KIDAPAWAN CITY, (PNA) – For the second straight year, Region 12 won the Outstanding Coconut Farmer award of the 2013 Gawad Saka Search of the Department of Agriculture, DA-12 announced today.
Dr. Melchor Sarquiña, a veterinarian from Kidapawan City, bested other aspirants for the prestigious national awards.
Sarquiña of Barangay Lanao, Kidapawan City, followed the footsteps of Alberto Panghulan of Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat who bagged the national award as outstanding coconut farmer.
As national winner, Serquiña, also known in the city as “Dok Chong,” was a veterinarian by profession but opted to focus and did hands on in the coconut industry.
As such, he will receive a cash prize of P150,000 from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) during the awarding ceremonies to be held in November in Manila.
Aside from farming, he is also into Bio-Gas technology by converting agricultural wastes into farm inputs.