Home to picturesque and majestic caves, Brgy. Pisan in Kabacan, North Cotabato will soon gain income from the agriculture sector, and not solely rely on tourism.
Agriculture Secretary F. Manny Piñol graced the launching of the P8-M small water-impounding project (SWIP) in the remote village on May 10, 2019.
The said project will enable the people around the servicing area to plant all year round, as the SWIP will provide sufficient water for irrigation in nearby agricultural lands. The area is planted with rice and corn.
“I am happy that I am able to reach far-flung places like this as I personally hear and learn the needs of our farmers in these areas,” Piñol said.
Pisan residents, especially the indigenous people (IP’s) who came down from the mountains, were excited to meet the agriculture secretary in person.
“It is our first time that an agriculture secretary reached out and interacted with us,” the crowd exclaimed in excitement.
During the event, Blaan tribe leader Alejandro Gulabay received 30 heads of carabaos in behalf of the tribe. The animals, alongside other assistance such as farm implements, seeds, and fertilizer will be distributed to 30 families to jump-start their agricultural activities.
On the same day, farmer Rolando Tugade, who lent his 40-hectare land to the Blaan tribe, was rewarded with a unit of 35-horsepower tractor.
The agri chief was all praises for Tugade, who asked nothing in return for his property on loan. His land, where the SWIP was established now serves as a production area for 30 Blaan families displaced by conflict in their area. The families, who are allowed to stay in Tugade’s land now earn a decent livelihood.
Pisan was once known as an operational territory of a terrorist group. The stigma may soon be forgotten following the implementation of livelihood programs that have stabilized the living condition of its residents.
Various interventions from the government have also empowered the residents and enabled them to earn from both tourism and agriculture.
“I will certainly come back here to see the impact of our interventions. If I see that your lives have changed for the better, then it is a clear indicator that we (the government) have succeeded,” Piñol added. ### (Carlos Cezar Baldosa, DA-AFID)
