Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

FEATURES

Hon. Angelito Sarmiento 'Godfather of the Agricultural Tramline'
by (March 15, 2005)
He was a three-term Congressman of the fourth district of Bulacan. He became the Adviser of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Agricultural Modernization. Now, he is the City Mayor of San Jose Del Monte, known as the #Evergreen City# in Bulacan.

Because of his valuable support to the establishment of the agricultural tramline in the Cordilleras, the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension has added another title to his name. Mayor Angelito Sarmiento is dubbed as the #Godfather of Agricultural Tramline#.

A staunch supporter of providing affordable transport system for farmers to gain market access, Mayor Sarmiento recognized the important use of the tramline as an alternative conveyance mode to move agricultural products in the mountainous areas. In one of BPRE#s Specialized Training Course on Agricultural Tramline Technology at the ATI-CAR, La Trinidad, Benguet on September 22-26, 2003, Mayor Sarmiento shared his views on the tramline.

For the Mayor, the tramline is a quick fix and beneficial alternative to road construction to access and reach the farm areas. Whereas before, fresh produce takes an hour for a 40 kilo bag to reach the roadside by human kargador, farmers are able to transport 300 kilos in 10 minutes to a waiting jeep by the roadside with the tramline. Thus, farmers are able to have more productive hours to devote to other endeavors instead of physically carrying their produce to the selling place.

According to Mayor Sarmiento, with the geographic make-up of the country (54 percent or 16.3 million hectares of the total land area of 30 million hectares are moderately steep to steep terrain) the tramline technology can be applied to encourage farming or cultivation. He contends that the tramline technology addresses the immediate concern of farmers in uncultivated areas of the country who are unable to connect to transportation or markets.

The Mayor also recognizes that the tramline reduces wastage or quality deterioration, enabling farmers to get higher value for their produce.# He said that #as farmers gain better and faster access to markets, they are able to generate income levels that can afford them to invest to bigger areas and acquire better technologies. These result in increased productivity and ultimately better quality of life for their families.#

Although the Mayor of San Jose Del Monte City is now busy attending to the needs of his constituents, creating more jobs, upgrading their education and improving their local facilities like hospitals, public market and schools and universities and so forth, the Mayor's concern for the farmers has not waned a bit.

To him, #every government must treat farmers and fisherfolks as special people and that they should be treated with special privileges. They are to be the first among everybody.#