Panaghukot 2008 succesfully held

In continuing pursuit on the progress of the Abaca Industry, the DAR-IFAD/NMCIREMP (Northern Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project) in cooperation with the Local Government Unit of Marihatag, Surigao del Sur, sponsored recently the “Panaghukot 2008 Caraga Abaca Stakeholders’ Summit at Tree Park Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.

With the theme, Panaghukot the sessions in the summit tackled issues concerning the present situation of the abaca industry in the country, and some important things to consider in Abaca Management. This is already the 2^nd abaca summit conducted after the first abaca summit which was held in Misamis Oriental last year. Aim of the said summit also is to bring front the famous Abaca Golden Fiber of Marihatag Surigao del Sur, which is primarily the source of abaca production in the country. The said event was the first Abaca-based Summit held in Caraga and hosted locally through the support of foreign-funded government project such as NMCIREMP and other institutions such as the Fiber Industry Develoment Authority (FIDA-Dept. of Agriculture), Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology, Dept. of Trade and Industry and the Local Government of Marihatag through Mayor Tito Pascual.

 

“People can have opportunities for livelihood assistance, and can even generate their own income from abaca utilization because units are just there to facilitate, and its up to the people on how they would handle it,” said DAR Region 13 Director Engr. Felix B. Aguhob.

 

Through this summit, commitment building among abaca stakeholders’ will nonetheless be of big help since it will be a means for them to increase their awareness and skills on abaca production. This would lead the stakeholders’ to formulate plans on the progress of the abaca industry.

 

The participants of the summit were from Marihatag Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, specifically from Las Nieves, Kitcharao, Jabonga, and Santiago. A solo participant from Bukidnon was enlightened with the learnings and technologies proving the success of the simple but fruitful stakeholders’ summit.