoso, Iloilo Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Ildefonso Toledo and Asst. Provincial Agriculturist Elias Sandig during the Agri Pinoy Rice Achievers Awarding Ceremony.

Furthermore, the Municipality of San Enrique, Iloilo was awarded as one of the 10 outstanding municipalities in the Philippines. The awarding ceremony was held at Resorts World Manila last March 26. Mayor Ramona Palabrica-Go with the municipal agricultural extension workers received a plaque of recognition and P1 million cash award. 

DA aims to achieve rice self-sufficiency at the earliest by 2013 and will be sustained until 2016 and beyond. In 2014, the Philippines’ rice industry reached an all-time high national production of 18.97 million metric tons with a production growth of 2.87 percent. 

“This rice achievers award is one of the many other interventions and incentives to farmers the DA National Rice Program gives in order to encourage the full commitment and ensure excellent performance of our LGU stakeholders in attaining rice self-sufficiency,” said DA 6 Regional Technical Director for Operations and Extension Manuel O. Olanday. 

He challenged the LGUs, AEWs and LFTs to strengthen their efforts in order to maintain the region’s rank in the rice production nationwide. “Last year, we are number three in the national rice production with 10.9 percent contribution,” added Dir. Olanday. 

Mayor Go, on the other hand, poses a challenge to other local chief executives to fully support their agricultural programs and empower their AEWs and LFTs in the best way they can. 

Ma. Frea Monsale, an outstanding AEW of Miagao and Myrna Reyes, an outstanding LFT of Passi City, thanked the DA 6 for recognizing their efforts. They further encouraged their co-awardees to continue their support to small-holder rice farmers by extending up-to-date production technologies and providing them marketing linkages. /MP