Elsha Marie S. Arguel says, "DA Equips Pangasinan Farmers With P66 Million Worth Of Machineries" (09 October 2019, PIA, pia.gov.ph). She is writing from Santa Barbara, where farmers have received machineries from the Department of Agriculture, DA, at the Pangasinan Research and Experiment Center in this town.
The 5th Distinct of Pangasinan includes my hometown Asingan in Eastern Pangasinan. Vida Cacal, Region 1 Information Officer, says the lists of farm equipment distributed were arrived at via "the three banner programs of the DA, namely: Rice, Corn and High Value Crops." Each list of equipment "aims to help farmers to be fully mechanized from planting, harvesting, and drying their farm (produce)."
In the middle of the photo above, Erlinda Manipon, Office in Charge-Regional Technical Director for Operations of DA-RF01, and Pangasinan 5th District Representative Ramon Guico III, led the distribution of the machineries worth P66.2 million to some 50 farmers' associations.
Miss Cacal said:
These farmers’ associations submitted their resolution(s) to DA requesting for farm machineries. They were required to submit certain documents and underwent validation and evaluation to qualify for the grant.
On her part, Miss Manipon said that the DA will continuously respond to the needs of the farmers especially on their request for equipment and machineries. She said:
May these projects help you increase your productivity and income so that we can achieve our new Secretary of Agriculture’s goal which is, "Masaganang Ani, Mataas na Kita."
The machineries distributed included 4-wheel drive tractors, combine harvesters, hand tractors, riding-type transplanters, walk-behind transplanters, mobile dryers, hauling trucks, seed cleaners, compact rice mills, water pumps, corn planters, corn shellers, 2-row planters, power sprayers, knapsack sprayers, HDPE pipes, plastic drums, plastic crates, fermentation boxes, pole pruners and moisture meters. I can see that the list covers almost everything – used properly, these ensure that farm operations are efficient and cost less.
I note that the DA also provided P2.78 worth of inbred seeds and P6.07 million worth of hybrid seeds to the qualified beneficiaries. Now then, the air should now be free of farmers complaining!
One last point: The news writer did not provide a list of the groups, but I personally know that there are associations and there are cooperatives – different in functions, operations, and exercise of rights of members. As a Board Member of the Nagkaisa Coop of Asingan, I know coops exercise democracy in its operations while some farmer associations have presidents for life! In a proper coop, power resides in the members; in an association, power resides in the politically powerful.
To ensure that the machineries are used equitably for all members of the cooperatives and associations, I urge the DA to issue & enforce strict guidelines for fairness and equity to prevail. I personally know a farm association in Pangasinan, nameless here, whose President lords over the use of the equipment issued in favor of that association!@517
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