During the opening of the 12th Begnas Festival at the Municipality of Tubo, Abra on December 19, 2022, the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) through its Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo (4K) Program turned over PHP8.4 million-worth of support to the livelihood and agricultural development projects of the 25 Farmer Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) under the Tipon ti Umili Para iti Panangsalwad ti Naparswaan (TIPON) in Tubo, Abra Province covering the 10 barangays.
The Begnas Festival is being celebrated by the Maeng ethnolinguistic group of Tubo symbolizing their thanksgiving to Apo Kabunian (the Creator) for a prosperous year of bountiful agricultural harvests while also highlighting their preserved cultural heritage throughout the years.
The festivity is also attuned with the 4K Program’s overall goal which is geared towards helping develop the agricultural lands in the ancestral domain to be productive through profitable, self-sustaining, and resilient agricultural enterprises.
In her inspirational message, DA-RFO CAR Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations Atty. Jennilyn M. Dawayan, representing Regional Executive Director Cameron P. Odsey emphasized that the partnership with the Municipality of Tubo for agricultural development is perpetual not only through the 4K Program but through other programs of the DA, as well.
She said that aside from the 4K Program, the DA has also supported Tubo’s 616 rice farmers through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) in 2021, and 782 RCEF-RFFA farmer-beneficiaries in 2022.
“Granting your interventions is just one portion of the 4K Program but the intensification of your collaboration and relationship with one another is through capability building activities which will really define the success of your projects in support of your Ancestral Domain (AD). We are also partnering with your Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), Municipal Veterinary Office (MVO), and Agricultural Program Coordinating Office (APCO) with all these endeavors. Likewise, I am congratulating you for being one of not more than five LGUs that prioritized the opening of MVO. So in terms of your agricultural inquires and concerns, associate with MAO for crops, MVO for livestock and poultry, and APCO for all agricultural projects,” Dawayan added.
The ceremonial turnover of livelihood and agricultural projects support included the provision of interventions on the AD’s coffee production, rice production, sugarcane production, banana production, vegetable production, chicken egg production, goat production, cattle production, carabao production, and native ginger production. Aside from the technical assistance, the Program was able to support the 25 FCAs through social capability-building activities to enhance their organizational responsibilities and commitments.
“Ninety-five percent (95%) of the Maeng tribe are engaged in farming, and even with the presence of the pandemic, all of us are truly elated and grateful for your continuous support in the development and sustainability of our agricultural livelihoods through grit,” said Tubo Vice Mayor Guilbert P. Balangan as he received the certificate of award while acknowledging the efforts of the DA-RFO CAR and partner agencies who are behind the success of the various projects assisted.
Moreover, the TIPON farmer-beneficiaries represented by their President and Municipal Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representative, Dizon Viernes received the turnover certificate. He also expressed his gesture of solidarity with the Program for being an instrument in responding to the aspirations of the IP farmers.
Municipal Agriculturist Daniel Daagdag, on the other hand, enthused that the joint venture with DA will inculcate to the farmer-beneficiaries the value of sustainability of all the provided agricultural interventions and to take part in serving according to its purpose.
“Rest assured that the DA will always support your agricultural priority projects as long as these are within the menu of the DA and upon compliance with all the requirements that are required by certain projects. Let us continue to value the relationship we have commensurate to your Begnas theme: Amano ken nadunggo ay serbisyo, isiksikad Dap-ay Di Tubo,” Dawayan ended.**Pullen Angway, 4K Program Information Officer
