Culminating its 32-year journey towards agricultural development in Region XII, the SOCCSKSARGEN Area Development Office (ADPO) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) turned over its project completion report to DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban on July 14.
Receiving P2.28 billion from the national government and US$ 205 million from foreign donors since 1991, the project boasts an array of accomplishments including the construction of 178.44 kilometers of road networks, the installation of 5,408 telecommunication lines, the expansion of the Makar Port, and the establishment of the General Santos City Fish Port Complex and the General Santos City International Airport.
It also led the successful implementation of the SOCCSKSARGEN Integrated Food Security Program (IFSP) from 1999 to 2022, which received a P2.28 billion funding from the DA. It established 374 kilometers of farm-to-market roads to the benefit of more than 481,000 rural populace, constructed 50 irrigation facilities benefiting 21,512 farmers, and distributed 130 units of agri-fishery facilities and equipment among 75,298 agricultural laborers and 60 cooperatives regionwide.
Present during the turn-over of the project completion report were DA Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel de Mesa, DA-SOCCSKSARGEN ADPO Project Manager Ginalyn Fe Cachuela, DA-Regional Field Office (RFO) XII OIC-Regional Executive Director John Pascual, and DA-RFO XII OIC-Regional Technical Director for Operations Zaldy Boloron. ### (photos by Alan Jay Jacalan, DA-AFID)
