The government has set aside nearly PHP10 billion for the Philippine Rural Development Plan (PRDP) in Calabarzon (Region 4-A) to stimulate economic development in the area, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Thursday.
During the distribution of presidential assistance to farmers and fisherfolk affected by the El Niño phenomenon in San Jose, Batangas, Marcos said the PHP10-billion project, which aims to empower and modernize the agri-fishery sector, includes the construction of access roads and irrigation systems.
Among the ongoing projects he cited are the Taal Lake Circumferential Road, Lobo Malabrigo–San Juan Laiya Road, Quipot Irrigation Project and Macalelon Irrigation Project.
“Kami po ay patuloy na kumikilos upang palakasin ang ekonomiya ng Calabarzon. Mula noong 2023 hanggang 2024, nakapagbigay na po tayo ng halos sampung bilyong piso para sa Philippine Rural Development Plan dito sa Region 4-A (We are working to boost the economy of Calabarzon. From 2023 to 2024, we have already allotted nearly PHP10 billion for the Philippine Rural Development Plan here in Region 4-A),” Marcos said.
The PRDP is geared towards empowering local farmers and fisherfolk through improving their agricultural productivity, income opportunities, and living conditions.
To increase the revenue of farmers, Marcos also highlighted the need to add value to their agricultural products through processing.
The government distributed machinery and equipment to achieve this goal, including farm tractors, hauling trucks, combine harvesters, rice threshers, grain collector baggers, corn husker shellers, hammer mills, forage choppers, cassava graters, and chippers.
“Ito po ay dahil binibigyan natin po ng pagkakataon ang ating magsasaka na hindi na dinadala ang kanilang produkto, ang raw material kung tawagin para i-process sa ibang lugar. Dito, sa paggamit nitong mga makinaryang ito ay kaya na mag-processing kahit small scale lang, kaya na mag-processing ang ating mga magsasaka, ang ating mangingisda (We are giving farmers an opportunity to stop transporting their products, or raw materials, to another location for processing. With the help of such machinery, processing could be done, even if it is just on a small scale, by our farmers and fisherfolk),” he said.
During the event, the President handed more than PHP70 million to the three provincial governments–PHP24,040,000 to Batangas; PHP17,420,000 to Laguna; and PHP28,810,000 to Quezon.
Marcos also distributed cash assistance amounting to PHP10,000 each to 30 select beneficiaries from the three provinces.
The Department of Agriculture provided farm machinery, equipment, fiber boats, seeds, fishing cages, and other items under the following programs: Rice Program, Corn Program, High Value Crops Development Program, National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program, Livestock Program and Organic Agriculture Program.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez distributed cash assistance, business kits, starter toolkits, certificates of scholarship and five kilos of rice to each attendee. (PNA)
