The government has distributed P1-billion worth of agriculture interventions in Zamboanga Peninsula.
On Thursday, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, assisted by Agriculture Secretary William Dar, turned over certificates of award to local government executives and rice farmers in Zamboanga Peninsula. The certificates of award represent the P1-billion worth of agricultural projects – such as farm-to-market roads (FMR) – and financial assistance for the recipients.
The turnover ceremony was conducted as part of the joint meeting of the National and Regional Task Forces to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (N/RTF-ELCAC).
In a statement, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said the FMRs and agricultural projects in Zamboanga Peninsula form part of the Duterte government’s flagship program in addressing communist rebellion and attaining sustainable and inclusive peace in the country.
The FMR projects, worth P630 million, include the NRJ San Roque-Rizalina FMR; Mapang-Mabuhay FMR; NRJ Gatas, Kalawit-Bantayan-Poblacion; PRJ Gumahan-Diwan-Parasan-Mabuhay-Sudlon FMR; and Punawan-Sitio Pagaypayan-Sioton FMR.
The five FMRs will be constructed under the DA's Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), which is funded by the World Bank.
Aside from the FMRs, Duterte and Dar led the distribution of P346-million worth of Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) to 69,200 farmers in the province.
During the turnover ceremony, Dar committed to continuing working with the NTF-ELCAC in pursuit of national and regional projects related to agriculture and fishery development.