MAFAR MINISTER TO BIDDERS: “WE ARE PARTNERS TO ADVANCE THE COMMUNITIES”
“Having won the bidding is not an opportunity but a destiny and responsibility for you to become the BARMM government’s partners in uplifting the lives of the communities”, MAFAR Minister Mohammad S. Yacob explicitly told the winning bidders during the ‘Mass Signing of Contracts with Winning Bidders for MAFAR Banner Programs’ held yesterday (November 21) at the ministry’s Covered Court, BARMM Compound, Cotabato City.
The activity made possible the signing of contracts between Minister Yacob and the sixteen winning bidders for the MAFAR 2019 banner programs namely rice, corn, high value crops development program (HVCDP), livestock, organic agriculture, and fisheries.
Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Chairman Dr Daud K. Lagasi, Al-Hadj, said the mass signing shall facilitate the procurement of production inputs and equipment as prerequisites for the actual implementation of the programs. He also guaranteed that the BAC has done the bidding process with all diligence, forbearance, and honesty.
Minister Yacob commended the BAC members for the job well done and at the same time welcomed the winning bidders, he declared able and qualified, as partners of the government.
The total bid amount of Php116.318,478 or 83% of the total allotted budget of Php139.309,690 for BARMM was downloaded by the Department of Agriculture National Office to MAFAR as its 2019 funds under the stewardship of Secretary Dr William D. Dar geared towards attaining “Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita” (Prosperous Harvest and High Income).
From the total funds, P102.7 Million is allocated for rice program and Php83.7 Million (81.5%) was bid out, Php16.5 Million was for corn program with bid amount of Php14.3 Million (86.7%), Php17.9 Million was allotted for HVCDP with bid out amount of Php16.4 Million (91.6%), Php1,057,000 for livestock program of which Php1,042,000 (98.6%) was bid out, and Php1,070,000 for organic agriculture with bid amount of Php828,000 (77.4%).
The winning bidders or suppliers were Ariaz General Merchandise, ATL Marketing, DRREF Agri-Product Marketing, EFB Biofarm Supply, Fareast Hybrid Cooperative, Farmtech Agriland Corporation, Ford Tractor Philippines, HG Agri Industrial Machineries, MMK Construction and Enterprise, Paman Plant Nursery, Popoy’s Plant Nursery, PRC Marketing, Saydee Marketing, Seed to Rice Producers Cooperative, Suki Trading Corporation, and Upian Agri Pinoy Farmers Cooperative.
Another round of bidding activity shall be conducted on November 25, 2019 under the Rice Program for the procurement of Multi-pass Rice Mill with a total budget of Php4,000,000. Meanwhile, the next round of bidding for the Livestock Program is scheduled on December 4, 2019 with a total budget of Php2,300,000.
The activity was attended by the members of the BAC, MAFAR key officials, and Datu Oskie Muhammad, Regional Director of the National Anti-Poverty Commission of the Office of the President.
A press conference was then conducted at the Office of the MAFAR Minister, wherein queries of the media people on pressing issues in agriculture, fisheries, and agrarian reform were addressed by the MAFAR Chief.