BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
NAGTIPUNAN, Quirino (August 23)—A people’s organization has bared its success in the development of a 10-hectare fruit orchard in this town in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) in support of the National Greening Program.
Donato Gammad, chairman of the 200-strong Kadikitan Association for Community Development (KAFCD), said with DENR’s support, their rambutan plantation is growing, providing livelihood and income to member-beneficiaries
In 2011, DENR-Region 2 entered into a memorandum of agreement with KAFCD for the development of the 10-hectare fruit plantation within the 4,958-hectare Community-Based Forest Management area awarded to them in 1994.
“What we earn from these plantations is a great help to our families. Without this partnership with the DENR, sending our children to school would have been impossible,” Gammad said.
During the recent site visit and interaction with Gwendolyn Bambalan, DENR Region 2 executive director, Gammad and other members of the organization shared how the initiative was able to uplift their socio-economic condition.
“In 2018, I earned at least P120,000 for my family’s basic needs especially the badly needed finances for the education of my children,” Gammad added.