DA 7 Picks 17 Gawad Saka Awardees

The Regional Office of the Department of Agriculture (DA)7 recently picked seventeen farmers as Gawad Saka regional awardees this year.

But among the 17, only one from Cebu province, 2 from Siquijor, 7 in Bohol and 7 from Negros Oriental.

DA 7 OIC Regional Director Angel C. Enriquez, headed the awarding ceremony which was attended by close to 500 farmers including their family members and DA 7 officials.

Enriquez, in her statement, encouraged all farmers to adopt the modern farming technology by planting multiple crops and at the same time raising backyard animals. But she did not single planting and animal raising, she even inspired farmers to engage in sideline on small business.

She said “the farmers’ versatility in adopting all options of farming (multi-cropping and animal raising), and even to small business within his surroundings will give him a chance to become a Gawad Saka awardee.”

The Gawad Saka awards are given to selected farmers within the region by searching and screening them from the four provinces of region 7 who will qualify to the criteria given by the agriculture department. From the regional winners, the DA regional office will choose among them to represent the national level competition.

Meanwhile, the regional outstanding farmers from Bohol who received their respective awards were: Danilo Calamba of Bilar, outstanding for rice farming; Agapito Banol of Carmen, for corn; Artemio Lomosbog, Sr. of Sagbayan, for organic farming; Adolfo Piquero of Candijay, for small animal raiser; Marget Hilot of Loboc, for coconut farming; and Tereso Crudo of Dagohoy, for small farmer organization.

From Negros Oriental, Mustapa Rasid of Dumaguete City, for Young farmer;Lucy Casipong of Mabinay, for sugarcane farming; Miguela M. Tinagan of Dumaguete City for farm family; John Rey M. Limbaga of Dumaguete City for small farmer organization; Leonardo C. Hernandez of Dumaguete City, for AEW; and Philip J. Altamarino of Dumaguete City for City focal person.

From Siquijor, Jacinto Maata of San Juan, for barangay food terminal; and Marilyn Garbanzos of Siquijor, Siquijor, for rural improvement club, and the one from Cebu was Julan Placibe of City of Naga, for fish capture category.

Together with their respective assisting technicians, each of them went home this afternoon after the program, full of enthusiasm hoping for more progress on farming, the original livelihood of human being.

Image Credit: greedypeg.org