Valencia City, BUKIDNON---The Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center X (ATI-RTC X), in partnership with the DA-Regional Field Office-X (DA-RFO-X) and the provincial and municipal local government units of Region 10, mounted a Savings and Values Re-Orientation activity of the DA’s Food Staple Sufficiency Program (FSSP) credit component. The credit component, also known as the Sikat Saka Program (SSP) aims to help more farmers access timely, adequate, and affordable production credit. The FSSP also aims to improve the viability of agricultural production by ensuring availability of irrigation services, extension, links to markets and providing a favorable economic environment. The DA serves as the lead in the implementation of the FSSP with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) as the as the lending conduit under the SSP.

The one-day Savings and Values Re-Orientation activity which transpired on June 11 at Jocel’s Garden was attended by 61 farmer participants consisting of various irrigators’ associations in the region. PAO’s Senior Agriculturist Maria Lilith M. Turan served as the one of the resource persons. Agriculturist I Marcos R. Rubin as project officer organized the event.

The Sikat Saka Program is an initiative of the Department of Agriculture as a component of its Food Staples Sufficiency Program. The DA and Landbank forged partnership to provide direct credit assistance to small palay farmers to their palay production project. The DA tapped its agencies and corporate arm to provide an integrated support to small palay farmers such as extension and administrative services, assured market and irrigation. The program aims to provide credit assistance to palay farmers in a timely manner and at an affordable cost; for the viability and sustainability of palay production, which will contribute to food sufficiency. (with reports from Marcos R. Rubin, Agriculturist I)