MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur — Two hundred units of direct solar dryers were constructed in different barangays of Marawi City and the 39 municipalities of Lanao del Sur by the provincial government of Lanao del Sur.
This is a 12 x 12 concrete pavement for exposing crops to direct sunlight under the open sky.
“In a province that is rich in agricultural lands and where growing and harvesting crops, such as rice and corn, is the main source of livelihood, a solar dryer is very useful,” Governor Mamintal “Bombit” Alonto Adiong, Jr. said.
“Farmers in various municipalities now have a place to dry their crops for free,” he further said.
Upon lobbying for and receiving the funds of these solar dryers from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (Armm) in 2014, Adiong immediately implemented the project with the local farmers in mind.
Adiong said the provincial government is hoping to help farmers in the province come up with good quality products and improve their livelihood.
They just need to coordinate with their respective barangay leaders for use of these dryers, he added.
Janisha B. Dimaampao-Ali, a resident of the municipality of Poona Bayabao, said the solar dryer in their area was used for drying rice grains and conducting of the weekly flag ceremony of nearby schools. “The youth here also uses it for recreational purposes during weekends,” she said.
Azam Macabando of Marawi City, on the other hand, said the solar dryer in Barangay Kapantaran is being used not only for drying of corn but also as playground for the children. “Various non-government organizations also use it for their medical missions,” he added. (PIA-10)
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