SAN Simon Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr. has pleaded to farm owners in the town to avoid selling their properties to businessmen.
Punsalan made the call in line with his bid to protect the remaining agricultural land in the town and ensure food security among Simonians and Kapampangans in the coming years.
"Please, do not sell your farmlands anymore. I am not against development but never at the expense of our food security. This not just for me or you, but for our children and the next generations, too," he said.
In return, Punsalan assured farmers of the sustained support that will be provided by the local and national government to them. This includes seed support, access to farming machines that can boost their production and post-production activities, continuous development of irrigation system and availability of financial grants and loans.
"The local government is allocating substantial amounts for agriculture, and I will continue to source funds from the National Government and private sector-partners to ensure that you will have all the assistance you may need in cultivating your lands," he said.
At present, Punsalan said about 56 percent of lands in San Simon remain agricultural, while the rest are either commercial, industrial and residential.
He said San Simon is also among the top producers of rice in the province and the region to date.