DINALUPIHAN, Bataan -- The SM Foundation and the local government unit (LGU) here, in coordination with more than 200 farmers, held a harvest festival under the “Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran” program on Thursday.
Featured in the festival held in Payangan, a village where some Aeta natives reside, were various vegetables like chili pepper, tomato, eggplant, okra (lady’s finger), ampalaya (amargoso), squash, cucumber, watermelon, melon, among others.
Residents showcased their expertise in cooking kalabasang halaya (squash jam), kalabasang ukoy (squash fritters), kalabasang pastilyas (squash candies), ampalaya salad, eggplant adobo, boiled eggplant and ampalaya, sinaing sa buho (cooked rice in bamboo), stuffed eggplant, Bataan Express mixed with camias and pepper, with some others.
These were later prepared in long tables and offered in a boodle fight for lunch.
Dinalupihan Mayor Maria Angela Garcia said SM Foundation contacted Harbest Agribusiness to train more than 200 upland farmers for 12 Sundays on proper raising of vegetables.
“We want that their 12 Sundays training would not be wasted. To make it a sustainable livelihood, the municipal government has allotted PHP100,00 per farmer’s association that could give as a group one hectare to be planted with vegetables,” she said.
The mayor said if every farmer’s group will set aside one hectare, the 20 associations in Dinalupihan will have 20 hectares for vegetable production. This will be easily replicated in thousands of hectares not only in the town but in the whole province.
“Hopefully, our partner SM will buy the vegetables to be harvested to become the program sustainable,” Garcia said.
She said it was not only SM Foundation or the LGU that are ready to help farmers.
“There was a convergence of efforts for the farmers the SM Group of Companies; SM Foundation; Harbest Agribusiness; Dinalupihan LGU (local government unit); the provincial government and the departments of Agriculture, Trade and Industry and Social Welfare and Development,” she added.
Arsenio Barcelona of Harbest Agribusiness said SM has been involved in Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran since 2007, and now on its 11th year.
Barcelona said they have trained 19,000 farmers nationwide, with Dinalupihan hosting the 157th batch.
“Mostly small farmers who have at least 100 square meters of land,” he said.
Barcelona said their training starts from land preparation and use of good vegetable seeds that SM Foundation supports.
“The SM launched the program to help the farmers. We want to participate to uplift the lives of our countrymen,” said Chito Macapagal of the SM Foundation Board of Trustee.
SM has an outlet in Dinalupihan. (PNA)
