Governor Davide welcomes back DA-7 to ‘DA Compound’

Governor Hilario Davide III (right) and Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas officials led by Regional Director Salvador Diputado lower the time capsule at the site where the new DA-7 building will be built during the groundbreaking ceremony at the province-owned lot in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City. Photo by Futch Anthony Inso

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III welcomes back the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA-7) to a province-owned lot in Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City, which they were forced to leave eight years ago after their usufruct agreement with  the Capitol was rescinded.

“Welcome back. Taod-taud na pod mo sa Mandaue oy,” said the Davide during the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, January 17, for the construction of their new building at the lot in M. Velez St., Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.

The event was made possible after the Cebu provincial government and DA-7 signed a new usufruct agreement on June 19, 2018.

This will allow the agency to once again use the province-owned lot for 50 years.

Lawyer Salvador Diputado, DA-7 regional director, had expressed his gratitude to Davide, for allowing them to return and use the lot again.

“Ang naka-swerte lang nato kay suportado ang a tong department sa namunuan karon sa lalawigan sa Cebu, ubos ni Gov. Junjun Davide. Mao nga wa gyud ta magpanuko sa paghangyo kaniya,” Diputado said.

The DA-7 has held their office in the province-owned lot in M. Velez St. since 1959 and it was then called the DA compound.

But on February 19, 2010, they were forced to leave their old building, after the provincial government rescinded their usufruct agreement.

Cebu’s Third district Congresswoman Gwendolyn Garcia was the governor of the province of Cebu during that time.

The DA-7 currently holds office at their experiment station in Barangay Ibabao, Mandaue City.

At present their old office in M. Velez St. still stands and is being occupied by informal settlers.

Meanwhile, the new building will have two floors, which would cost around P80 million to build within the year.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Diputado, Davide, Agriculture Undersecretary Roldan Gorgonio, and representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways and the contractor.

“The Mandaue experiment station is not really designed for an office. Para gyud na experimentation para sa mga new crops, naay laboratories didto unya delikado na kay naay mga virus, bacteria and whatever, mao nga dili gyud  na angay nga magbutang didto,” he added./dbs