COTABATO CITY – The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAF-ARMM) distributed over P7.5 million worth of projects, comprising of farm equipment and livestock for livelihood, to cooperatives in Maguindanao province.
These initiatives are under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayaman (PAMANA) program of the agency. Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) communities are the program’s direct beneficiaries.
Lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM executive secretary and concurrent DAF-ARMM officer-in-charge, led the distribution of 16 farm equipment and 400 heads of livestock on November 26, 27 and December 1 at the ARMM compound in this city.
The farm equipment – composed of mobile rice mill, rice thresher, and corn sheller – are estimated to be worth over P3.7 million while the livestock – comprising of cows, carabaos, and goats – are estimated at P3.8 million.
The cooperative-beneficiaries of the farm equipment are Malangit MNLF Farmers Marketing Cooperative, Sitio Basak MNLF Multi-Purpose Cooperative, NASCOM Striking Force MNLF Farmers Producers Cooperative, Sandigan Agri Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Stronghold Agricultural Producers Cooperative, Frontline National Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Pagawayan Urban Poor Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Salipongan Hidaya Producers Cooperative, and RNUC Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
On the other hand, the recipients of the livestock are Tagie Farmers and Fisherfolks Marketing Cooperative, Mangadeg Bangsamoro Farmers Marketing Cooperative, Iganagampong Farmers Marketing Cooperative, Lower Idteg Bangsamoro Producers Cooperative, Kayaga MNLF Farmers Marketing Cooperative, Sitio Basak MNLF Multi-Purpose Cooperative, NASCOM Striking Force MNLF Farmers Producers Cooperative, Camp Safaruddin Women Auxiliary Unit, and NBC Bangsamoro Marketing Cooperative
Marani Samiana, a father of two and the representative of Sitio Basak MNLF Multi-Purpose Cooperative, expressed his gratitude to ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman and to the autonomous regional government for the assistance extended. Since the creation of the cooperative in 2002, he said this was the first time they received such form of assistance from the government.
The Sitio Basak MNLF Multi-Purpose Cooperative, with more than 150-members, received a corn sheller, a rice mill, and 15 heads of cows. Samiana said that these would be a big help in uplifting the lives of the people in their community.
On November 26, the agency through its Agri-Pinoy program also turned-over farm equipment composed of hand tractor with implements, rice threshers, and floating tillers to 25 cooperatives in Maguindanao. The equipment amounted to P3.6 million.
The PAMANA program is an initiative of the national government to achieve peace and development in conflict-affected areas. The Agri-Pinoy Rice program on the other hand, is one of the banner initiatives of the Department of Agriculture targeting rice farming and uplifting the lives of Filipino farmers. (Bureau of Public Information)
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