Tuesday, April 26, 2016

PAMANA projects now big help to Bicol agri-communities, says DA

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 26): PAMANA projects now big help to Bicol agri-communities, says DA

Projects implemented for the agricultural sector in Bicol during the last three years under the government’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program are now providing great help to its recipient communities in the region, according to the regional office here of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

PAMANA is a priority program being undertaken by the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) towards the attainment of economic progress in conflict-affected areas (CAAs) in line with the Aquino administration’s peace agenda geared at ending internal armed conflicts.

The program is also described as a peace and development framework that empowers conflict areas in the country towards attaining economic progress.

From 2011 until last year, the program had already implemented nearly Php.5 billion worth of projects that are now benefiting hundreds of communities in Bicol’s priority areas and DA’s share in the implementation came starting in 2013 when the agency’s regional office got a total amount of about Php110 million for works focused on food security and poverty alleviation.

Out of that 2013 funding, the DA-Bicol implemented in Camarines Norte the Php54.2-million project focused on corn and pineapple production in nine barangays of Sta. Elena and San Lorenzo Ruiz towns.

Its implementation involves social mobilization, preparation and capability enhancement, farm input support, agri-machinery and post harvest, land preparation as well as crop insurance and farm to market roads (FMRs).

For Masbate, on the same year, the provision of production input and farm mechanization equipment was made a primary intervention to improve farm productivity in two municipalities—Mobo and Uson.

Mobo had 11 barangays placed under the PAMANA and allotted a total of Php4.2 million while Uson got Php2.3 million for four barangays.

Putting up of multiplier farms for the production of superior quality breeder cattle for dispersal to pre-indentified beneficiaries was the project initiated, he said.

For Sorsogon, abaca industry rehabilitation, Small Water Impounding Project (SWIP) and the improvement of the Sorsogon Provincial Nursery worth a total of Php25 million to benefit seven municipalities were the DA PAMANA projects implemented in the same year.

In addition, for Sorsogon, the establishment in Gubat town of mechanical dryer worth Php4.9 million; construction of two agricultural tramlines worth Php6 million in the municipality of Irosin; and the Php13-million concreting of the Colambis-Gogon FMR in Cariguran were funded.

Camarines Norte, Masbate and Sorsogon are three of the six Bicol provinces initially considered as “priority” CAAs and the municipalities identified into the program were selected and prioritized based on the criteria set by the OPAPP, the lead agency in the implementation of PAMANA.

The municipal governments in these areas have agreed to provide counterpart funds for the projects they themselves identified as priority towards peace building, CAA reconstruction and economic empowerment of vulnerable communities.

Florentino Ubalde, PAMANA focal person of DA-Bicol, on Tuesday said that last year, a total of Php147.5 in PAMANA budget allocation for the DA was provided and ongoing projects under this include the concreting of the Inoyonan-San Roque Heights FMR in Bula town worth Php10 million; concreting of Gubat-Pinamihagan FMR in the municipality of Lagonoy worth Php12 million; and concreting of Zone 5 to Sitio Maynaga FMR in Tinambac worth Php7.5 million, all in Camarines Sur.

Also from this latest fund release, the province of Camarines Norte got a total amount of Php70 million projects that include the concreting of Manguisoc-Gaboc, Mambungalon and Cayucyucan roads in Mercedes town; Poblacion-Mampili and Mocong-San Jose roads in Basud; and Bagong Silang II and III roads in Labo, Ubalde said.

Masbate got a Php28 million from the 2015 fund for the concreting of Lomocloc FMR in Mobo town; and Maglambong MacArthur-Sto. NiƱo road and Sitio Estampa to Sito Bayanihan FMR in the municipality of Monreal, he said.

Sorsogon, on the other hand, got Php20 million for the concreting of Guruyan-Mangog-Catanusan FMR (Phase II) in Juban town; and Gogon-San Rafael Road (Phase V) in Prieto Diaz.

All those PAMANA road projects implemented in support to agricultural productivity in Bicol, according to Ubalde, are now helping residents gain access to social services and reduce transport cost and travel time from farms to markets in town centers.

Since PAMANA is additional way towards attaining economic progress for the region as its objectives are based on initiating reforms and development projects in CCAs in line with the national government’s peace agenda and ending internal armed conflicts, its implementations are entrusted to local governments, he said.

This is in response to the need to communicate these initiatives of government for the awareness of the constituency that should be highlighted and well-articulated as the primary tool to build the culture of peace and development in communities that are resilient against the anti-government whims of the NPAs, Ubalde stressed.

PAMANA underscores that building resilient communities is one of the two tracks of the Aquino administration in pursuit of a just and lasting peace, the first being the negotiated political settlement of all armed conflicts through formal peace talks.

The program, which has been included in the Philippine Development Plan for 2011 to 2016, aims to respond to and strengthen peace-building, reconstruction and development in CCAs in line with the government’s goal of putting a permanent and just closure to internal armed conflicts, Ubalde added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=879835

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