Pantawid organic farmers in Bansalan join the Sustainable Organic Vegetable Gardening contest.

Bansalan, Davao Del Sur -The once home-stuck Pantawid Pamilya mothers engaged in household chores, attending to their children, attending the monthly Family Development Sessions, and stuck with routine activities at home or in the community, are now more productive, happy, and earning extra for the family, said Ivan Klint C. Escaner, Project Development Officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

According to Escaner, this was made possible through the organic vegetable farming initiative of the Local Government Unit here through its Municipal Agriculture Office in partnership with Lao Integrated Farms, Inc.

He said Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are even provided the opportunity to display their organic produce at the town’s Organic Trading Post.

Moreover, they are encouraged to continue the practice in their own backyard to be more productive and be able to generate additional income, Escaner said.

He said barangay participants re-echoed the skills training to Pantawid parent leaders who then relayed the same technology to the entire Pantawid beneficiaries in the barangay during the monthly Pantawid Family Development Session.

BLGUs that participated are barangays Darapuay, Dolo, Upper Dolo, Kinuskusan, Marber and Sto. Niňo

Mayor Edwin G. Reyes stressed that “replication of Organic Farming technology at the barangay level as well as application in each household would definitely increase the family economic status as it would lessen expenses in farm inputs and at the same time encourage production of nutritious food for all family members.”

Started in 2015, the Sustainable Organic Vegetable Gardening contest kicked off with a training on Concoction Making to help beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya minimize cost on fertilizers while promoting organic agriculture, Mayor Reyes recalled.

To inspire everyone to participate, Lao Integrated Farms, Inc. through its President and CEO Mr. Benjamin R. Lao donated a check amounting to P 49,900.00 for the prizes, Mayor Reyes said.

The contest is part of the Lao advocacies in organic farming. Further, the contest served as output of participants from their training in organic farming.

Contest winners were recognized during the Municipal Agri Day Celebration. They then invested their cash prize in pork meat vending, rice retailing, and organic vegetable production.

To date, Bansalan has a total of 2437 active Pantawid family-recipients, mostly engaged in Organic Vegetable Farming. (DSWD)