‘BIYAHENG BUKID’ CARAVAN
TAKES 5-DAYS AND 1,800 KMS
By Manny Piñol
At about 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18, I and several officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) set off on a 1,800-kilometer journey to the South which will take us through four regions of the country in five days.
By 4:30 a.m. of Wednesday, Dec. 19, the caravan arrived in Sipocot, Camarines Norte where we took a rest before the 9 a.m. commissioning of four Solar Powered Irrigation System in Libmanan, Camarines Sur.
A forum with about 500 farmer leaders from Camarines Sur followed, capped by a commitment from the leaders of the province that with the support they received from the DA, they will increase their rice production in 2019 by 10% from the current annual output of 680,000-metric tons.
From Camarines Sur, the caravan took a dash to Matnog, Sorsogon for the 2-hour Ferry Ride crossing the rough channel to Allen, Samar.
By 10 p.m, we had a late dinner in a small inn of the Cacho Family in Catarman, Northern Samar where the gracious owners apologized for the modest facilities.
At 7 a.m. today, the Caravan will proceed to Catubig town for the launching of the Samar Rice Development Program.
From there, the group will sail through the huge Catubig River to proceed to Mapanas town, which is one of the four pilot towns of the SRDP.
The SRDP is a public-private partnership which targets to develop 100,000-hectares of new rice farms in the island.
From Mapanas, the caravan will take a 5-hour drive to Palo, Leyte to prepare for the activities on Dec. 21.
It is no doubt a gruelling and tiring trip especially for one who has just turned 65.
But it is a sacrifice rewarded by the smile, the tears and the embrace of poor farmers and fishermen who feel for the first time that government really listens and cares for them.
(Photos by Alan Jay Jacalan and Diane Faith Garcia, DA-OSEC)
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