Vegetables grown in Tublay, Benguet and its neighboring towns are being purchased for distribution to less fortunate families through partners from non-profit organizations and agencies.
Municipal Agriculturist Jeffrey Sotero said the town is currently collecting the vegetables that were ordered by their partners for transport to other areas.
Farmers and workers in the municipality are helping in the repacking of vegetables such as sayote, carrots, cabbage, pechay, and lettuce as requested by their partner agencies. Using the municipality’s truck and those provided by the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera, the vegetables were delivered to various destinations.
Since March 26, Sotero said they were able to bring 60 tons of assorted vegetables to various areas outside of Benguet. The vegetable produce came from farmers of Tublay, Atok, and La Trinidad.
Their partner, Global Seed Savers, has linked the local government units with the Philippine Business Social Progress based in Pandacan, Manila and with the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere-Philippines that used the vegetables for their relief efforts to less fortunate families.
The city governments of Manila and Caloocan, as well as Plaridel and San Ildefonso in Bulacan, have also ordered assorted vegetables from them.
A total of 1,311 packs of assorted vegetables or 4.2 tons were delivered to the University of the Philippines Los Baños through Clarice Colting-Pulumbarit with their “Oplan Damayan” program last week.
“Our linkages with non-government organizations and agencies help our farmers sell their produce at the same time bring relief to those in need,” Sotero said.
He said their relief efforts are continuing as a win-win solution to provide for the farmers in the locality and to its partner’s beneficiaries in this crisis. – Ofelia C. Empian
