THE Department of Agriculture-Davao will award today this year’s Gawad Saka awardees at the Grand Regal Hotel, Davao City.
DA-Davao Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section (Rafis) chief Noel T. Provido, in an interview with Sun.Star Davao at the sidelines of Monday’s Kapehan Sa Dabaw at the SM City-Annex, said that a total of 14 awardees will be recognized today, eight of whom are recipients of Gawad Sakspecial citation while six will be hailed as regional winners.
“Winners of this year’s Gawad Saka Achievers Award are well-screened, we do not give them these awards just for the sake of it, these recipients are indeed worthy of the Gawad Saka Award,” he said.
He added that recipients of the special citation met the standard of 85 percent while regional winners are 95 percent an above.
Gawad Saka is an annual national search of the DA for outstanding farmers and fishermen in the country.
“This is entirely to make farmers feel that their efforts for excellence and sustainable farming are not left unrecognized, this is to inspire farmers to do better and show that there is income in farming, agriculture,” he said.
For this year’s Gawad Saka, Davao Del Norte emerged as the regional champion, followed by Davao Oriental as first runner up, and Compostela Valley as second runner-up.
The Gawad Saka regional winners are Danilo Diwata of Gov. Generoso, Davao Oriental as Outstanding Small Animal Raiser, Virgilio Balicog of New Corella, Davao del Norte as Outstanding Large Animal Raiser, Danilo Cereño of San Isidro, Davao Oriental as Outstanding Fisherfolk (Fish Culture), Dr. Merlina Juruena of Tagum City, Davao del Norte as Outstanding Agri-researcher, Isidro Aniñon and Family in Maco, Compostela Valley Province as Outstanding Farmer Fisherfolk Family and PAFC Davao Del Norte as Outstanding Provincial AFC.
While, the awardees of the Gawad Saka special citation are Marcos Cabrera of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte as Outstanding Rice Farmer, Meriam Pleños of San Isidro, Davao Oriental as Outstanding Corn Farmer, Jovito Arreza of Gov. Generoso, Davao Oriental as Outstanding High Value Crops Farmer, El Tigre Food Products in Cateel, Davao Oriental as Outstanding Agri-entrepreneur, Nelly Wenceslao of Lupon, Davao Oriental as Outstanding Fisherfolk (Fish Capture), Checkered Farms Agrarian reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Cfarbemco) in Panabo City, Davao del Norte as Outstanding Small Farmer Fisherfolk Organization, Barangay Balagulan RicSto. Tomas Davao del Norte as Outstanding Rural Improvement Club and FARMC in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental as Outstanding FARMC.