VILLAR HOBNOBS WITH FARMERS AND
STUDENTS IN NORTHERN LUZON
Reminds farmers & new graduates of their important role
in economic development

Senate President Manny Villar, President of the Nacionalista Party, continues his campaign trail in Northern Luzon in the provinces of Cagayan Valley, Isabela, Kalinga and Nueva Vizcaya on Monday and Tuesday (March 26-27) where he had a dialogue with farmers and graced the commence exercises of some colleges and universities.

Villar personally inspected the agricultural projects he initiated in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and Philippine Rice Authority particularly the hybrid warehouse and storage facility in Kalinga as well as aid to seed-growers in Tabuk, Roxas, San Manuel and other cooperatives in the area.

I have always believed that the agriculture sector plays a key role in the countrys economic development. And if given more support and funding, the industry will help in alleviating poverty and hunger among the poor especially in the provinces, cites Villar, whose three-pronged approach in poverty alleviation include agri-development, provision of perks to labor-intensive investments and reform in the education sector.

Villar was also the guest-of-honor and led the induction of new officers in various cooperatives in the province particularly the Kalinga Rice Seeds Producers Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Tabuk and Roxas Hybrid Seed Growers Multipurpose Cooperative in Isabela.

According to Villar, Cooperatives are part and parcel of farming communities in the country and they also play an integral role in addressing the unique needs of the farmers and their families on top of helping provide livelihood and sources of income on the side. More power to cooperatives! In between his palengke tour that took him to public markets of Cagayan Valley, Roxas, Isabela, San Manuel, Echague, Santiago and SolanoVillar took time out from his hectic schedule to grace the commence exercises of Cagayan State University and Kalinga State College.

Villars fervent message to graduates and the youth still revolves around entrepreneurship and choosing the right courses: The bad news is that unemployment and underemployment in the country continue to worsen. The good news is that as fresh graduates, the power is in your handsto join the ranks of the unemployed or to work hard and persevere to be gainfully employed or be the employer by being a business entrepreneur.