TUNGAWAN, Zamboanga Sibugay โ Barely three months into office, Tungawan Mayor Lito Aninon is moving to overhaul the agriculture sector in the municipalityโs rural barangays, a bold step for a political newcomer who stunned many by ending nearly three decades of Climaco family rule in the 2025 elections.
Largely dismissed as a political lightweight before his victory, Aninon said he sees the urgent need to lift impoverished farming communities out of the cycle of low productivity and poverty.
โOur farmers work hard, but they remain poor. We need to help them move from survival farming to sustainable, income-generating agriculture,โ Aninon told Daily Sun Chronicle.
The mayorโs plan includes introducing climate-resilient crops, strengthening farm-to-market linkages, and providing training on modern farming techniques.
Initially, the mayor said, the local government has established a 30-hectare demonstration farm,
“We planted yellow corn to start with,” he said. “And we are looking to ways how to connect our farmers to the market.”
He also wants to push cooperative-based enterprises so that small farmers can gain leverage against middlemen and get fairer prices for their produce.
Tungawan, a third-class municipality, is heavily dependent on agriculture, with coconut, corn, and root crops as its main produce. But decades of neglect and poor infrastructure have left many barangays struggling to meet even basic needs.
Aninon, who ended the Climacosโ 30-year grip on Tungawan politics, said transformation of agriculture is central to transforming communities.
The mayor wants to tap national government programs and NGO partnerships to support his initiatives.
โWe cannot keep doing the same things and expect our farmersโ lives to improve. We must transform agriculture to transform our communities,โ the mayor stressed.
Observers note that Aninonโs push for agricultural reform will be a test of whether a political outsider can turn grassroots momentum into concrete governance gains in one of Zamboanga Sibugayโs poorest municipalities.
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