DAVAO CITY, June 23 (PIA) - The local government of Magsaysay town in Davao del Sur province has taken the initiative for farmers to start cultivating idle lands in the upland areas to ensure more sufficient food supply.

"We've been focusing on upland agricultural production, maximizing vacant agricultural lands," Magsaysay Mayor Arthur Davin stated during Monday's Laging Handa Network Briefing with Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar.

Davin, however, assured that presently there's sufficient supply of food for his constituents amid the COVID-19 crisis and after severely affected by the series of strong earthquakes last year and by the African Swine Fever (ASF) early this year.

In fact, the municipality is supplying vegetables and rice in other parts of the region, he disclosed.

Although there have been difficulties due to the strict implementation of the community quarantine, the local chief executive said that rice and vegetable farming are doing good, and that farmers are able to sell their farm products.

Davin said the financial assistance from the Department of Agriculture in the region has been a great help in easing the economic effect by the pandemic, especially for the rice farmers.

He bared that DA-XI has provided P13.8 million soft loan assistance for the upland farmers and has given out free seedlings.

"Napaka ganda ng progama ng presidente. Kung may tulong, makakaahon sa hirap. Ang tulong gamitin sa husto, nakakasiguro na makakaahon tayo sa kahirapan," Davin stated.

The municipality of Magsaysay has been known to be the rice granary of Davao Region.

The town has more than 4,000 hectares of rice fields.

Meanwhile, Davin said that the construction of the housing project of the National Housing Authority (NHA) for the displaced earthquake victims has resumed after the community quarantine guidelines have been toned down.

He lamented that it is hard for the municipality to be facing a fight against COVID-19 and at the same time continue rehabilitating the effect of the earthquake.

He said that the immediate concern of the LGU is to relocate the more than 1,500 families who are still staying at the evacuation centers.

Earlier this year, more than 100 displaced families have been transferred to their newly-built homes in the upland area.

As of now, Davin bared that 124 families will soon relocate, while there is an ongoing construction of 234 houses.

"Hopefully by August, ma turn over na sa evacuees," the mayor stated. (PIA-XI/Carina L. Cayon)