Department of Agriculture
Photo Release
January 30, 2012
Senator Francis Pangilinan (right) and Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala (2nd from right) hand over a symbolic golden shovel to Oriental Mindoro Governor Aurelio Umali (2nd from left) and Felix Baguilat of Ifugao, representing the first batch of beneficiaries of ‘Sagip Saka,’ an advocacy aimed at transforming agricultural communities to reach their full potential, improving farmers’ and fishers’ quality of life, and bridging gaps through public-private partnerships. Launched January 27 at Club Filipino in San Juan, Sagip Saka has an initial seed fund of P129 million to implement various projects of the initial batch of 24 farmers’ groups and communities. Of the amount, Senator Pangilinan has allotted P100 from his Priority Assistance Development Fund, while the Department of Agriculture is sharing P20 million to rehabilitate the Ifugao Rice Terraces. Provincial governments are sharing counterpart funds to finance respective ‘Sagip Saka’ projects like calamansi production and marketing in Oriental Mindoro. (Photo by Alan Jay Jacalan, DA Information Service)