FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija, May 6, 2013-7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army has teamed up with the Department of Agriculture (DA) in transforming certain portions of its Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation (FMMR) as farming areas.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin solidified the five-year partnership with a recent signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
“This MOU is in line with President Aquino’s directive to our agencies to have livelihood programs in selected military reservations across the archipelago. DA will provide marketing assistance and the necessary equipment and facilities as well as inputs and trainings on production” said Alcala.
“Per plan, certain parts of the camp will be planted with cassava, corn, rice, high value crops, and fruit trees while some will be utilized for the production of fish, free range chicken, and goat” Alcala added.
For his part, Gazmin said “The Defense Department and the Armed Forces are truly glad for the realization of this project. Without doubt, this program and partnership with DA shall open doors for economic utilization of the idle portions of our military camps and reservations in the entire country.”
The FMMR was conceived by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No.237 dated December 19, 1955 with a total land area of 44,970 hectares.
It consists of the Cantonment area, Training Circuit, Kalinga sa Kawal off-based housing for military personnel, Jethropa Plantation, National Training Center (Balikatan area), and the Libingan ng mga Bayani. (Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu)
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