BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Good news for small farmers of Negros Occidental.
The Association of Negros Producers (ANP) established its Bugana Pavilion at the South Capitol Road in Bacolod City, next to its showroom, to help small farmers showcase and sell their products.
It was inaugurated on August 18 by ANP president Arlene Infante, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, and Provincial Tourism Officer Cherryl Decena.
Diaz, who represented Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson in the activity, lauded the ANP programs for small farmers in the hinterlands, stressing that they are not only helping in solving the economic problems, but also peace and order, by making sure that progress trickles down to the poor.
This ensures that development is inclusive and sustainable, he added.
Pasaporte said the 94th Infantry Battalion linked up with ANP in providing a market for products of farmers in insurgency-affected community of Sitio Madaha in Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City.
The upland sitios of Buenavista in Himamaylan City, have been the sites of numerous armed engagements between government forces and communist rebels in past years.
Infante said they opted to build the pavilion as the hub, to maximize the benefit that a highly urbanized market can provide the farmers.
Having farmers in the ANP membership ranks enabled the association to partner with government and non-government agencies in Negros Occidental, she added.
“Farmers’ products in Bugana are guaranteed to be safe food that can sustain a healthy lifestyle for our consumers,” said Elizabeth Mondejar, the ANP vice president for natural and organic, said.*
