Agri productivity eyed as tool for economic recovery socio-economic development in the island region.
As Mindanao directly suffers from the current global crisis, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said Wednesday that boosting agriculture productivity anew could be a possible way to economic recovery. During the Kusog Mindanaw Virtual Conference Series, MinDA Deputy Executive Director ASec. Romeo Montenegro cited that six out of 10 jobs in Mindanao are related to the agricultural value chain. “So if we wanted to bring back jobs that were lost and create more jobs in the rural areas in moving forward, our direction should be valueadding expanding our agriculture development in Mindanao,” he said.
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“An example of how we would want several other LGUs to look at in terms of approach is on a business case we are now developing in Taraka, Lanao del Sur. Taraka, a fourth class municipality, has been able to take out PHP200 million loan from the Development Bank Montenegro presented of the Philippines (DBP) the facts and figures for the construction of six of Mindanao’s thriving solar-powered irrigation economic landscape amid system (SPIS) and water the COVID-19 pandemic, supply system to value add with agriculture and other agriculture productivity,” related industries as growth he cited. drivers. “These prove that despite the global crisis’ It is also the first SPIS to shocks and disruptions, the be established under the island region can attribute Mindanao Water Supply its resilience to agriculture Program launched by being the only sector that MinDA, the Department poses a positive growth in of the Interior and Local this challenging time,” he Government, and DBP, stressed. the agencies involved in Also, Montenegro bats for Mindanao’s equitable budget share and pushes for the prioritization of catalytic infrastructures and industries development, which are needed to usher in an inclusive and sustainable
|October 30-November 5, 2021
crafting the MinDAWater Program. Currently, rice farmers of Taraka, an old town beside the 34,000-hectare Lake Lanao, will plant a second crop in one year with the opening of the first-ever local government-funded SPIS.#
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