WESTERN Visayas has produced three national winners in the 2014 Gawad Saka search for outstanding farmers and fisherfolks in glittering ceremonies in Metro Manila by December this year with President Benigno Aquino III giving the plaques and cash prizes to the winners.
Department of Agriculture Reg. Dir. Larry P. Nacionales said that 10 entries of Western Visayas had passed the regional screening of 2014 Gawad Saka search for outstanding farmers and 3 are qualified for the national level. DA 6 will be holding the regional awarding ceremony next month.
To compete in the national tilt are regional awardees Ramon Uy, Jr. of Talisay, Negros Occidental as the outstanding organic farmer, Rudy Golez of Guimaras as the outstanding coconut farmer and the Sipalay Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (FARMC) as the outstanding FARMC.
DA Region 6 reported that other regional nominees are the John Nievares’ family of Miag-ao, Iloilo for the farm family category; Resty John Suerto of Bago City, Negros Occidental for the young farmer category; Southern Iloilo Multi-purpose Cooperative, Inc. in Oton, Iloilo for the small farmer/fisherfolk organization category; Herminia Decaniel of Bago City, Negros Occidental for the sugarcane farmer category; Hansel Montaño of Isabela, Negros Occidental for the corn farmer category; Gilson Yap of Oton, Iloilo for high value crops farmer category and Federation of Hamtic Rural Improvement Club (RIC) of Hamtic, Antique for the RIC category.
Individual regional winners will receive P30, 000 each while winning groups will receive P50, 000 worth of project grant. Attached bureaus of the department will also give P50, 000 cash prize to winners in their respective categories.