CEBU CITY — At least 350 farmers from Tuburan, Cebu, attended the 2024 Post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Forum on Friday, Nov. 8, and received essential services and guidance aimed at boosting their knowledge on agriculture and tourism.
Tuburan, known as Cebu’s coffee capital and home to the Tuburan Coffee brand, conducted the forum in its bid to transform its agricultural sector into a sustainable tourism attraction, highlight the local products while preserving its cultural heritage.
The forum, with the theme “Cultivating Agriculture for Tourism Development and Opportunities under a New Philippines,” was the third post-SONA event held in the country, following similar forums in Oriental Mindoro and Sultan Kudarat.
Mayor Democrito “Aljun” Diamante thanked the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Central Visayas for selecting Tuburan as the venue, and the town’s farmers got valuable knowledge from the forum.
Diamante explained that various programs, including infrastructure investments, training, and inter-agency partnerships, are already in place to support the agricultural community and promote local growth.
He described the event as a meaningful “convergence” of government support, with agencies working together to benefit the town’s residents.
PIA Director General Katherine Chloe de Castro attended the event and acknowledged the forum’s impact on Tuburan.
She said that the event had brought much-needed government services closer to the community.
Several agencies participated in the forum’s service caravan, offering vital support to Tuburan’s residents.
The Department of Agriculture’s regional offices distributed seedlings, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided P2.2 million in assistance to six Tuburan associations.
The funding supported projects in general merchandise, mushroom and poultry production, and tilapia farming. This aid reached residents in Barangays Cogon, Gimama-a, Montealegre, Colonia, and Caridad.
In addition, 350 coffee farmers received P3,000 each through the AKAP program.
The Department of Health provided free pneumococcal and flu vaccines, while the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) offered discounted rice at P29 per kilo to vulnerable groups.
Renan Geraldez, institutional development officer at NIA, told The Manila Times that indigent residents, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities were eligible to purchase the P29-BBM (Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka) rice.
He assured that, while priced affordably, the rice maintains good quality and is designed to support local farmers by offering consumers an affordable option.
The Philippine Statistics Authority, Department of Science and Technology, PAG-IBIG Fund, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Trade and Industry, and the National Bureau of Investigation, also extended their services to the residents of Tuburan.
