The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office (DA RFO) SOCCSKSARGEN has distributed agricultural goods and farm inputs to selected Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities at Sitio Lamsaboy, Brgy. Lamfugon, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato in light of COVID-19.

“We need to support and empower our IP communities during this time of a global pandemic because that’s one of our thrusts as an agency,” DA SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Executive Director, Arlan Mangelen, said. 

In his talk, Director Mangelen has also urged the community to support the Plant, Plant, Plant Program of the Department by boosting their production of local vegetables and other crops. Lake Sebu Municipal Agriculturist, Zaldy Artacho, has lauded the efforts of DA SOCCSKSARGEN in reaching out to the B’laan tribe in the municipality saying “this project could really help the community to start growing their own food.” 

Meanwhile, DA SOCCSKSARGEN personnel also served an adlay-based delicacy to the IPs to promote the crop as a healthy and staple food. At the same time, a profitable crop for the farmers.

Since 2019, their locality has been adopted by the DA SOCCSKSARGEN’s Research and Development Division as an Adlay on-farm seed production site in SOCCSKSARGEN and one of the convergence areas of the National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development (NCI-SRD).