PAO flea market is Neg Or’s entry to Galing Pook search

DUMAGUETE CITY, Dec. 5 (PNA) – The “Tabo sa Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO)” is the official entry of the province of Negros Oriental to the Galing Pook Award search for outstanding local government initiative programs in the country.

The Tabo sa PAO is now on the top 18 national finalists for the Galing Pook search, said Capitol spokesperson Adrian Sedillo.

Governor Emilio Macias II, provincial agriculturist Gregorio Paltinca and some members of the Tabo sa PAO Farmers Association is scheduled to make a presentation of the said project to the 15 members of the Galing Pook search committee on Friday in Manila, Sedillo said.

The Tabo sa PAO is a local version of a farmer’s market which provides a venue for farmers to sell their agriculture produce every week at lower costs as it eliminates the middle men.

The Galing Pook Award is an innovation of the Local Government Authority, the Asian Institute of Management and the Meralco Foundation in recognizing programs and projects initiated by local government units.

The Galing Pook Award aims to recognize the programs and projects initiated through the local government units.

A member of the Galing Pook screening committee, Dr. Ederlinda Fernandez, was impressed at how the farmers organized themselves into a Tabo sa PAO Farmers Association.

She also recognized the tangible impact of the association since majority of the farmers now own a motorcycle that would carry their farm produce to the farmer’s market.

In fact, the association President Danny Darong was able to purchase a jeep that will carry bigger volumes of produce.

The farmers at the Tabo sa PAO are the main suppliers of high-valued vegetables in restaurants in Dumaguete and some resorts in Negros Oriental through a contract growing scheme.

The Tabo sa PAO Farmers Association has currently a total of 245 farmer members after it started only with 14 members in year 2000.

Governor Macias said has high hopes that the province of Negros Oriental will be included in the Top 10 Local Government Best Practices.

Negros Oriental had received the Hall of Famer Award for Continuing Excellence (ACE) in 2005 for the Galing Pook Awards.

The province’s first Galing Pook Award was in 1995 for the community-based resource management and the establishment of a community primary hospital.