TABUK CITY, Kalinga– Kalinga was recently named as the over-all champion in the Regional Agricultural Achievers Award of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR taking home 13 major outstanding achievers.
As an incentive, the province received P250,000.00 check and a P2.4 million tractor for its five Gawad Saka Award, seven Rice Achievers Award and one Organic Agriculture Achievers Award.
Tabuk City OIC Agriculturist Julibert Aquino said that Tabuk City bagged six of the awards.
SWISA of Tanggal Turod, Bulo was national winner in the Outstanding SWISA of the Rice Achievers’ Awards while Agricultural Technologist Evelyn Orsit of the Tabuk City LGU was national Outstanding Agricultural Extension Worker also in the Rice Achievers’ Awards.
The SWISA of Tanggal Turod, Bulo was awarded a plaque of recognition and P500,000.00 while Orsit also got a plaque and P20,000.00.
The Bantay Rural Improvement Club in Tabuk was named Outstanding Small Farmer category and received a plaque of recognition and P50,000.00 cash incentive, Honorio Clemencia- Outstanding Rice Farmer Adopting Integrated Rice-Based Farming System, Grace Agtina – Outstanding Agricultural Entrepreneur, Jonard Manzano-Outstanding Young Farmer. All the other three received a plaque of recognition and P30,000.00 cash rewards.
Based on the DA-CAR reports other awardees from the province are the Calaocan Farmers Association as Outstanding Small Farmer Organization; SWIP Small Impounding Dam Association, Inc., Jose Casibang, OPAS, Kalinga as Outstanding Agricultural Extension Worker; Nasser Rey Juan, OMAG, Rizal, Kalinga as Outstanding Agricultural Extension Worker ; Rowena Gonnay, OMAG, Pasil, Kalinga is Outstanding Agricultural Extension Worker and as OAEW for Organic Agriculture.
Winners of the Regional Gawad Saka represented the Cordillera Region to the National Gawad Saka Search 2017 which is the most prestigious award given by the Department of Agriculture for outstanding individuals, farmers and fisher folks, as well as rural-based organizations, for their exemplary contributions to the advancement of the agriculture and fishery sectors.
According to Aquino, the City Agriculture Office is continuously providing technical support to potential farmers in the city challenging them to utilize their lands to produce and earn more. Considering the topographical features of the city, integrated farming he said is greatly encouraged
Tabuk is known as the largest rice producing area in the region with a total of 10,417 hectares irrigated area, 800 rain fed and 569 upland rice areas.** Geraldine Dumallig, Tabuk City Information Office
