Maria Mansueto and her family had to walk two kilometers to get water to irrigate her farm.
But with the construction of an impounding concrete water tank by the Provincial Agriculture Office in Barangay Alambijud, an upland village of Argao town, south Cebu, Mansueto can now heave a sigh of relief.
“Magkalisod gyud intawon mi sauna, kapoy kaayog baklay. Karon nga duol-duol na among kuha-anan, dako gyud namong pasalamat sa provincial government (Getting water was difficult. We had to walk far unlike now that water is already near to us, thanks to the provincial government),” said Mansueto, a farmer from Alambijud.
The concrete water tank worth P450,000 was among the three agriculture projects turned over recently by Gov. Hilario Davide III to Barangays Alambijud and Anajao.
Other projects included a farmer’s trading post in Barangay Anajao valued at P500,000 and a P350,000 greenhouse unit in an organic farming demo field in Alambijud.
Davide told the farmers during the turnover ceremony that the provincial government does not only pour projects in the lowland areas but also in the mountain barangays.
Julieto Mamites and Melchor Imbudo, both farmers from Alambijud, were also glad that the problem of water supply in their area has already been addressed by the Capitol.
Provincial Agriculturist Roldan Saragena, on the other hand, said the impounding tank can store up to 12,500 liters of water and can soak around 50 hectares of land.
Moreover, Saragena said the trading post project is in response to the governor’s directive to ensure that farmers will have a decent place where they can display their harvests.
“Considering the role of farmers in our food security programs, it is but fitting, as instructed by the governor, to provide them with a facility like this one (trading post),” the provincial agriculturist said.
Aside from the agri-infrastructure projects, the Capitol also distributed farm inputs, including seedlings and a power sprayer to the farmer beneficiaries.
Davide also graced the graduation rites for 42 farmers of Alambijud who completed the 18-week training in organic farming.
Joining Davide in the ceremony were Argao Mayor Stanley Caminero, Provincial Board member Jose Mari “Tata” Salvador, barangay officials and representatives of the Cebu Technological University-Argao campus.
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