DAR shares National Convergence Initiatives accomplishments in Sorsogon

BY Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, NOVEMBER 9 (PIA) ….. According to Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) Roseller R. Olayres of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) office here, the National Convergence Initiative (NCI) launched April of this year  have implemented already several development projects in Sorsogon City, Castilla, and Casiguran, the three selected convergence pilot areas in the province of Sorsogon.

The proposed projects presented during the launch forming part of the Sorsogon Development Investment Plan for these three areas for 2011-2015 were organic farming, coconut, pili and pineapple production, livestock raising, forest and fruit trees planting, and aquamarine production and  will be implemented by the three lead agencies, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)  Department of Agriculture (DA) and DAR.

In the municipality of Castilla, the targeted local agrarian reform communities have  already undertaken participatory  coconut planting, establishment of coconut nursery, livestock integration, salt fertilization, intercropping, seaweed input assistance  and agro-forestry.

In the local agrarian communities of the municipality of Casiguran, the three lead agencies have already implemented the following projects: participatory coconut planting, intercropping, livestock production, establishment of tilapia hatchery, seaweed culture production, aqua silvi- production and establishment of the pili nursery.

Meanwhile in the city of Sorsogon agrarian reform areas, according to Olayres projects such as participatory coconut planting, intercropping, livestock production and establishment of tilapia hatchery were already implemented.

The assistance provided also by the Philippine Coconut Authority, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, together with DA ,DENR, DAR and the three LGUs concerned made the implementation successful according to Olayres.

The national convergence initiative is the government’s strategy for poverty alleviation  that will eventually better the quality of life of people along the countryside and appreciate the value of their land as a a best source of opportunity for development. (PIA-SORSOGON)