“This is a big opportunity given to us by the Philippine Rural Development Project of the Department of Agriculture. We have burned our midnight candles to comply with the requirements. The civil works of these enterprises amount to more than 16 million pesos. Construction of the 4^th I-REAP subproject, the Beef Cattle Feeder Enterprise will commence soon,” Mayor Joseph Salvador Tan said during the inauguration of Mungbean Seed Marketing and Production, Peanut Marketing and Production and Mungbean Marketing and Production Enterprises located at Barangays Sinsayon, Ambalatungan and Rizal in Santiago City respectively.

“Patience has its rewards. I salute the city government for meeting the stringent requirements of the PRDP. On this note, let it be known that we share the same vision for food sufficiency, income for cooperatives and small holding farmers and above all, inclusive growth. I urge you to keep your faith in the government. Let us work together for the common good,” DA RFO 2 Regional Executive Narciso A. Edillo underscored in his inspirational message.

With RED Edillo were Ms. Kay Olivas, I-PLAN Component Head, Ms. Rosario Paccarangan, I-REAP Component Head and staff, Engrs. Carol Garcia and Bryan Datul from Procurement Unit, Dr. Freddie B. Corsino, Action Officer, and Mr. Dicksteine Pascual and Dr. Ferdinand N. Cortez from the InfoACE Unit.

The 3 Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP)-funded enterprises, completed barely a year after construction was started elicited gratitude from the beneficiaries and proponent groups-the Group of 10 Council of Irrigators Association (G 10), Buenavista Multipurpose Cooperative (BMPC) and Farmers Council of Irrigators Association (FCIA) during the turn over ceremonies.

The inauguration was made more meaningful because the City Project Management and Implementing Unit (CPMIU) held the groundbreaking ceremonies of the 4^th enterprise in Santiago City, the Beef cattle Feeder Enterprise proposed by the Samahan ng mga OFW ng Santiago City Consumers Cooperative.

“These efforts shown by the CPMIU under the leadership of Mayor Tan speaks about teamwork. It also fortifies our partnership in agricultural reforms, in achieving an overall platform meant to facilitate multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development in the countryside,” Edillo said.

Santiago City, one of the eight cities nationwide with PRDP-funded approved subprojects has earned its stars being one among the cities with completed subprojects. Aside from the four enterprises, the CPMIU awaits No Objection Letter 1 (NOL 1) for Sinsayon-Cabulay, Rizal-Abra, Baluarte-Sinili and Calaocan-Batal farm-to-market roads (FMRs) which directly support the four enterprises.

The city has 37 barangays, 25 of these are in rural areas. More than 78.93 percent of the city’s land area of 21,631 hectares is devoted to agriculture, making farming as the city’s dominant economic activity. (Ferdinand N. Cortez, RPCO2 InfoACE)