Davao City: The Davao City government and two Dabawenyo farmers bagged this year’s 2020 Regional Organic Agriculture Achievers’ Award in different categories for their contribution to organic farming.
The award given to city government under the Local Government Unit Category is a recognition of the city’s initiatives supporting organic farming in Davao City that is also in line with the Republic Act 10068 also known as the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010.
City Agriculturist Officer Leo Brian Leuterio said the city government has always been supportive of the organic agriculture efforts and one of Mayor Inday Sara Duterte’s goals on food security and good nutrition.
“It’s really about aligning or accomplishing the tenets in the Organic Agriculture Act. The more you are aligned with that, the more points you get. And apparently, in Region 11 we are the most aligned to those objectives,” Leuterio said.
The city also received P300,000 which will be used to set up a vermiculture production in Malagos Garden to better support organic farming in the city.
Also awarded were Dabawenyo farmers – Mr. Janel Juaton from Megkawayan, Calinan in the Young Farmer Category with a cash award of P30,000, and Mr. Neptali Buhawe, an Agricultural Technologist from Marilog District, in the Agricultural Extension Worker Category with P15,000 cash prize.
The city agriculturist office has been producing organic seeds at the city’s rooftop garden and urban community gardens. These are distributed to support organic farmers, the newly established “Stay-at-Home, Magtanom” project, and for the Peace 911 efforts in Paquibato. CIO