• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental’s “Bigasan ng Bayan” is now in Bago City selling quality rice at only P25 per kilo.
The program is spearheaded by the provincial government, which also previously tapped the farmers’ group through the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for its Dagyaw Project, an initiative that promotes farm-level productivity interventions.
The selling of rice at P25 per kilo started in October this year by members of the Federation of Irrigators Association of Central Negros-Bago River Irrigation System (FIACN-BRIS) at the Food Terminal Market of Occidental Negros in Bacolod City.
The activity in Bago City was initiated in coordination with the city government headed by Mayor Nicholas Yulo.
“The combined efforts and initiatives of the FIACN-BRIS, provincial and local government units, and the NIA is a testament to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration’s vision of combating hunger and poverty and achieving food sufficiency and security across the country,” NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen said in a statement.
“NIA continues its commitment to develop efficient and sustainable irrigation systems to uplift the lives of the Filipino farmers with the aim of propelling wealth creation opportunities in the agricultural sector,” he added.
FIACN-BRIS president Pedro Limpangog earlier said that they allocated 10 percent of their total production to Negrenses in the vulnerable sectors, including senior citizens, indigents, and persons with disability.
Limpangog said they aim to help Negrense families buy affordable rice while helping farmers earn assured income, lower the cost and improve farm production. | GB
