Capitol Equips Argao Town with Agri Projects

Water is needed to irrigate farms, but each and every time, Maria Mansueto and her family will have to carry loads of containers and walk two kilometers to get it from the source.

That will change now.

With the construction of an impounding water-cement tank by the Provincial Agriculture Office, Maria heaved a sigh of relief.

“Magkalisod gyud intawn mi sauna, kapoy kaayo’g baklay. Karon nga duol-duol na among kuha-anan, dako gyud namong pasalamat sa Provincial Government,” said Maria, a farmer and resident of Barangay Alambijud, an upland village in Argao town, south Cebu.

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Built at P450,000, the water tank was among the three agriculture projects turned over last Wednesday by Gov. Hilario P. Davide III to the barangays of Alambijud and Anajao, amounting to P1.3 million.

“Gipaniguro gayud sa inyong Provincial Government nga mo-dagayday ang atong mga programa dili lang sa kapatagan kun dili usab sa kabukiran ilabi na sa mga ka-igsuonan natong mag-uuma,” Davide said.

Julieto Mamites and Melchor Imbudo, both farmers of Alambijud, were also elated to see their predicament on lack of nearby water source for their irrigation is finally alleviated.

“Paet kaayo diri kung mangita ka’g tubig labi na panahon sa ting-init kay layo kaayog kag kuhaan,” Mamites said.

Other projects inaugurated by the governor included a farmers’ trading post in Barangay Anajao valued at P500,000 and a P350,000 greenhouse unit in a demo organic farming field for vegetables in Alambijud.

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“Atong gipaningkamotan na kining mga lugar sa bukid nga daghang magbabaol, aduna silay tarong nga lugar nga mapahiluna ilang tinda,” Davide said.

According to Provincial Agriculturist Roldan Saragena, the impounding tank can store up to 12,500 liters of water and can soak around 50 hectares of land.

Moreover, Saragena said the trading post project is in response to the governor’s directive to ensure that farmers will have a decent place where they can display their harvests.

“Considering the role of farmers in our food security programs, it is but fitting, as instructed by the governor, to treat them with dignity by providing a facility like this one (trading post),” the provincial agriculturist said.

Aside from agri-infrastructure projects, the Capitol also distributed farm inputs, including seedlings and a power sprayer.

Davide also graced the graduation rites of 42 farmers of Alambijud who completed the 18-week training in organic farming.

With Davide in the ceremony were Argao Mayor Stanley Caminero, Provincial Board member Jose Mari “Tata” Salvador, and barangay officials and representatives of the Cebu Technological University-Argao campus.

Image Source: http://www.cebu.gov.ph/

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