Seventeen Farmer Organizations who proposed for Farm Mechanization Service Facility under the Small Livelihood Project (SLP) of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) received the farm implements during an awarding ceremony held at the Farmer’s Pavilion, Provincial Nursery Compound in Tebag East, Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan on July 26, 2017.

The SLP is the Project’s response to the detrimental effects of Typhoon Lando which hit Luzon in October 2015. Recipients of the livelihood project were farmers who were greatly affected when typhoon Lando hit Pangasinan at the time when rice was about to be harvested which caused their huge financial losses.

The farmer organizations shared that their farmer members are still paying debts as an effect of the financial losses incurred when Typhoon Lando hit.

“Wala halos na-harvest ang farmer members ng Coop and other famers in Pangasinan (when Typhoon Lando hit). Kaya up to this time, we are still trying to recover losses from Lando” (Our farmer members and other farmers in Pangasinan almost harvested nothing when Typhoon Lando hit. We are still trying to recover losses up to this time.), said Ms.Elizabeth Laureta of Saranay Agrarian Reform Cooperative.

Saturnino Distor of Aramal Tocok FFF MPC likewise said, “Noong apektado kami ng Typhoon Lando, karamihan sa aming mga myembro ay hindi nakabayad ng        kani-kanilang mga utang. Hanggang ngayon ay naniningil pa po kami. Kaya nagpapasalamat po kami sa programang PRDP. (When Typhoon Lando hit, our farmer-members were not able to pay their loans. We are still collecting payments until now. That’s why we are very thankful to the program of PRDP.)”

The farmer organizations who received a four-wheel tractor, cage roller, rotavator, and trailer were: (1) Raniag Mantacdang MPC in Mantacdang, San Quintin; (2)Saint Paschal Baylon MPC in Poblacion, San Quintin; (3)Maresma MPC in San Andres, Balungao; (4)Capulaan MPC in Capulaan, Villasis; (5)Saranay Agrarian Reform Cooperative in San Macario Sur, Natividad; (6)Laguit Padilla MPC in Laguit-Padilla, Bugallon; (7)Lambayan MPC in Poblacion, Mapandan; (8)Aramal Tocok FFF MPC in Aramal, San Fabian; (9)Nayon Credit Cooperative in Bantog, Umingan; (10)Catablan ARC in Catablan, Urdaneta City; (11)Bayanihan Hundred Islands ARC in Bayanihan, Alaminos City; (12) Southern Binmaley MPC in Pallas, Binamaley; (13) Centro Tomo-Colayo Farmers MPC in Centro-Toma, Bani; (14)Catuday AR Cooperative in Catuday, Bolinao; (15) Atlas Mabuna MPC in Lasip, Malasiqui; (16)Tay-ak Marketing Cooperative in Caburuan, Umingan; and, (17)Mapolopolo Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Mapolopolo, Basista.

Through the SLP-tractor, farmers will enjoy reduced rates for land preparation and hauling. It is expected that these discounts will translate into increase of income among the beneficiaries. Each SLP-tractor has a total investment cost of P1.2 million.

Pangasinan Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino III, who graced the awarding, committed to try his best to double the fund allocation of agriculture in the Province. He solicited the cooperation of SangguniangPanlalawigan Committee Chairman for Agriculture Liberato Z. Villegas who was also present during the awarding to achieve such feat.

Governor Espino asked for the farmers to remain strong, “Ang lakas ninyong magsasaka ay lakas ng inyong pamilya. At ang lakas ng inyong pamilya, iyon po ang lakas ng barangay. Ang lakas ng barangay ay lakas ng bayan o siyudad. At ang lakas ng bayan o ciudad ay lakas ng probinsya. Mawawalan po kami ng lakas kung hindi niyo po palalakasin ang inyong kooperatiba.” (Your strength as a farmer is the strength of your family. And the strength of the family is the strength of the barangay. The strength of the barangay is the strength of the municipality or city. And the strength of the municipality or city is the strength of the province. [The province] will lose its strength when farmer’s cooperatives are not strong.)

Engr. Lito Ramos of Brixton Company, which is the winning supplier for the tractors, also held a Technical Briefing on the Operations and Maintenance of the Farm Machineries after the awarding ceremony.

The Province of Pangasinan has 26 approved SLPs from the PRDP which is the highest number among Ilocos Region provinces. At present, the Province has only four remaining SLPs to award. ### (Dessa U. Estrada and Vida V. Cacal, RPCO 1 InfoACE Unit)