DAR launches P169M MinSAAD projects in ComVal

MARAGUSAN, Compostela Valley — The Department of Agrarian Reforms recently inaugurated a total of PhP 169-mIllion worth of Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development (MinSAAD) projects in Compostela Valley.
    
Funded primarily by the Japan government and the Japan International Coordination Agency (JICA), MinSAAD addresses poverty issues in 12 settlement areas in Mindanao through competitive and sustainable agriculture.
    
The settlement areas include the Karagan Valley, a home of 1,002 families in 22,272-hectare lot that lies in between the municipalities of New Bataan and Maragusan, both in Compostela Valley.
    
During the inauguration, DAR turned over five agriculture, agribusiness and agroforestry development projects on abaca, organic rice, peanut, vegetable and cacao to five agrarian reform beneficiary organizations.
    
The identified organizations were Langgawisan-Bahi Tribal Asosciation (LABATA), Kagan Tribal Unity (KATRIBU), Langgawisan Bahi Tribal Agrarian Beneficiaries Cooperative (LABATARBCO), Bahi Irrigators-Farmers Association (BIFA), and Cagan Andap IP Farmers-Irrigators Association (CAIFIA).
    
Aside from the development projects, support infrastructure projects were also launched, which include the 10.32 kilometer Langgawisan-Lanipga, Bahi Farm to Market Road; and Warehouses and Solar Dryers for barangays Langgawisan, Bahi, both in Maragusan town, and Cagan in New Bataan town.
    
Two rural water supply projects were also handed over to Bahi Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (BARBA), and Langgawisan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (LARBA).
    
DAR also gave common service facilities to the agrarian reform beneficiaries consisting of mills and shellers for corn; and dehuller, grinder and roaster for Arabica coffee.
    
As part of the program, 206 residents of the settlement graduated on the season long Farmers’ Field School focusing on coffee, corn and rice.
    
Maragusan Mayor Maricel Colina-Vendiola expressed her gratitude in behalf of the residents, who have long dreamt of these projects, especially the roads.
    
“It was just a dream of the people here. Sa una, dili mi tuohan sa mga tao dinhi not until nasugdan ug himo ang dalan (Before, the people here will not believe us, not until the roads were started to develop),” she said.
    
Mayor Vendiola revealed that her father, then mayor and now vice mayor Cesar Colina, started the opening of the roads in 2009.
    
Meanwhile, New Bataan Mayor Geraldford Balbin encouraged the beneficiaries to properly maintain the projects given to them.
    
“Although ang gobiyerno mohatag man gayod ug daghang ayoda, pero kung kamo dili mosuporta, dili kani mahuman ug molahutay (Although the government will give more projects, this will not push through and be sustained without your support),” he said.
    
Another batch of projects will be turned over later this year, which will include arabica coffee and cord production with livestock and poultry raising; farm to market roads; irrigation project; and spring development. (PIA11, Michael Uy)