03 Dec 2020, Bambang. Secretary Dr. William D. Dar of the Department of Agriculture (DA) led this morning’s Groundbreaking Ceremony for the DA-funded proposed Multi-Fruit and Vegetable Processing Facility at the Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal (NVAT) Compound in Bambang and thereafter signed, along with Governor Carlos M. Padilla, the covering Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the infrastructure project and the Agency’s Capital Support to the NVAT Trading Operations, amounting to P40M and P25M, respectively.
Governor Padilla, who led scores of local officials joining in the day’s rites, expressed his appreciation and gratitude for Secretary Dar’s deep concern for the Province and in placing it on the Department’s drawing boards for agricultural development programs and projects.
He also lauded the officers and institutional partners of the NVAT for their invaluable efforts in helping the Province’s Agribusiness Sector.
Accompanying him were former Governor Ruth Raña Padilla and Bambang Mayor Pepito D. Balgos.
Also participating as co-signatories and witnesses to the signing of MOAs were Dir. Narciso A. Edillo, Regional Executive Director, DA-RFO02, NVAT General Manager Gilbert M. Cumila, NVSU President Andres Z. Taguiam, and Provincial Legal Officer Voltaire B. Garcia.
Sec Dar, citing perennial reports of spoiling tons and tons of fruits and vegetables following harvest seasons, said that the DA took cognizance thereof and has approved programs and projects in response thereto, which include the aforesaid two (2) projects.
He also presented to Governor Padilla a Certificate that awards to the Province of Nueva Vizcaya certain Agricultural Inputs amounting to P148,315,573. “This is part of the National Government’s Rehabilitation and Recovery Assistance to the Province on account of the adverse effects of the ongoing pandemic and string of destructive weather disturbances”, he declared.
“We are now also looking into some additional cash and food assistance for our farmers, fishermen and livestock growers, and the programming for our Rice Industry of the projected P6.6 billion excess revenues generated from the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law”, he added.
Sec Dar, an international scientist by profession who had extensive high-level engagements in the realm of agribusiness within and outside the country, raised some possible solutions to the Nation’s present and future socio-economic dilemmas associated with Climate Change.
He said, “The Province of Nueva Vizcaya and the rest of the country have vast swathes of idle pasture lands and denuded hills that can be productively converted into fruit tree plantations, for example, thereby contributing to the expansion of forest covers that help in mitigating flooding and soil erosion, while at the same time generating incremental revenues and assuring food security for our people.”
In regard to the recently trending issues about dams, he propounded on the idea of building multi-layered or cascading dams. He said that such innovative structures can help arrest the sudden surging of water that causes flooding on low-lying areas downstream, while at the same provide more and wider bodies of water for aquaculture production.#jlc
