STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan — Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel I. Piñol hailed the province’s gains in agriculture which he described as “incontrovertible proofs of the will of local leaders to boost the agricultural assets of the province.”
In a speech delivered for him by Technical Director Nestor Burgos of DA Region 1, Piñol, during the opening of the 1st Pangasinan Umaani Expo at the Provincial Agriculture Center in Tebag, Sta. Barbara, said the holding of the exposition is a “solid testament to a united Pangasinan in boosting its agriculture and related industries.”
“The people of Pangasinan must be thankful for having a dynamic set of leaders who have opened the province’s new doors of opportunities and progress,” said Burgos.
With the gains made and through, the Umaani expo, Burgos pointed out that Pangasinan is making a great leap from sustenance agriculture to market-oriented entrepreneurial agriculture.
The DA official stressed that the strengthened partnership between the provincial government and the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte needs to be maintained topropel Pangasinan to a greater agro-industrial growth.
The partnership bolters innovative farm systems and services of the provincial government that had led Pangasinan to become one of the country’s five rice and corn producing province.
“The Umaani Expo has become a solid and fitting symbol of the synergy and collective will of the people of Pangasinan to contribute to the building of a strong agriculture sector and a prosperous Philippines,” Burgos said.
Governor Espino, on the other hand, underscored the unwavering support of the provincial administration to the agricultural boom of Pangasinan which started in 2007, under the watch of former Pangasinan Governor and now 5th district Representative Amado T. Espino, Jr.
“We are sustaining and expanding the successful programs already initiated by the previous provincial leadership, the governor said.
Citing the Umaani Expo as a recognition to the efforts and hardwork of the agricultural stakeholders, Governor Espino assured that the provincial government remains steadfast in upgrading agricultural facilities and integrating innovative strategies in agriculture governance.
Part of the Umaani opening program was a Thanksgiving Mass and the giving of plaques of recognition to 21 Umaani partner organizations and awarding of certificates to 1,590 graduates of agricultural trainings which include food processing, mushroom and silage production, tilapia culture and bangus processing which were held on the later part of opening ceremonies.
The opening program was attended by Board Members Liberato Villegas, Generoso Tulagan, Mayors Dominador Arenas of Labrador, Tyrone Agabas of Tayug, Alberto Guiang Jr. of Burgos, Infanta Vice Mayor Virgilio Vallarta, DA Pangasinan Research Experiment Center Chief Gilbert Rabara, Police provincial director Rinald Lee and several departmemt heads of th province.
Coinciding with Umaani Expo’s day one activities was the celebration of Umaani Women’s Day held in the afternoon which featured events such as agribusiness forum, market matching, cooking competition and awarding the longest and the biggest fruits, vegetables and the sweetest rice cake delicacies. Leonardo Micua/PNA-northboundasia.com