Korea project lauded

ILOILO CITY — The project funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for upland farmers in Panay Island has been one of the top-performing projects of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Remelyn Recoter, DA’s Western Visayas regional director, said the Panay Island Upland Sustainable Rural Development Project (PIU-SRDP) emerged as one of the 16 foreign-assisted and one of DA’s eight locally funded projects for the first six months of the year.

“We hope to share best practices which are worth emulating by other regions,” said Recoter.

DA Western Visayas Regional Technical Director Manuel Olanday earlier explained to Manila Bulletin that the five-year project is designed to improve income generation for upland farming communities as well as boost food security by improving productivity.

It has been implemented in upland barangays of Alimodian town in Iloilo, Patnongon town in Antique and Jamindan and Tapaz towns in Capiz.

It is now on its third phase of implementation, which will focus on marketing improvement projects such as establishing Ten Bayanihan Tipon Centers and one Local Food Terminal.

These will enhance the marketing system in the upland communities as well as consumption of local foods, patronize upland farmers’ products while strengthening linkages to institutional buyers. (Tara Yap)