Laoag City—"Uray narigat pay ti biag ti mannalon nangnangruna tattan a saan a maawatan ti panawenen. Talagang napakahirap, talagang Ilokano na lang ang natitira [na] nagpapakahirap sa pagsasaka. Adda ti daranan ti panagtalon, haan laeng a gapo ta nagaget ken naanustayo nu ‘di ket maditayo agbiag nu awan ti nateng ken bagas a makantayo,” remarked Sen. Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos at an event organized by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) on February 28, 2020.
The event featured the Ilocos Norte Agriculture and Fishery Extension System (INAFES) memorandum of agreement signing, distribution of Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) cash cards, awarding of project certificates to fisheries program beneficiaries, awarding of trading capital interventions, and distribution production support such as machineries and hauling trucks.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar headed the DA delegation while Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc led the provincial government delegation.
Almost 2,000 RFFA farmer-beneficiaries, numerous members of various farmer cooperatives, and grant recipients, among others, were present at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena, this city, to receive several interventions.
Meanwhile, lobbying for the establishment of INAFES was one of Ms. Marcos’ initiatives when she was still Ilocos Norte governor. During her term, the province fulfilled all requirements to qualify as tactical pilot province for this national project.
Mr. Marcos also evoked Presidential Decree (PD) 27, otherwise known as “Decreeing the Emancipation of Tenants from the Bondage of the Soil, Transferring to them the Ownership of the Land they Till and Providing the Instruments and Mechanism Therefor.”
“Kung maalala niyo po, 50th anniversary po ng PD 27 na pinirmahan ng tatay ko, Presidente Ferdinand E. Marcos sa 2022. Ito ay para wala nang maging utang ang mga magsasaka, makumpleto ang titulo ng kanilang lupa at iba pang kagamitan sa pagsasaka,” Ms. Marcos said.
“Alam kong napakahirap ngayon ng inyong sitwasyon. Kailangang tulungan ang bawat isa na maging competitive,” she noted. (Edison Justin B. Deus)
