STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan —Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel I. Piñol has lauded 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.”
Represented by Technical Director Nestor Burgos of the Department of Agriculture in Region 1, the secretary’s message was delivered to over 5,000 guests and participants of the 1st Pangasinan Umaani Expo at the Provincial Agriculture Center in Tebag, Sta. Barbara.
The holding of the Umaani 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 new doors of opportunities and progress,” said Burgos.
With the gains made and through the Umaani expo, Burgos said Pangasinan is making a great leap from sustenance agriculture to market-oriented entrepreneurial agriculture.
The DA official stressed the strengthened partnership between the provincial government and the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte needs to be maintained to propel 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.
Gov. Amado “Pogi” Espino 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 Rep. 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 of the efforts and hard work 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 the “Misay Pisasalamat” and the distribution 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.
Present during the activity to extend support to the Umaani Expo were 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 department heads of the province.
Coinciding with Umaani Expo’s day one activities was the celebration of Umaani Women’s day held in the afternoon which featured the following events: agribusiness forum, market matching, cooking competition and awarding for sangka – samitan ya putahe, sangka-samitan ya niduma duman putahe, and health and wellness services which were rendered for free.