DA-10 takes part on series of BUB consultations

Would you believe that cranberry plants thrive in Cagayan de Oro City?

Cranberry thrives in NorMin

Yes, the first cranberry trees can be seen at Mr. Rodrigo Basallo’s place in Canitoan, Cagayan de Oro City. The propagation of the trees is now expanded in Pagatpat, Cagayan de Oro City and to the municipality of Malitbog, Bukidnon. It is expected that 3 years from now cranberry fruits can be harvested from these areas.

Cranberries can be processed into cranberry ice cream, shake, juice, pastries and cranberry wine. The Basallo family is very optimistic that their produce would surely mean adding income and market would not be a problem because they could be easily tie up to the existing food processing companies not only in Cagayan de Oro City but as well as in neighboring cities. In photo is DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala with the Basallo siblings Michelle Ann, Terence and Philip.# (SVA) (photo credit: Michelle Ann Aquillo).

The Department of Agriculture – 10 (DA-10) partakes on a series of town hall meetings and provincial dialogues regarding the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB) program which started on May 28 and will end on June 25, 2015. This will be held in 6 cities and 17 municipalitiesin 5provinces of Northern Mindanao.

Carlota S. Madriaga, DA-10 BUB Focal Person, said that the activity is conducted to provide venue for the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Local Poverty Reduction Action Team (LPRAT) to resolve issues and concerns regarding the implementation of the CY 2013-2014 projects. This will also serve as a venue for theinvolved agencies to present their approved projects per municipality for CY 2015 and the available proposed for CY 2016.

The participating national government agencies are mandated to attain 80% physical accomplishment by September 2015 for the BUB projects given on CY 2013-2014. This is also one of the reasons why the team conductedthis activity to agree on the submission of lacking documentary requirements in order to fast track the implementation of the approved projects which includes farm-to-market roads, irrigation projects, provision of postharvest facilities, and agri-fishery livelihood projects, Madriaga added.

The Regional Poverty Reduction Action Team – 10 (RPRAT-10) spearheaded this activity with the Department of Interior and Local Government – 10 as the chair. Participating national government agencies such as Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Tourism, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources actively participated in the series of town hall meetings and provincial consultations in the region.# (Cyrus Seraspe, DA-10 RAFIS)