Mayor Antonio Joseph “Jopet” Inton piloting chopper with Secretary Salvador Panelo as passenger during the latter’s visit to Bataan. Contributed photo
HERMOSA, Bataan — The municipal government here on Tuesday announced that it will focus next year on food security to be ready for any eventuality such as the present pandemic and calamities.
Mayor Antonio Joseph “Jopet” Inton said a self-sustaining agriculture will be their priority for 2021 so that enough food will be available especially for local consumption.
“More crop production will provide more income for the farmers while at the same time the availability of food products during any emergency situation will mean the readiness of the local government unit to respond to the immediate daily food requirement of its residents,” he said.
Inton said helping the farmers and the growth of agriculture were among the most important topics discussed by Gov. Albert Garcia with Secretary Salvador Panelo, chief presidential legal counsel.
Panelo visited Bataan the other day and was a passenger in a helicopter piloted by the Hermosa mayor who is a professional pilot.
The governor took up with the secretary various development projects in the province, agriculture included, to uplift the lives of farmers.
Inton said they will ask farmers to form into cooperatives or associations to avail themselves of farm machineries from government through the Department of Agriculture.
The mayor said while focusing on agriculture, the LGU has not set aside other programs that will create more jobs for residents and additional revenues for the municipality.
He said that the town has a share in the expansion program of the Freeport Area of Bataan with 150 hectares in Mabiga and 50 hectares in Mambog, two of 23 barangay in Hermosa. To be put up in the areas are light industries and warehousing.
Inton said the implementation of the projects was delayed because of the pandemic but he remained hopeful that it will push through.
