TACLOBAN CITY - The Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) in the region has come up with a project proposal for the rehabilitation of abaca plantations destroyed and the abaca farmers affected by the landslide incidence in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte last month.
But FIDA-8 Regional Director Bonifacio Cipriano clarified that the fund for the proposed projects is yet unavailable and that the FIDA is still looking where to source the funding.
Cipriano, however, disclosed that he already forwarded the proposal to Regional Executive Director Leo Cañeda of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for assistance particularly in the sourcing of fund.
Cipriano told Leyte Samar Daily Express in an interview that they are planning to establish a 3-hectare semi-high-density abaca nursery in St. Bernard town.
“If this will be established this will be the source of disease-free abaca planting materials in St. Bernard,” Cipriano said.
It was learned from Cipriano that the proposed projects would need a fund of about P300, 000. He said the FIDA could not shoulder this entire amount as the agency is at present also short of funds.
Aside from coconut and rice plantations that can be found in Barangay Guinsaugon, Cirpiano said the village was also known as an abaca area as evident in the abaca plantations, which were totally destroyed during the landslide incidence.
According to Cipriano, nearly a hundred hectares of abaca plantation located in Brgy. Guinsaugon were affected and about 75% of it was “actually damaged.”
Based on reports that reached the office of FIDA-8, there were also 68 abaca farmers who lost their livelihood due to the landslide.
The mud that cascaded from the mountains also covered five stripping centers in the area of Guinsaugon, including three abaca traders who were in the area when the incident happened.
“What I want to know now is the actual number of abaca farmers who survived the incident so we could make the necessary rehabilitation efforts,” Cipriano said.
Based on FIDA records, the town of St. Bernard has 13 abaca-producing barangays with about 337 abaca farmers.
The farm area in the town is 858 hectares in all but the total area devoted to abaca is only 470 hectares. The town, however, is already known as one of Southern Leyte’s abaca producing areas.
