TESDA backs LGU Tampakan’s Survival Garden project

Part of 21-hectare Survival Garden project site will soon become a training ground for vegetable growers in surrounding communities, most of whom are members of the Blaan tribe, the primary beneficiary of the project. The south side of the Survival offers a panoramic view of the north face of the majestic Mt. Matutum.

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, June 22 (PIA) – The local government of Tampakan has gained partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the development of the municipality’s Survival Garden in Sitio Salway, Barangay Tablu.

TESDA XII Regional Director Rafael Y. Abrogar II and TESDASouth Cotabato Provincial Director Reynaldo Bernal met with Tampakan Mayor Leonard Escobillo at the project site to discuss the support that the national agency could offer to the LGU.

“The immediate action the partnership would do is to conduct an organic agricultural crops production training at the project site,” Director Abrogar told Philippine Information Agency in an interview after the meeting.

Initially, at least 50 vegetable growers working at the farm and in neighboring villages are the By: Danilo E. Doguiles, PIA XII first beneficiaries of the training, Abrogar added. Most of the vegetable growers in the area are members of the Blaan tribe.

“The training is only an initial intervention. Eventually, we will proceed with multi-skilling of the vegetable growers along agriculture-related qualifications,” he said, including but not limited to, processing and preservation of garden products and organic chicken production.

“The immediate need is to train the vegetable growers to upgrade their agricultural productivity,” he said.

TESDA trainings are free of charge and, while on training, beneficiaries will receive financial allowance and other support.

Abrogar explained that their support for the Survival Garden project of LGU Tampakan is in line with the initiative of TESDA to promote agricultural productivity. The municipal government tapped

Rows of seedlings almost ready to be transferred to garden plots at the Survival Garden.

the Blaan tribe residing in the area to manage the garden where assorted vegetables such as Chinese pechay, raddish, eggplant, cabbage, string beans, okra, pumpkin, upo (bottle gourd), and others are grown.

Escobillo also hopes to establish a regional vegetable research facility in the Survival Garden project site, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture.

After the COVID pandemic and when the site shall have been fully developed, LGU Tampakan plans to open the site for farm tourism.