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Monday, July 31, 2006
Caraga execs urge gov't: Shun politics
By Ben Serrano
Caraga Correspondent
PATIN-AY, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur -- Political and business leaders of Caraga region reiterated calls for national unity and survival during the recently concluded two-day 12th Caraga Business Conference in Butuan City last week.
These leaders challenged government officials and business leaders in Manila to focus more in the campaign against poverty especially in the countryside rather than wasting valuable time politicking.
Despite being rich in natural, agricultural and forestry resources and its wood industry supplying 70 percent of the country's wood needs, Caraga Region at present is the poorest among all sixteen regions in the country.
More than 300 participants from private and public sector also called on the people of Caraga Region to help build communities, strengthen capabilities and enhancing skills in developing the agriculture and forestry resources of the region for sustainable development.
They said Caraga folks should not pin their hopes in other illegal means like gambling and unwise use of natural resources.
Farmer leaders also challenged government to modernize agriculture while extending more incentives to working farmers in order to make agriculture a viable industry to young people.
Agusan del Sur local officials headed by Governor Adolph Edward Plaza said the decreasing interest of Filipino youths to farming is alarming and is to blame for the declining productivity in the agricultural sector.
Greater opportunity
In a speech before 300 participants, Plaza said the Provincial Government is willing to invest its last centavo to develop the agriculture sector of the province.
He said they have already strengthened the education sector to develop strategies and curricula in schools that will entice more youths to the agriculture sector.
"It is very saddening to note that graduates in agriculture school are working as domestic helpers and waiters abroad while some are applying for clerical jobs at the provincial capitol," Plaza said.
He said he is encouraging agricultural schools to teach agriculture students right there at the farms and dip their hands in mud planting.
"Even as they touch computer's key pads researching and browsing internets for modern agricultural technologies" Plaza said.
The province is developing a P25 million green house at the sprawling 80 hectares Taniman Ng Bayan Center in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur where seedlings of all sorts can be developed and found available to all young and old farmers alike.
The Philippine's Commercial Attaché' for China, Dr. Archimedes Gomez of the Department of Trade and Industry said Agusan del Sur's agricultural products like fresh fruits, coconut coir, mango puree' and abaca fiber have greater opportunity for the huge market in China.
Around 6,000 hectares of abaca plantation is set to be developed in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur while a huge wood processing firm for veneer and plywood is set to open before the year ends in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur.
At present, Agusan del Sur is host of the two huge palm oil plantation and processing plants, the Filipinas Palm Oil and AGUMIL while its rice production has a surplus of more than 500,000 sacks a year.
Cut flower and other ornamental plants for export quality are now being developed in other parts of the province while Agusan del Sur is now host of thousands of hectares of export quality and sweet variety of Durian, Mangosteen and other high yield and value tropical fruits.
(July 31, 2006 issue)
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