Agriculture undersecretary encourages; Eastern Visayas farmers to change values

BURAUEN, LEYTE, Philippines — Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for High Value Crops and Rural Credit, Evelyn Laviña encourages the farmers to change their values to attain success and better future in agricultural endeavors.

Laviña, keynote speaker during the “First Leyte EconoMICs Pasidungog 2017,” in Burauen town in Leyte, said farmers should change their visions in their agricultural undertakings to have better understanding and relationships with their co-farmers, government officials and the community for the success in agricultural enterprisses.

“Ngayon sa pagbabago, both you and I and all of us should change our values on how to look at each other. We have to look at each other as something who can help one another,” Laviña said.

With the change of values, Laviña emphasized teamwork among the farmers together with  the government officials.  “We are here to help your officials but you have to help them also. Magtulungan, walang crab mentality, and we can be there to back you up. We need your help very badly.”

Laviña was visibly disappointed on farmers who are reluctant or do not adopt modern and good agricultural practices, do not cooperate in the organization and in community undertakings, and those who do not give value on government assistance extended to them.

Beneficiary farmers should give worth on the projects implemented in their localities. “Whatever project kahit billion pa yan kung hindi natin bigyan ng halaga ay wala yan,” Laviña said.

Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla told reporters that the “Leyte EconoMICs Program” is a poverty reduction agenda focusing on total human and economic development commencing in poor barangays. Eventually other livelihood interventions for them will follow, he added.

Petilla informed reporters that to date, more and more farmers are generating income from high value vegetables, hog fattening, egg-laying, tilapia production, vermicomposting, wing oyster project and seaweed farming.

Moreover, the program provides non-agri skills as well as programs in health and nutrition, values formation and education, social welfare, environment and disaster risk reduction and management and infrastructure support, the governor said.

Petilla explained that the ‘Pasidungog 2017’ “is our way of honoring the achievements and exemplary contributions of our farmers in our poverty reduction and community resiliency efforts.” It honored the top 15, out of the 132 farmer associations that the Capitol had organized and assisted. (FREEMAN)