BATAC CITY, ILOCOS NORTE- The Department of Agriculture – High Value Crops Development Program (DA-HVCDP), together with DA Regional Field Office I, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, and the LGU of Batac City, launched three major initiatives on August 18, 2025 in Batac City, Ilocos Norte: the Sustainable Agroforestry Farm Enterprise – Bamboo Business Model (SAFE-BBM), the Gulayan sa Bayan (GSB) Project, and a Community-Based Nursery under the Coconut Farmers Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).


The event was led by Undersecretary for High-Value Crops Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, with the support of Governor Cecilia Araneta Marcos, Vice Governor Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc, DA-RFO I OIC-Executive Regional Director John B. Pascual, and other key officials.


 The SAFE-BBM Project positions bamboo as both a symbol of resilience and a livelihood source, enabling farmers to adapt to climate change while protecting the environment while the GSB Project was highlighted as a bayanihan-driven initiative that community groups engages to utilize lands into gardens as a steady supply of quality vegetable seedlings and crops promoting food sovereignty and household self-reliance. Meanwhile, under the CFIDP, the Saguigui Tribal Council Inc. received various infrastructure support to strengthen coconut farmers and coconut-based enterprises.

Undersecretary Caballero highlighted that these programs are designed to work in synergy, ensuring food security for every Filipino, uplifting farmers and rural communities, and safeguarding the environment against climate challenges. “Our goal is to bring fresh, healthy, and affordable food closer to every Filipino family,” she affirmed. She further underscored the Department’s unwavering commitment to leave no farmer behind and to ensure that no Filipino goes hungry. Anchored on sustainability, equity, and community empowerment, these initiatives strive to provide not only access to nutritious food but also a brighter, more secure future for generations to come.
 Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos and Vice Governor Matthew-Manotoc further expressed their full support, affirming the province’s commitment to collaborate with the DA in uplifting farmers and fisherfolk with close coordination with its local government units.


This milestone reaffirmed the collective resolve of government to empower farming communities and position Ilocos Norte as a model of resilient, inclusive, and progressive agricultural development.— DA-HVCDP