Davao del Norte: As COVID-19 still persists, the provincial government of Davao del Norte perseveres to secure the food and livelihood of its constituents through its “Kausa sa Agrikultura ug Panginabuhian sa Barangay” or KAAGAPAY Program.
Davao del Norte Provincial Governor Edwin I. Jubahib has started waging the enhanced KAAGAPAY program of the provincial government that now widens into reforestation, dubbed as “TUPAD ug Kaagapay sa Pag-ayo sa Kinaiyahan Project”.
The rollout of this project is boosted with funding from the Deaprtment of Labor and Employment (DOLE) which poured P10 million through its “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers” known as TUPAD.
DOLE banners TUPAD as a “community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum 10 days”.
Jubahib carries his message of gratefulness for DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Senator Joel Villanueva for allotting P10 million TUPAD funds for Davao del Norte in support to the continued rollout of KAAGAPAY which has widened coverage from backyard and community gardening to planting agro-forest trees.
In his sortie launching of TUPAD and KAAGAPAY Para sa Pag-ayo sa Kinaiyahan Project in Sto Tomas and San Isidro towns today, Jubahib revealed that about 2,600 out-of-job individuals and those who have lost their livelihood either due to COVID-19 or due to African swine fever (ASF), are set to benefit from this project.
They will be planting agro-forest trees and various vegetable earning P396 pesos per day within 10 days.
“Gawas nga naay income aduna pa jud mo’y I-harvest. Ang kahoy nga inyong gitanum para man ni sa kaayuhan sa inyong barangay; ang gulay nga inyong gitanum, kinsa man ang mo harvest ani? kamo lang usab sa inyong barangay,” he told this morning TUPAD beneficiaries of Barangay Datu Balong in the Municipality of San Isidro.
Jubahib earlier also had an audience with beneficiaries of TUPAD working for KAAGAPAY in Barangay New Visayas, Municipality of Sto Tomas.
He assured TUPAD beneficiaries in both municipalities that the provincial government will be buying harvests in excess of what they can consume at the household and community levels.
The KAAGAPAY Program has tasked the Davao del Norte Investment and Promotion Center (DNIPC) to mop up and buy excess vegetables, fruits and other agricultural produce of barangays, and find market for such.
Aside from ensuring food and income to every household in Davao del Norte, Jubahib also envisions of bringing back good state of nature, correcting global warming, preventing flooding and restoring natural habitat.
From the initial stage of household and community gardening, Jubahib sets to expand into agro-forest planting with some 6,000 prepared seedlings of Molave, Narra and Falcata. He eyes the barangays of Dato Balong, Dakudao, San Miguel and Linao in the Municipality of San Isidro among the target agro-forest planting sites.
In the midst of crises, Jubahib believes that the desired food security of the national and local government can be achieved through united efforts of everyone….. Jeanevive Duron-Abangan, OIC Michael Manguhig RPN Dxkt Davao
