Officials of Talavera town in Nueva Ecija lead the groundbreaking for the P255-million new onion cold storage facility in the town. Photo by STEVE A. GOSUICO.
P255M onion cold storage facility to rise in Talavera
TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – The dream of putting up its own onion cold storage plant is coming into reality in this town with the help of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr..
Mayor Nerito “JR” Santos Jr., his elder sister Vice Mayor Nerivi Santos-Martinez and top agricultural officials on Monday led the ground-reaking rites for the construction of a 120,000-bag capacity new onion cold storage facility in Bgy. Bantug Hacienda in this municipality.
“Simula ng 1995 pa pinangarap na ito ng aming tatay, na magkaroon ng sariling onion cold storage ang bayan ng Talavera at sa wakas ngayong araw na ito ay groundbreaking na, so natupad na ang ating matagal nang pangarap na halos umabot ng 30-taon,” said Mayor Santos, referring to the dream of their patriarch, former three term mayor and now municipal administrator Mayor Nerito L. Santos Sr., who was elected mayor from 2004-2013.
The funds for the construction of the new storage facility, worth P255.5-million, will be sourced from the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Program Scale-Up under a percentage cost-sharing scheme of 80 percent for the World Bank, and 10 percent each for the government of the Philippines and the local government unit concerned.
Also gracing the historic event were DA Asst. Secretary Daniel Alfonso N. Atayde, artist-endorser Ella Cruz who represented Sen. Imee R. Marcos, DA Regional Executive Director Dr. Eduardo Lapuz Jr., Regional Technical Director Dr. Arthur Dayrit, Social and Environmental Safeguard officer Jesusa Surla, Dr. Joebert B. Agliam, provincial agriculturist, and barangay captain Bonifacio Bulanadi.
Once completed, these small onion farmers will be prioritized in storing their local produce at the facility, said Vice Mayor Santos-Martinez.
“Napakahalaga po ng pasilidad na ito dahil intended ito para sa ating small onion farmers kasi dun sa mga private cold storage plants wala silang pang-advance ng storage fee, ‘di katulad dito, at kasama sa package nito ay pahiramin sila ng pabuto kaya maganda ito dahil wala silang cash-out para makapagtanim,” she added.
The two sibling-officials also thanked President Marcos for providing additional funds for the PRDP Scale Up that paved the way for the realization of the project.
“Nagpapasalamat kami kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa tulong niya sapagkat pinalawig niya, dinagdagan niya ang ating pondo para sa PRDP,” said Mayor Santos.
