Turtle Islands, Mapun beneficiaries receive support services from MAFAR
Farmers and Fisherfolk of the Municipalities of Turtle Islands and Mapun received support services from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform and the Provincial Office’s Legal Division on October 13-20.
Minister Mohammad S. Yacob, Ph.D. was represented by Director General for Agriculture Services, Daud K. Lagasi, Ph.D., and Director General for Fisheries Services, Pendatun S. Patarasa, along with Director Mohammadtaha S. Pendaliday, led the activity with the help of the Philippine Coast Guard.
The convergence activity aimed to disseminate MAFAR’s plans, programs, activities, and mandates; to provide technical and legal assistance; to validate the need for support from farmers and fisherfolk; to collect issues and concerns of the community concerning farming and fishing activities in the area, and to distribute agricultural and fisheries farm inputs.
Minister Yacob, Ph.D., gave his message thru a video message thanking the farmers and fishermen in the two municipalities and expressing his support for the MAFAR team’s convergence activity.
He said that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform has beneficiaries from the Turtle Islands who have limited access in terms of the mandates, services, and programs. The initiative of the Legal Division of MAFAR Tawi-Tawi took the opportunity to bring all these programs, activities, projects, and services.
“This is all-important for the farmers, fisherfolk, and agrarian reform beneficiaries of the Bangsamoro Region. It allows them to sustain and maintain for better usability and benefits of the inputs we deliver,” he said.
We will strive for the improvement of our Bangsamoro farmers, and we will keep a steadfast commitment to assist Bangsamoro people, Minister Yacob emphasized.
A total of 100 farmers and fishermen from the Turtle Islands participated and received agri-fishery inputs, including 15 goats, assorted vegetable seeds, 24 bottles of Insecticides, 300 Packs of Foliar Fertilizers, 12 rolls of Hog wires, 2 Kgs of Corn Seed5, 3 Bottles of Amitrax, 12 pieces of Mineral Blocks, 12 bottles of Oral Vitamins, 20 bottles of Dextrose Powder, 10 boxes of Betracin, 10 Bottles of Electrolytes, 2 Bottles of Combimex, 12 bottles of Foliar Fertilizers, 12 bottles of Molasses, 7 sets of Marine Gillnet, 20 sets of Tuna Handline, 20 sets of Squid ligger, 5 CC nets, 10 rolls of Poly net, 20 units of Banyera, and 5 sets of Fish Drying racks.
After distributing Agri-Fishery Inputs, the Legal Division aided the beneficiaries through legal aid clinic and pulong-pulong. At the same time, the Fisheries Sector offered free fish worker’s IDs and provided technical knowledge and information on legal fishing methods, and the Agriculture offered free animal vaccination, and distributed IEC materials and RSBSA.