Honorable Mayor Alberto D. Bumolo Jr.
Municipality of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya
Honorable Mayor John D. Balasya
Municipality of Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya
Honorable Mayor Teodoreico DP. Padilla
Municipality Mayor of Santa Fe
Honorable Mayor Romeo P. Magaway, Sr
Municipality Mayor of Dupax Del Sur
O fficers and staff members of GLM Institute and PRRM,
Barangay Captains, farmer beneficiaries,
Distinguished Guests,
Friends:
Magandang umaga sa inyong lahat. (Good morning to everyone.)
On behalf of the Government and People of Japan, I am pleased to join you all today for the turnover of this new project in which we can continue to extend our unwavering support to improve the livelihood of communities in this province. Let me thank you, as well, for the warm welcome extended to my third visit to this beautiful province of Nueva Vizcaya.
First of all, allow me to congratulate you on the successful implementation of the concluded project on promotion of participatory forest management, which was also funded by a grant assistance from the Government of Japan. I am inspired to see that the irrigation systems are being efficiently utilized, enhancing forest management particularly in the critical watershed areas and empowering linkages and partnerships among the participating communities and local government units. It is worthwhile to mention that the previous forestry management project effectively serves to lay the groundwork for the implementation of this and other projects in this province. I commend the initiatives of GLM Institute and the efforts of all those organizations and people involved in this great endeavor.
I am pleased that this new GLMI project will benefit and empower the farmers in this province as well as complement the project on production of organic and reduced-chemical produce, which started implementation last year. I believe that the five communal irrigation systems will be efficiently utilized and redound to increased production and income in these communities. The increased agricultural yield and improved quality of produce will be supplemented by other project activities such as marketing demonstrations through holding of farmers' markets and improve their distribution by establishing new market channels in this province and Metro Manila.
The success of a project lies not only in the development of a good project, but also in a consistent, collective and dedicated approach in its implementation. I enjoin all your cooperation and hope to see positive developments in your discussion towards the establishment of a farmers' association. What you can achieve single-handedly will be multiplied a hundred fold if you all work collectively as an association or a group.
I also hope to see improved coordination between local officials with the dispatch of experts from the provincial and regional offices. Moreover, I would like to emphasize the importance of allocating a budget for this project in the municipal level.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the GLM Institute in their efforts for making this project a continuing success as well as for kindly facilitating this event I am confident that the GLM Institute, the local government agencies and all the other stakeholders involved will be able to work together closely to generate the successful outcome and to maximize the effects of this project.
In closing, I sincerely hope that this project will be another testimony of the longstanding friendship as well as strengthen the strategic partnership between our two countries and people.
Thank you.
