CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga – – The Office of Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) proposed P58 million for the province’s poverty alleviation agenda under the Special Area Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program of the Department of Agriculture.
Provincial Agriculturist Domingo Bakilan informed their office is up with the social preparation of the three-year program for 2019-2022.
The DA earlier announced that Kalinga and Mountain Province are among the 10 new priority provinces in the country for SAAD in 2019.
The program aims to improve food production and assist beneficiaries establish livelihood.
Under the SAAD, municipalities of Tanudan, Pasil and Balbalan shall venture in the production of agricultural products with high market potential.
Identified products for Tanudan and Pasil are banana and organic pigs while for Balbalan are turmeric (yellow ginger), sweet potato, taro and also organic pig.
Each municipality will target 285 families for a 137 hectare production area in three years. In these areas, 855 families are targeted to be alleviated from poverty and should change their standard of living.
At the end of 2022, another social profiling will be conducted to assess whether target families indeed have benefitted.
SAAD is implemented in Apayao which is one of the first 10 priority provinces for this program introduced by DA Sec. Manny Pinol in 2016.** PIA Kalinga
