Agrarian Reform Community Products at Aggaw Trade Fair

TUGUEGARAO CITY, June 23, 2012- Products from the Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) in Cagayan province were featured among the various LGUs’ trade fair booths participating in the 429^th Aggaw Nac Cagayan, a celebration of the civil government founding anniversary of Cagayan province from June 23 to 29, 2012. 

An ARC is a barangay at the minimum or a cluster of contiguous barangays where there is a critical mass of farmers and farm workers awaiting the full implementation of agrarian reform. The farmers and the farm workers will anchor the integrated development of the area.

           Among the ARC products on display and also being sold at the trade fair booths are: Banana Vinegar from PATASDA ARC in Allacapan; candied Tamarind Balls and Tamango (tamarind with mango) from Nasuerteca ARC in Amulung; Banana Chips from ESTEMARCONBAGA ARC also from Amulung; Mango puree and Banana Chips from MALULANI ARC in Sto Nino; Bamboo Lamps from ROBA ARC in Enrile; Milk Candies from Southcag ARC in Tuguegarao City; Organic Rice from SOWESFACO ARC in Solana; Roasted Peanuts from Greenfields ARC in Alcala; and a lot more organic fruits and vegetables from various ARCs. Most of the featured ARC products are on display by the LGUs because they are also the One-Town, One-Product (OTOP) adopted by the municipalities where the ARCs are located.

         The Aggaw Nac Cagayan is celebrated at the Cagayan Sports Complex where activities such as talents shows, painting exhibits, livelihood seminars, beauty contests, tournaments (Chess, Billiards, etc), concerts and fireworks. cds

OTOP gaining grounds in RP

Friday, December 7, 2007 

Baguio City -- About a thousand small-to-medium-entrepreneurs (SMEs) and Local Government Unit (LGU) representatives attended the 1st National One-Town-One-Product or OTOP Summit that was held at the Philippine Trade and Training Center in Manila recently.

Ex-Governor Morihiko Hiramatsu of Oita Prefecture, Japan who is also known as the father of OTOP spoke on how they revitalized their "Isson-Ippin-Undo" or the One Village-One Product Movement and how they gained high praises both in Japan and overseas for their unique trade activities.

A 1995 recipient of Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service, Hiramatsu surprised the summit participants when he illustrated how a simple product such as Shitake mushroom can become more profitable than manufacturing a motor car mentioning the top car maker in Japan as his basis.

Stressing the need for quality maintenance and consistency in the delivery of good products and services, Hiramatsu also presented key factors to a successful entrepreneurship and that is the abundance of raw materials and labor force to mention a few.

Governors Maximo Dalog of Mountain Province, Nestor Fongwan of Benguet and Flordella Diasen of Kalinga along with top officials and entrepreneurs of the Cordillera and other regions heard the first hand information from the OTOP originator himself.

DTI Undersecretary Carissa Cruz-Evangelista of the Regional Operations Group that coordinated the summit showed optimism and confidence that the OTOP program will deliver its expected part to poverty alleviation. Evangelista also underscored the intensified consciousness of all stakeholders in harmonizing plans and programs that will forge more linkages that would "mainstream into the realization of the program's goals".

As part of her report on OTOP, Evangelista said that DTI created, reinforced and sustained the vital links needed to run the program. Stressing that partnership with LGU executives paved and rolled out the implementation of the program, the Undersecretary reports that out of the 16 regional model OTOPs in 2004, the program now has a total of 1.145 municipalities and cities with 70% LGU participation to date. To ensure the success of the OTOP program, Evangelista finally added that DTI will intensify the advocacy efforts as the lead implementor of the program. (DTI-CAR)