LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, — Benguet farmers and other stakeholders of the La Trinidad Trading Post donated tons of vegetables and other non-food items to disaster- affected province of Apayao.
More than five tons of assorted vegetables, other non-food items and cash were sent off to Apayao by the people of Benguet last Monday.
Nora Ganase, president of the League of Associations at the La Trinidad Trading Post, said they started an outreach program within their organization to provide support to the people of Apayao who were recently affected by continuous rains causing massive floods and landslides.
The outreach program raised more than five tons of assorted vegetables like sayote, potato, carrots, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, tomato, bell pepper, radish and other leafy vegetables. Donations included cash which was used to buy at least 28 cavans of rice. Hygiene kits, clothing, and assorted groceries were also collected.
The league composed of farmers, traders, porters, packers, and truckers annually conducts outreach program targeting the indigent people of the Benguet municipalities.This time they chose Apayao as their main beneficiary in their annual “share-your-blessings” program.
“This is a way for the league to give back to the people in need and this time to their fellow Cordillerans in Apayao,” Ganase said.
The donation drive was in coordination with the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station, the Benguet Provincial Police Office, the Police Regional Office – Cordillera and the Department of Public Works and Highways-Cordillera who provided the truck used to deliver the donations.
On Monday night, La Trinidad officials led by Mayor Romeo Salda with league officials Ganase and coordinator Agot Balanoy sent off the truck load of vegetables with La Trinidad MPS Chief, Major. Roldan Cabatan as team leader.
After at least 14 hours of travel, the team reached the Apayao Provincial Capitol in Luna town where the donations were received by Provincial Administrator Maria Elena Ravelo and Apayao PPO Director Col. Byron Tegui-in who expressed gratitude to the people of Benguet in behalf of Gov. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang.
The vegetables were then distributed to the different municipalities and barangays particularly those who were mostly affected by the continuous heavy rains and those in isolated barangays.
Gov. Begtang even personally helped in distributing the goods to far flung barangays of Calansan despite the heavy downpour on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Cordillera Career Development College had delivered a week earlier at least three tons of sayote in their version of Operation Sayote donation drive.
CCDC Vice President for Administration Annabelle Gondales said that upon noting the devastation of Apayao, their school launched the Operation Sayote asking their students for at least one sayote each. She was surprised that more brought sayote and at least 3000 kilos were collected and were given to the province of Apayao on November 26. (JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)
