True to its commitment of support for the implementation of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag–asa (BP2) Program, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office No. 02, in cooperation with the Climate Change–Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (CC-AMIA) Program, Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), and Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), assembled the recipients of the program for a technical briefing recently.
With support and incentives on transportation, livelihood, housing subsistence, and education, the BP2 Program aims to encourage people, especially informal settlers, in congested areas in Metro Manila, to return to their home provinces thereby fostering balanced regional development and equitable distribution of wealth, resources, and opportunities.
On one hand, the just concluded series of briefings spearheaded by the BP2 Program Secretariat, headed by its Action Officer Dr. Rickson T. Baldugo, served as avenue to familiarize the recipients on the salient points of the program as well as on the available agri-fishery credit programs of ACPC particularly the Agri-Negosyo (ANYO) Loan Program and the Kapital Access for Young Agripreneurs (KAYA), and the enterprise development and marketing assistance offered by AMAD to assist farmers, fisherfolk, and Farmers’ or Fisherfolk’s Cooperatives and Associations (FCA) as they strive to increase their income.
Likewise, as it will use the AMIA Village approach as a strategy in the implementation of the program, Ms. Kay S. Olivas, AMIA Project Leader, and Mr. Rodel C. Nacomel, Science Research Assistant, also presented the relevant features of the CC-AMIA Program, highlighting its different components and the practices that may be emulated by farmers in line with the department’s objective of attaining a climate-resilient and progressive Philippine agriculture and fisheries sector.
The team conducted the said briefings on five different occasions in the Province of Isabela as the pilot province of the program in the region.
| Mozzozzin, Sta. Maria | June 29 |
| Union, Cauayan City | June 30 |
| Minante II, Cauayan City | July 1 |
| Matusalem, Roxas | July 6 |
| Naguillan Norte, City of Ilagan | July 7 |
To expand the coverage of the program, additional recipients within the barangays where the principal beneficiaries reside were selected based on the qualification standards set forth by DA RFO 02. The number of additional recipients in each barangay are as follows:
| Mozzozzin, Sta. Maria | 36 |
| Union, Cauayan City | 33 |
| Minante II, Cauayan City | 30 |
| Matusalem, Roxas | 33 |
| Naguillan Norte, City of Ilagan | 39 |
Moreover, the Local Chief Executives, Municipal/City Agriculturists, and barangay officials of the recipient communities expressed their thanks and support to the department as it endeavors to attain the worthwhile goals of the program. The briefings were also graced by Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Mr. Sergio Galamgam and staff and Engr. Rolando D. Pedro, Manager of DA-Cagayan Valley Research Center (DA-CVRC).
#Report from Rayward Carlos