PBBM doles out P543m to boost farm produce

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday gave away a total of P543.16 in government “interventions” for the procurement of modern farming equipment meant to boost and stabilize national food security.

Mr. Marcos, who is also Secretary of Agriculture, underscored the importance of agriculture as the centerpiece of his administration, particularly in the country’s struggle for economic recovery and progress.

“With your great contribution to the country’s agriculture, we sincerely thank you all for your efforts to feed our countrymen. As your President, expect that our administration will always support agriculture,” the President said in brief remarks at the distribution ceremony held in Muñoz City, Nueva Ecija.

Funded through the DA-rice program, the San Andres Small WaterIrrigation System Association (SWISA) of Muñoz received P6 million for the rehabilitation of its impounding project.

The Makabagong Magsasaka MPC of Cabanatuan City, on the other hand, got P5 million for the construction of a warehouse with mechanical dryer.

Also for the Nueva Ecija rice sector, the DA’s Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) distributed P15.97 million worth of hand tractors, four-wheel tractors, transplanters, rice combine harvesters, recirculating dryers, and precision seeders from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

During the event attended by some 2,500 farmer-beneficiaries,exhibitors and DA project partners, the President noted that there are now several local manufacturers of farm inputs, machinery, and equipment evolving from scientific researches and technological innovations meant to improve agricultural productivity.

In Brief

Let Kadiwa sell sugar at cheaper prices—Go

AMID a move by the Sugar Regulatory Administration. (SRA) to sell seized smuggled sugar through Kadiwa stores, Sen. Christopher Go asserted that such action must be done toward making sugar accessible and affordable to benefit the poor “Focus must be on efforts to make such commodities more accessible and affordable to the poor by stabilizing sugar prices and helping address the supply shortage in the country,” Go said.

Implemented by the Department of Agriculture, the Kadiwa program is a government initiative meant to provide affordable and accessible food to Filipinos. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Chinese businessmen eye Bataan freeport

CHINESE investors are eyeing at the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) as a viable site to put up business in the Philippines.

A group of Chinese businessmen led by Director General Qian Fangli of the Department of Electronic Commerce and Information-Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) recently visited the FAB to assess the facility’s viability.

The Chinese contingent inspected areas inside FAB that have potential to be hubs for e-commerce business, warehousing, and logistics, the FAB information office said.

The Chinese visitors were escorted by provincial board member Popoy Del Rosario and Metro Bataan Development Authority manager Bong Pizarro. Butch Gunio

Bataan vice governor eyes more PRDP funds

BATAAN Vice Gov. Cris Garcia has urged local government units in the province to study the meticulous preparation of the documentation requirement of the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP) to secure project grants.

“We can get more grants from PRDP as long as we know how to accomplishtheir meticulous documentation requirement”, she said during the groundbreaking of Orani Fish Landing and Trading Post on Thursday.

The project worth P180 million was funded through PRDP of the Department of Agriculture (DA) .

The vice governor noted that other provinces were able to get bigger grants from PRDP, citing as example Isabela province that reportedly received P1 billion worth of project. Butch Gunio

NAVAL DRILL. The Philippine Navy’s elite special operations forces carry out GOPLAT drill in the ongoing Balikatan 2023, a joint military exercise between the Philippines and the Unites States. The Naval Special Operations Command takes part in a Gas and Oil Platform Takedown and Recovery simulation exercise alongside US Naval Special Warfare troops, meant to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation. US Navy photos