Projects intended for farmers in Central Mindanao by an agency created in support of the Mindanao peace process are seen to increase productivity and income for major players in the agriculture sector.
This is how Lengan Bitali, president of Cabpangi Integrated Farmers Association of Barangay Cabpangi, Pigcawayan, North Cotabato described the project his group received from the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) through the Bangsamoro Assistance for Development and Community Empowerment (Bangsamoro ADVANCE) component of the Mindanao Trust Fund Reconstruction and Development Program (MTFRDP).
Bitali made the comments during Wednesday’s turnover of a Solar Dryer with Warehouse Sub-project. He expects his group to be more aggressive in farming, become productive and have enough income.
A similar project was also turned over in Barangay Katibpuan, Talayan, Maguindanao. The PHP2-million worth solar dryer with warehouse project can benefit 4,650 individuals in Barangay Katibpuan, BDA officials said.
In nearby Barangay Muti in Guindulungan, Maguindanao, the project will benefit a total of 2,892 individual-farmers, according to BDA executive director Mohammad S. Yacob.
Slah S. Kamsa, president of Muti Farmers’ Association, said that the project will help people to be more productive.
“This will really help the people of Muti specially that majority of the people living here in our barangay are farmers. It is a big help in drying our crops and we now have storage area for those crops,” Kamsa said.
Abdulrasheed Ambil, BDA-Central Mindanao regional manager, expressed the importance of the project to beneficiaries.
“I saw how essential this project is. This is the first solar dryer with warehouse project implemented in this barangay. It is less expensive considering that they do not need to go to neighbouring places anymore just to dry their crops,” Ambil said.
Farmers in the barangays of Panosolen in Gen. SK Pendatun, Puya in Datu Paglas, Upper Idtig in Paglat, Kakal in Ampatuan all in Maguindanao province and in Barangay Pamotolen, Kalilangan, Bukidnon are also recipients of farm facilities which will formally handed to them this March 2017.
A similar project will also be realized for the farmers in Barangay Tran, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat after it was turned over to beneficiaries today.
This support to farmers in Central Mindanao is under the Bangsamoro ADVANCE program managed by BDA and is being implemented in 49 communities under the influenced areas of the MILF Base Commands across the BDA six regional clusters (Central Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, Davao, Ranaw, Zamboanga-Peninsula, Zamboanga-Basilan) and two island provinces of Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.
Bangsamoro ADVANCE with a total with 202,461 beneficiaries, is a program conceptualized in support to confidence building measures of the GPH- MILF as provided in the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB).
“This project demonstrates the continuing commitment of both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Philippines (GPH) in pursuing peace and development in the Bangsamoro, and in Mindanao in general,” Yacob said.
MTF has been supporting BDA since 2006 reaching 127,031 beneficiaries thru 140 sub-projects implemented in 65 barangays of 21 municipalities across the BDA six regions as of 2015.
BDA is a development agency established in 2002 in accordance with the Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Aspect of GPH-MILF Tripoli Agreement of June 2001. (PNA)
