PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte may come to the province for the 25th Panaad sa Negros Festival.
Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said Friday, March 23, that the President was invited by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. to join the festivity.
He said the Office of the President has already acknowledged the invitation and was asking information about the festival.
"The President may come to the province anytime from April 12 to 22 which is the duration of Panaad Festival because Malacañang is inquiring what Panaad sa Negros is all about,” Masculino said.
He also said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has informed his office that the President may come in April for the signing of the memorandum of agreement between the DA, Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and a farmers cooperative for the implementation of “Bigas Ng Masa” program as Negros Occidental will be the pilot area for the program.
The president will also lead the turnover of the P20 million loan to the cooperative provided by the DA through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) so they could provide their members' production loans under the Production Loan Easy Access (Plea) program.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the P20 million will be loaned out to the cooperative by the ACPC to be used in buying the produce of its members. The produce will be milled in the RPC and the rice will be sold among “Bigas ng Masa” outlets to be established by the Provincial Government in all its localities and other population centers.