The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office No. 02 (DA-RFO 02), City Local Government Unit of Ilagan, and the private sector joined hands today to jumpstart the implementation of Plant, Plant, Plant Program in Cagayan Valley.
An initiative under the Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Kontra COVID19, and a brainchild of Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar, the program drew strong support from the officials and households of BLISS Village in the City of Ilagan, Isabela as first barangay recipient in the region.
“Ang proyektong ito naglalayong pagtibayin ang food security program ng pamahalaan na mag-uumpisa sa mga households at komunidad,” said Regional Executive Director Narciso A. Edillo.
“Alam namin kayo ay nagtatanim pero kami ay nakikiusap na lalo pang paigtingin ito hindi lang ngayong nasa Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) ang lahat kundi hanggang sa matapos ito.”
Edillo thanked the participants that include officials and residents of the City of Ilagan and BLISS Village and the private sector for their strong support for the initiative.
“We hope to replicate this project in other cities and municipalities of the region the soonest time possible.”
According to Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulatory Rose Mary G. Aquino, half of the 1,625 households from the seven puroks of BLISS Village are target recipients of the Plant, Plant, Plant Program.
“Kasama din ang mga Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) at lactating mothers na nabigyan ng suporta tulad ng actual demonstration sa pagtatanim ng gulay at pagbibigay ng seeds, seedlings at organic fertilizers,” she said.
“Ipinakita natin hindi lang ang urban gardening kundi ang produksiyon ng kabute sa mga recycled containers at home made composting gamit ng compost fungus activator o CFA.”
She also mentioned private seed companies like RAMGO and Allied Botanical for their support to the adopt-a-barangay strategy through the distribution of seeds and rain shelter relative to the operation of barangay nursery.
For her part, Barangay Captain Evelyn Llamelo thanked DA for considering their village as the recipient of the program.
“Napakalaking tulong ito sa amin lalo na sa aming mga residente ngayong panahon ng ECQ,” she uttered.
“Sana ay magpapatuloy pa rin ang mga magagandang programa ng kagawaran na may kinalaman sa food production maski matapos na ang ating problema sa COVID19.”
Meanwhile, City Agriculturist Moises Alamo personally thanked DA-RFO 02 for always assisting the city in its quest for food availability.
He mentioned that the city government, through the leadership of Mayor Jay Diaz, is willing to implement agricultural programs in support of the Plant, Plant, Plant Program.
The DA-RFO 02, through its research stations, Cagayan Valley Research Center (CVRC), Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC), and Isabela Soils Laboratory, had provided the technical and logistics support that contributed in the successful launching of the program.
