Wednesday, October 7, 2015

DA-SELAP Phase II: A legacy for Development in Caraga

DA-SELAP livelihood project in Cagwait, Surigao del Sur 
As the Support to Emergency and Livelihood Assistance Project Phase II (SELAP2) comes to an end this year, the Department of Agriculture Caraga constructed a total of 12 farm to market roads (FMR) since 2012 with a total length of 8.585 kilometers amounting to P48.5 million.

Of the 12 FMRs, only 2 are set to be completed this year at the Province of Dinagat Islands particularly in the municipalities of Dinagat and Cagdianao.

Other FMRs are located at Buenavista, Magallanes and Santiago in Agusan del Norte; San Francisco and Malimono in Surigao del Norte and San Miguel, Lanuza and Cagwait in Surigao del Sur.  

SELAP2 Finance and Livelihood focal person Jessica Da-an said that under SELAP2 all farm to market roads are fully concrete in conformation to a presidential directive.  

“A concreted FMR lasts long and could withstand different climatic conditions in such a way it could be utilized for a longer period of time,” Da-an reiterated.

The government, under the Aquino administration, no longer builds “all-weather” gravel farm-to-market roads (FMRs) as it resolved as early as July 2010 to build only concrete FMR.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the primary problem with gravel roads is that they are not resistant to the effects of changing climate hence DA readily embraced to the resolution.

Alongside with the construction of FMRs, SELAP2 also implemented 19 livelihood projects amounting to P5.7 million and now managed by the respective peoples’ organizations (PO).

Each PO were funded P300,000.00 for their livelihood projects ranging from food processing, handicraft making and production of value adding products from abaca and coconut.

Romueld Borromeo, purok president of Sitio Ipil, Agsam, Lanuza, Surigao del Sur said that the construction of the farm to market road in their area greatly help their constituents for easy movement of products and residents.  

“We are very grateful that DA-SELAP2 constructed this road, it gives us relief from hardships of transporting our products just as we had experienced before, during emergencies this road is a big help,” he narrated.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jose Arpilleda of Madrid, Surigao del Sur said that SELAP project boosted their campaign against malnutrition.

Madrid is a recipient of a livelihood project through the Patong-Patong Rural Improvement Club with their Soya Milk Processing and Soya Coffee.

“With the products made by farmers’ wives as members of the RIC, children can now access a healthy drink which is good for the body not just for the small ones but for the older ones as well,” Mayor Arpilleda said.

The Support to Emergency and Livelihood Assistance Project (SELAP) is a special project of the Government of the Philippines executed by the Department of Agriculture funded by a loan under the US Public Law 480 (PL 480).

It is primarily designed to cater to the needs of the poorest or marginalized sectors and areas in Mindanao. It is implemented in Regions IX, XI and Caraga.

SELAP2 had been implemented since 2012 and would terminate this year while SELAP Phase 1 runs from 2006 to 2011. (Aurelius P. Arais/ DA Caraga)



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