DA12, Kasilak, LGU brace with grassroots in building waterwalls

KDFI water walls – Representatives from Kasilak Dev’t Foundation Incorporated pay visit to acting chief executive, Vice Mayor Erwin Asgapo on Tuesday to push the immediate construction of a P447, 506.20-worth two mini dams at the rice-producing ‘Kityan Gamay and Daku’ villages of Brgy.Poblacion in Malungon, Sarangani Province. rangani Province. Officials said the water walls that are designed to provide sufficient and timely supply of water, ‘will eventually increase about 50 percent production in the 4, 843-wide rice fields.’ Also in photo (standing left) is LGU-admin officer, Ms. Bienvenida Llego. (JoJo Gocotano – MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE).

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MALUNGON, Sarangani – The Department of Agriculture-12 and Kasilak Development Foundation Inc., in partnership with the local government, barangay officials and a hundred-group rice farmers have forged into an agreement of putting up two mini dams worth P447, 506.20 in sitios Kityan Gamay and Daku in Brgy. Poblacion, here.

KDFI Exec Dir. Joemil Montebon, said the project will not only provide the needed increase of water supply at the town’s rice-producing areas, but would also rehabilitate the existing brush (sacked bag) dams or water walls that were beforehand made by local farmers to imbed the pointless overflowing of waters from Kityan river during rainy season. “It will not only benefit the Kityan-based rice fields but certainly, all other agricultural lands that are located at downstream irrigated areas.”

Montebon said the construction is being eyed to improve production from the current once a year, to twice a year cropping - to entail an additional 50% income and relate up to 20% of rice commitment, for marketing.

Vice Mayor Erwin Asgapo, in lieu of Constantino who was in official business to attend a three-day Mayors League of the Philippines convention in Manila, said the project will not only be constructive to the 120-man members of the rice farmers association of Kityan, but most likely to all other land tillers in the continuing 108, 000 hectares of irrigated lands that are located at the lower part of the village.

Rice farmers in the area usually encounter water supply shortages due to the inappropriate water impounding system that they are currently using. The farmers utilize the makeshift materials (sack bag) as walls for their mini dams, but unfortunately during rainy seasons which water is abundantly flowing, the makeshift walls of the dam collapses. In effect, after rainy days farmers captures no more water left for their rice fields.

With the problems in water supply, rice farmers in the area also face the effect of untimely shortage of water on their crops which were often attacked by weeds, pests and diseases.

The KDFI representatives said the mini dam would provide rice farmers access to enough and timely supply of water for the rice fields, and would eventually increase their (farmers) income and production. 

In a brief talk, Girlie Gasatan, the Kasilak municipal agro-enterprise facilitator said KDFI which is a close partner to development of DA-12, is a non-stock, non-profit social development organization in which its primary purpose is to uplift the socio-economic condition of communities that are living in a peaceful and ecologically balanced environment.

She said the project is being supported by the Agriculture Department under its Agri-Pinoy banner program which aims to develop the living condition of meager rice producers in the far flung villages by increasing their productivity and income. (MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE).