DA 6 Honors 11 GAWAD SAKA Awardees

DA 6 Honors 11 GAWAD SAKA Awardees

The Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office 6 has recognized the outstanding performances of 11 farmers, fisherfolks and associations qualified out of 23 categories in the GAWAD SAKA Search for 2015 during the awarding ceremony held at Diversion 21 Hotel, Iloilo City, August 26.

Six of the awardees are from the province of Negros Occidental. This year’s Outstanding Rice Farmer is Ramy D. Entierro of Himamaylan; Outstanding Fisherfolk (Capture Fisheries) – Mabini Mission of Binalbagan; Outstanding Farm Family- Mr. & Mrs. Eladio and Panganiban Family of Silay City; Outstanding Young Farmer- Jason S. Pelayo; Outstanding Corn Farmer- Bernard E. Dionido of Bago City; and Outstanding Agricultural Researcher- Engr. Jimbo P. Garsula of Bacolod City.

On the other hand, Rebecca C. Tubongbanua is the Outstanding Agri-Entrepreneur. The BuenaS 4-H Club Organization is the Outstanding Young Farmer Organization. Both are from Buenavista, Guimaras.

From the province of Iloilo, the NAMOCON Farmers’ Association of Tigbauan, Iloilo is awarded as the Outstanding Small Farmers’ Organization and the Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Council (AFC) of New Lucena is the Outstanding AFC this year. GAWAD SAKA trophies and plaques of recognition were given to all individual and group winners.

Cash prize of P30, 000 and project grant worth P25, 000 were given to each individual winner, while groups or associations received P50,000 cash and P25,000 worth of project grant. Aside from that, 11 assisting agricultural extension workers (AEWs) were given plaques of appreciation and P15,000 cash prize for providing support to the awardees.

Executive Director of Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries and Chairman of the GAWAD SAKA National Search Committee Engr. Ariel T. Cayanan lauded the efforts of the awardees and urged them to continue their advocacies and best practices after receiving the recognition.

“Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala will grace the GAWAD SAKA national awarding to be held in September at Malacañang Palace,” added Dir. Cayanan.

According to DA RFO 6 OIC-Regional Executive Director Engr. Roy M. Abaya, “the search is one manifestation that the department’s interventions truly benefit the farmers. Let’s all pray that all of the regional awardees will make it to the national level.”

 GAWAD SAKA is an annual search started in 1985 when the DA through the National Food and Agricultural Council in cooperation with the Philippine Jaycees first launched the search for the outstanding farmers of the year. Abaya then declared the 2016 Gawad Saka Search open and encouraged local government units, farmers, fishers, livestock raisers and associations to vie for the awards. /MP