LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—A US-based non-profit organization is set to grant the Provincial Government of Pangasinan (PGP) PhP3.3 million, or US $58,121 worth of fishery paraphernalia.
Winrock International, which is based in Arkansas, USA, is implementing the ‘Building Safe Agriculture Food Enterprises (B-SAFE)’ funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under its Food for Progress Program.
An in-kind grant agreement shall serve as the legal instrument for the implementation of the project. Hence, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), in its regular session on January 22, approved a resolution authorizing Governor Ramon V. Guico III to sign, receive, and implement the in-kind donation. Aaron Sundsmo, Winrock International’s Associate Vice President of Agriculture, Resilience, and Water, will likewise sign
“The program aims to help the Philippines increase agricultural productivity by improving the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) in the production and management of supply chains and expanding the trade of agricultural and food products,” the resolution authored by SP Member Nicholi Jan Louie Q. Sison stated.
Fishery paraphernalia will include 40 sets of seine nets (kalokor), 10 units of chest freezers, and various fish processing kits.
“The Provincial Government of Pangasinan, through the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAgO), will be the lead agency in the implementation of the project with the objectives to further enhance harvest, production, and processing techniques and to strengthen the capacity of milkfish processors on food safety compliance for processing bangus to promote value-added,” the resolution stated. (Ruby R. Bernardino/PIMRO)
