TWO AIR FORCE C-130s ENGAGED
IN PHIL. FOOD SKYWAY PROJECT
By Manny Piñol
As peace dawns on the former troubled areas in the South, Philippine Air Force (PAF) C-130 Hercules cargo transport planes, which were used to transport war materiel and soldiers to the battle grounds, are now engaged in airlifting food from Mindanao to Metro Manila.
Two PAF C-130s have been flying from General Santos City and Davao City to Manila loaded with vegetables and fruits.
The use of the C-130s in airlifting fruits and vegetables is part of the Philippine Food Skyway Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) which aims to facilitate the transport of basic food items from remote production areas to the population centers.
The C-130s, under the supervision of Lt. Col Jose Roy Dizon, were committed by Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana last Sunday while we were enroute to the typhoon affected areas in Cagayan Valley.
Next week, these will be used to airlift food supplies to Cagayan Valley and Ilocos.
A private company which owns two Boeing 727 cargo planes is also involved in the Philippine Food Skyway project.
The program is credited in bringing down the prices of vegetables in the Metro Manila market which spiked after Typhoon Ompong.
Carrots, sold for P400 per kilo a few days after Typhoon Ompong, could be bought for only P160.
Carrots brought in from Bukidnon were sold for only P100 while Cabbage was P80 per kilo at the TienDA Farmers’ and Fishermen’s Outlet at the Bureau of Plant Industry compound in Malate, Manila.
It opened yesterday and will last until today.
The C-130s will complement the air cargo planes of the private company.
(Photo of a C-130 loading fruits and vegetables in General Santos yesterday. Photo by DA AFID 6)
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