Parawan meets Zambo Sur mango growers
PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines/14 July 2010 by Remai Alejado—Department of Agriculture 9 Regional Executive Director Oscar O. Parawan last July 8 had the “update feel” of what industry is in Pagadian City and Zamboanga del Sur.
Parawan was the Keynote Speaker of the First Mango Forum held at Jepoy’s Grill here spearheaded by the Pagadian-ZDS Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (PZCCIFI) in observance of the National Business Week.
Instead of giving his keynote speech, Parawan maximized his time with the mango growers by asking what the government can do for the mango industry in Zamboanga Peninsula particularly in Zamboanga del Sur.
Led by PZCCIFI committee chair on Agriculture Rey Quisumbing, at least 12 mango growers based in Pagadian City and municipalities of Zamboanga del Sur attended the forum. Some prominent personalities were incumbent mayors Edilberto Adlaon of Vincenzo Sagun, Francisvic Villamero of Tukuran and former Pagadian City Mayor Joaquin Pajares, among others.
Parawan who just arrived from Manila for a Management Briefing called by DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala described the new secretary as a “down-to-earth” person. “He is very much keen for the improvement of the industry domestically or exportation. But said he will not make any decision on what commodity unless the industry get consulted,” Parawan said, referring to Alcala.
He added that he (Alcala) was speaking in the spirit of President Noynoy’s statement: “Kayo ang boss ko” so we will ask from the bosses what or how the government can help. But the government cannot do it alone, we will do it together,” the executive director for DA 9 pointed out.
Parawan, who is a doctor of veterinary medicine and a Career Executive Service Officer III said: “I will talk to the focal person of the high value commercial crops (HVCC) on the holding of seminar on mango production and other interventions to produce good quality mangoes.”
Marcial Fantone, regional banner coordinator for HVCC, for his part, earlier pledged the participants to conduct a seminar specifically on the Morphology of Mango Tree to be facilitated by experts from the Bureau of Plant Industry.
Fantone said that from the seminar itself, mango growers in Zamboanga del Sur will be taught of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), they will learn to segregate one mango variety from the other; know the recommended variety for export, mango puree or juices.
The first- ever Mango Forum held in Pagadian was attended by the president of the Philippine Mango Industry Foundation, Inc. Virgie dela Fuente.
Speaking on behalf of the Pagadian City-Zamboanga del Sur Mango Growers Association (PCZSMGA) that was organized later part of the forum, Dela Fuente asked Parawan if DA will help them establish a packing house and hot water treatment facility for mango in the city.
Parawan said he will look for funding while citing the ongoing establishment of Cold Storage for fish, meat and vegetables at the city Fishport funded by DA.
To date, the PCZSMGA is still collecting data on the number of fruit-bearing mango trees planted across the province according to land area and production.
But based on the 2007 data of Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), Zamboanga del Sur placed 17th throughout the country in terms of mango production with 16,271 metric tons. (Remai Alejado)
