By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur— Bernardo Adtoon, a farmer from Barangay Langag in the town of Esperanza, has successfully sent his three children to college due to the significant income from his rubber tree products after applying the right techniques in rubber farming.
Previously, the family’s situation was tough as they worked as farm laborers earning only P200 per day.
“The technology we learned through USAD has greatly helped us,” Adtoon said in vernacular.
Adtoon is among the farmer-enrollees of Upland Sustainable Agriforestry Development (USAD) who have proven that their lives have improved after learning the proper farming technologies through the intervention of the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur.
They are from various rural areas of the province who are beneficiaries of USAD and Sustainable Lowland Agricultural Development (SLAD) programs under the centerpiece Poverty Alleviation Program.
Their testimonies were highlighted in video statements shared by Gov. Santiago B. Cane, Jr. during his State-of-the-Province Address (SOPA) on June 20 at the Covered Court of the Datu Lipus Makapandong Sports Complex.
Jessielyn Calderon, a banana farmer from Barangay Tagabase in Esperanza, shared his experience, saying that the additional income from her farm is now funding her grandchildren’s education, who are now equipped with learning tools.
Jollybien Rufon, who grows cacao, now makes tableya products and earns between P5,000 and P10,000 per order as his products gain popularity in the market.
Avelino Pedroso, a farmer from Barangay Milagros in Esperanza, produces vermicompost fertilizers and can now supply 500 sacks of fertilizer.
“Before, it was just a sideline, but now my earnings from it are bigger,” he said. “With a smaller capital, I’m earning more,” he explained, emphasizing the significance of the technology taught to him by the USAD program.
Irish Damarillos, a single mother from Barangay Anahawan in the town of Sibagat, shared how she has overcome financial struggles after increasing her livestock from nine to 22 pigs.
“I’ve been able to send my children to school even though I’m raising them on my own,” she said.
Even farmer groups such as the Mahayahay Farmers Association in Sibagat have seen a significant increase in their income due to the assistance they received from the SLAD program.
“Our cash in the bank was only P70,000 before, but now it has grown to P250,000,” said Nestor Dapar, the chairman of the group, which benefited from a combined harvester and mini farm tractor.
Sheldon Mangudo from Poblacion, Bayugan City, now earns between P40,000 and P45,000 from his piggery, which funds the education of his children. His wife is expected to complete her college degree this year.
Gov. Cane believes that these programs will continue to lead to more farmers’ success and reduce poverty through the healthier lands of Agusan del Sur.
The provincial government inaugurated on June 24, the state-of-the-art soil research laboratory inside the government complex at the provincial capitol in Prosperidad town, which would help farmers know the right amount of nutrients for their farmlands through soil analysis.
The laboratory manned by soil experts can accommodate at least 50 to 100 samples a day, and results will come out two to three days later.
“But all of this will be achieved if farmers show more diligence,” the governor reminded.
