VP Leni’s office launches Angat Buhay initiative in CamSur ‘Omasenso sa Kabuhayan’ to help poor farmers become self-reliant agri-entrepreneurs

The Office of the Vice President launched on Thursday the Omasenso sa Kabuhayan project, which capacitates poor farmers in Metro Naga and other nearby towns of Camarines Sur for them to directly market their locally grown produce to commercial establishments.

Vice President Leni Robredo led the official launch of the project at Robinsons Place Naga in Naga City on Thursday, July, 19. At least 80 farmers who participated in the project were present during the launch, as well as business owners and local government officials.

The Omasenso sa Kabuhayan, which was created under the OVP’s Angat Buhay program, aims to boost the income of local farmers by promoting the supply of their produce to commercial establishments, including top hotels and restaurants in Metro Naga.

VP Leni also witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the OVP and different local government agencies committing to help farmers to increase their harvest and income and become agri-entrepreneurs.

In her message, VP Leni urged local government officials and stakeholders to ensure that local farmers would meet the quality and standard of products their buyers would demand.

“Iyo iyan si satuyang inabot na ang pinaka-crucial, ang pinaka-importante convergence, ano. Si convergence iyon talagang si trabahuan bako lang kang opisina ni pero si gabos na stakeholders at si nga parauma,” VP Leni, in Bikol, added.

(The most crucial and most important thing here is convergence. Convergence should be worked on, not only in our office, but also among the stakeholders and farmers.)

The OVP came up with the project after a series of consultations with several stakeholders that started in October 2017. During the consultations, the stakeholders agreed to support the linking of local farmers with institutional markets in Metro Naga.

At present, some farmers have started supplying calamansi to Bigg’s Diner, one of the leading food chain in Bicol, facilitated by the OVP through the Omasenso project.

“Maraming pamilya ang nag-rerely sa support ng mga farmers. So kapag sa kanila tayo bumili ng kanilang mga products at raw materials na ginagamit natin sa ating mga restaurants, mas maraming mga pamilya ang magiginhawaan,” Ms. Sieglinde Borromeo, administrative manager of Bigg’s Diner, said.

Representing Libmanan, Camarines Sur farmers, Mr. Robert Bauyaban of the Agri-preneur Farmers and Processors Association (AFPA) was thankful of the Omasenso project as it had given equal opportunity for farmers, especially the marginalized ones.

“Nakakataba ng puso na sa panahon ngayon eh talagang napapansin hanggang sa baba, ano po? Hindi iyong kung sinu-sino lang iyong mga kilala eh iyon lang. Ngayon po, lalo na po sa programa ni [VP Leni] na kung sino iyong malillit na walang kakayahan na gumawa ng ganiyan, iyon po iyong aakayin para po tayo po ay makalahok sa mga big institution, so malaking bagay ito,” Bauyaban said.

The OVP is continuously exploring collaborative efforts for the farmers to be able to meet the demands of prospective buyers in Metro Naga.