2 Abaca Plant Nurseries – A groundbreaker in Laguna

Date Posted April 2017

Two LGUs in Laguna, one in Pangil and another in Kalayaan, were pleased to present their Abaca Plant Nurseries to the public in an inauguration held on 16 and 17 of March 2017. Both of these are first-time endeavors and were initiatives of Regional Office (RO) IV in collaboration with the LGUs of Pangil and Kalayaan headed by Mayor Oscar A. Rafanan and Mayor Leni M. Adao, respectively.

In the groundbreaking ceremony, Pangil Mayor Rafanan and Kalayaan Mayor Adao acknowledged the efforts of the RO IV in providing technical assistance and support to their municipalities and to the farmers regarding abaca production. Mayor Rafanan said that this project will not only bring about a progressive abaca production but also opportunities to women, senior citizens and the youth. Mayor Adao, on the other hand, marked that the rite is a history in Kalayaan and promised to include abaca as part of her 4K (Kabuhayan, Karunungan, Kalusugan and Kapayapaan) priority program. Also present in the ceremony were Regulatory Division representative Victorino dela Cruz, RO IV representative Emilie F. Geroy, BPI representative Andrea Inocencio, MAO Pangil Antonio Valin and MAO Kalayaan Liza L. Lee.

These nurseries seek to produce and distribute abaca planting materials that are disease-free thereby assure the production of quality fibers and its by-products. The nursery operators shall also be benefitted through access to technical assistance from the government and shall be given priority in acquiring identified abaca plant propagules from government-registered mother block nurseries.