By: Rey Anthony Chiu

SEVILLA.- Talk about putting the money where the mouth is, leaders of this largely agricultural town plans to invest some P5.3 million for agriculture and related services, in hopes that by sowing seed money into the sector, farmers would reap the benefits. Being true to its terrain, local leaders are convinced that the town should remain agricultural thus maximizing local resources to attain its desired target. One component of the agriculture development program of the town is keeping farmers’ access to the markets to spell the difference between losing perishable farm produce and getting them on time in the highways to the city. For this, jumpstarting Sevilla’s progress would have the town spending P3M this year for barangay farm to market roads. The program also calls for the maintenance of bridges especially those that traverse the headwaters of Loboc River.

Similarly, with some of its barangays separated from the highways by creeks and rivers, the town also invests some P85,000 for the improvement of its footbridges, and make sure the link from households to schools and social services is assured. Aiding it in its task of road maintenance is a newly acquired road roller and compactor vibrator, which the town amortizes annually at a little more than a million. As to its markets, Municipal Engineer Alma Ganas is set to implement some P500K improvement of its block tiendas and open some more economic enterprise opportunities for its residents. In this largely agricultural town, the town leaders also deemed it proper to put in funds into its largest single source of income: agriculture, which includes livestock, aqua-fisheries and vegetable production. For this, in efforts to upgrade its existing breeds of hogs, the town ventures into P500K hog breed upgrading and dispersal program, P10,000 purchase of liquid nitrogen for its artificial insemination program, P30,000 poultry raising and dispersal program, P15,000 for Tilapia Culture and Aquafisheries while it also allocates P10,000 for livestock protection program; the seed money goes to dewormers and veterinary services collaterals, said Budget officer Eumar Barro.

For crops, the town puts up P25,000 for the purchase of certified seeds to hopefully entice farmers to suit into the practice of using high yielding seeds, P6150 for the purchase of vegetable seeds and another P10,000 for its crop protection. Other then these, the town also invests in the improvement of Bugwak Waterworks system and allocates P400,000 for the purpose. This year, Sevilla town plaza and park gets an allocation of P300K. Strained in its finances, the town could not disregard its local government units and apportioned P1.2M as municipal aid to barangays and their identified priority projects, according to the AIP of 2012. In general, of the town’s P39 million 20% Development Fund, some P10.9 million goes directly to projects which the people benefit. Another P19 million goes to personnel services and salaries for the administration of the identified programs and projects as well as mandatory services of the town. These services include the executive, legislative, planning and coordination, Treasury, Accounting, Engineering, Civil Registry, Assessment, Budget, Social, Agricultural, Health, Auditing and an appropriation for calamities, states the AIP prepared by Planning and Development Officer Artemio Perin.