Four local government units (LGUs) from Surigao del Norte and three other farmer-cooperatives in the Caraga Region have received PHP9.9 million worth of financial aid from the Department of Agriculture (DA).
In a statement Wednesday, the regional agriculture office in Caraga (DA-13) said the towns of Burgos, Pilar, Sta. Monica, and Placer got the government aid.
“The financial grants were released through the DA’s Enhanced Kadiwa Financial Grant Assistance Program through the efforts of Sen. Ma. Imelda Josefa ‘Imee’ Marcos,” the DA-13 said.
The town of Sta. Monica got PHP4 million; Pilar, PHP1.5 million; Burgos, PHP987,000; and Placer, PHP300,000.
Aside from the LGUs, three farmers’ cooperatives in the region were also recipients of the financial grant during Tuesday’s release here.
The cooperatives included the Magsaysay Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Madrid, Surigao del Sur with PHP1.5 million; Kangyat Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, PHP1 million; and the Nuevo Campo Development Cooperative in San Benito, Surigao del Norte, PHP612,500.
Ronald Malaque, chair of Magsaysay Multi-Purpose Cooperative, welcomed the government support.
“We will use it (grant) as working capital and a fund to purchase a delivery truck so that we can easily consolidate the local produce of our farmer-members,” Malaque was quoted as saying.
Louie Ville Lerona, Sta. Monica municipal agriculture office chief, said the LGU will use the fund to help at least two other farmers’ cooperatives in the town.
DA-13 Director Ricardo Oñate Jr. thanked Senator Marcos for her continuing support of DA’s Kadiwa program, which primarily aims to assist community-based organizations in making their stores sustainable.
“Under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we are doubling our efforts to ensure that the food supply and the food prices are within everyone’s reach,” he said.
Since 2020, some 30 farmers’ cooperatives and four LGUs in the region have received financial grants through the Kadiwa program. (PNA)
