P100M allotted for ‘sagip saka’

Thursday, February 2, 2012

AROUND P100-million in priority development assistance funding was allotted to implement ‘sagip saka’ initially in 24 beneficiary agricultural communities, including the sugar farmers of Negros Occidental and in Victorias City.

‘Sagip saka’ is an advocacy to achieve sustainable modern agriculture and food security “by transforming agricultural communities to reach their full potential, improving farmers' and fishers' quality of life, and bridging gaps through public-private partnerships.”

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Activities and measures to be done to achieve the program goals include providing access to investments and credit; opening access to market; rolling out infrastructure; strengthening research and development; organizing farmer-communities and cooperatives; ensuring the quality and consistency of supply; and mitigating the risks brought about by climate change.

“Sagip saka is meant to give agriculture and fisheries the primacy that it deserves by focusing on improving the quality of life of our farmers and fisherfolk and, in doing so, building sustainable farming communities nationwide as a means to achieve food security,” the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) explained in yesterday’s statement. “Only through strong public-private partnerships can we achieve this.”

COCAFM co-chair Senator Kiko Pangilinan added that “the real heart of sagip saka is the drive to bring farmers and fisherfolk out of poverty and to give them the respect that their professions so deserve, with the belief that empowering our agricultural sector with financial stability and disposable income will also make a huge impact on our economy.” (CGC)