PALO, Leyte–In its continuing assistance to help improve the lives of the Filipinos,especially those affected by supertyphoon “Yolanda,” the United States of America through its arm, the USAID(United States Agency for International Development)Rebuild Project, fully supported the Regional Cacao Industry Stakeholders’ Forum in this town.
Marc Barrera, Rebuild chief of party, gave a message in behalf of USAID.
Regional Executive Director Wilson Cerbito of the Department of Agriculture said that the cacao production is a sunrise industry of the region.
Working around the theme “Eastern Visayas Responding to 2022 Cacao Challenge,” the forum held last October 27 was attended by 400 participants from around the region.
Those who participated the summit were provided with needed tools to equip them in the production, processing and the post-harvest.
Agriculture Undersecretary Evelyn Laviña, who was the guest speaker of the occasion, emphasized the importance of program continuity for the success of the cacao industry.
After her speech, she traveled to Barangay Villaconziolo in Jaro, Leyte to talk to the member-farmers of the successful Leyte Compact Farming Agriculture Cooperative.
The cooperative has planted cacao in a six-hectare land area.
This support to the cacao industry is just part of the $143 million assistance provided by USAID to reconstruct and rehabilitate the areas damaged by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. (VICKY C.ARNAIZ)
