Congressman Adolph Edward “Eddiebong” G. Plaza, Vice Governor Samuel E. Tortor, and officials from the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur (PGAS) visited the Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT) today for a meaningful “Kamustahan” session with USAD scholars.

The visiting delegation included Provincial Administrator Ronulfo R. Paler, USAD Program Coordinator Julius C. Quijada, Community Affairs Officer IV Jedah Ross S. Simugan, Provincial Agriculture Office Division Head Maricar L. Prochina, Community Affairs Assistant I Justin Jay P. Roboca, Agricultural Technician Elezardo V. Fuentes Jr. and Soil scientist Dr. John Goloran also joined the visit to share his story and expertise with students.

 

Addressing the students, Congressman Plaza emphasized the importance of taking full advantage of the opportunities provided through their education.“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙎𝙪𝙧’𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝙁𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙞𝙢 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝—𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧,” he encouraged.

 

College President Dr. Joy C. Capistrano expressed her appreciation for the Provincial Government’s continued support.“𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙎𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙏 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨,” she remarked, urging students to pursue their dreams with purpose.

 

Judebie Alipin, President of the Verdant Arc Student Organization, spoke on behalf of the scholars. “𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝, 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘼𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙎𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨,” he said. Congressman Plaza personally administered the induction of the organization’s officers with 29 members, inspiring them to embrace leadership and advocacy in agriculture.

 

The visit also highlighted the importance of aligning research initiatives with the needs of the province. Congressman Plaza encouraged students to utilize Agusan del Sur’s state-of-the-art soil laboratory for impactful, soil-test-based studies and faculty members to pursue advanced degrees to enhance the quality of education at ASSCAT.

 

The “Kamustahan” not only motivated USAD scholars but also reaffirmed the Provincial Government’s commitment to supporting the agricultural sector by investing in its future leaders.

 

The Upland Sustainable Agri-forestry Development (USAD) Program is the flagship initiative of the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur aimed at reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development in upland communities. Launched in 2013, the program integrates the efforts of local and national government agencies to empower upland farmers through sustainable farming, natural resource conservation, and livelihood opportunities. By providing access to agricultural inputs, capacity-building workshops, and innovative practices, USAD has transformed the lives of thousands of farmers, making it a cornerstone of the province’s development efforts.