Sorsogon hold Harvest Festival in GK Village

PRIETO DIAZ, Sorsogon, Oct. 5 (PNA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) together with the local government unit (LGU) jointly implemented the Gulayan project for 'Tarabangan Village' a Gawad Kalinga (GK) site in Barangay Quidolog.

The project aimed to provide alternative livelihood to residents in the GK sites and in response to the call of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to alleviate poverty in the countryside.

The DA provided seeds and the 'greenhouse' to produce off-season vegetables while the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provided garden tools and organic fertilizer.

Likewise, the LGU of the adjoining Gubat town provided the technical assistance with agriculture techinician Manuel Distajo as project coordinator and trainer.

According to Mayor Benito Doma of Prieto Diaz, the project is impressive since it has proven that vegetable growing is profitable.

He encouraged the captains of the neighboring barangays to come up with the same project so they will have sufficient supply of fresh vegetables.

Rose Imperial who represented DA-Bicol Regional Executive Director Jose V. Dayao said that DA will continue to provide open pollinated variety of seeds for those interested to venture into vegetable growing and part of their produce must be set aside as source of seeds for the next planting.

Imperial also emphasized that vegetable production on a commercial scale is a potential source of income for the family.

She mentioned that DA also provided two units of greenhouses for the association to produce vegetables like lettuce, cauliflower, tomatoes during off-season planting.

Meanwhile, GK Association President Ricky Dorotayo, said the village has currently 52 families and with the implementation of the project they became closer and cooperation was strengthened.

Dorotayo said that the GK village was opened only last February 2007 and the gulayan project started last July this year.