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A monthly newsletter of the Mindanao Rural Development Program

April 2012Vol. 5 No. 04

Neda unit bats for extension of Mindanao rural program by Noel T. Provido

A technical body attached to the National Economic Development

Authority has approved the two-year extension of second phase of the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP2).

The Neda Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) Technical Board in its recent meeting in Manila has approved and endorsed to the Cabinet Committee the two-year extension of MRDP2.

The ICC is one of the Neda board’s interagency committees that evaluate the fiscal, monetary and balance-of-payments implications of major national projects. The approval of the technical board paves the way for the project extension to be presented to the Cabinet Committee for final scrutiny before the eventual deliberation by the Neda board chaired by President Benigno S. Aquino III.

The MRDP2 is a five-year poverty alleviation program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) through a loan portfolio from the World Bank. The national government and local government units (LGUs) also provides equity share. Launched in 2007, the program will supposedly end by December this year. With two-year extension in the offing, it is now expected to be completed in 2014.

MRDP2 Deputy Program Director Arnel De Mesa said the extension is in response to the overwhelming LGUs and community clamor for local projects. In rural infrastructure alone, demand has reached a total of P10.8 billion surpassing the program’s allocation of P4.8 billion.

“The program’s good performance for the past two year is one of the factors in getting the nod of the technical board,” De Mesa said.

“During its previous mission, the World Bank has satisfactorily rated the program, noting its sufficient improvement as of midterm. This shows that fully committed projects can be completed within two years,” he said.

These projects include rural infrastructure such as irrigation, farm-to-market roads, and potable water supply. It also provides livelihood assistance to small farmers including natural resource management interventions to sustain food production in island region.

De Mesa said the two-year extension also presents challenges that must be overcome particularly in meeting the 60-percent disbursement target by yearend.

“Right now we are at 35 percent so we have to address implementation bottlenecks to comply with agreed timelines and deliverables,” he said.

MRDP Program Director Lealyn Ramos

said the two-year program extension will be a boost to the Aquino administration’s goal of promoting inclusive economic growth as MRDP projects are focused on improving incomes of poor communities in Mindanao.

The program with the co-financing support from the office of Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala enabled Mindanao LGUs to massively engage in infrastructure projects. At present, we are facing a huge demand from our LGU partners prompting Secretary Alcala to request not only for an extension but also for additional financing,” Ramos said.

MRDP to hold PO gabby Ma. Lucille A. Branzuela

The Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) will be hosting this year’s biggest gathering of people’s organizations (PO) in Mindanao.

Dubbed as MRDP PO Congress, the said activity which coincides with the annual farmers’ month celebration will be conducted on May 11 in Davao City and

This women organization is among the people’s orgnaizations expected to attend the MRDP PO congress. Their story on page 4.

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2 MRDPulse Mindanao Rural Development Program

NEWS

Program facilitates DA-LGU engagement harmonization

To develop good governance and for effective procedures in project implementation, the Department of Agriculture (DA) strengthens its partnership with local government units (LGUs) to ensure food security and self-sufficiency.

DA Sec. Proceso J. Alcala has directed all DA regional units in Mindanao to further improve engagement with the LGUs following procedure and guidelines utilized by the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRPD).

MRDP is a poverty alleviation initiative of the DA in Mindanao funded by a loan portfolio of the World Bank and the equity share of the National government and the LGUs.

The MRDP’s engagement with the LGU include a strong bottom-up approach, equity share of the rural infrastructure projects, wider community participation, among others.

DA aims to mainstream agriculture storiesWith the aim to make agriculture

story “competitive” in the mainstream media, the Department of Agriculture (DA) convenes information officers for skills retooling.

DA’s Agriculture and Fishery Information Service Director Noel Reyes said the agriculture information officers must learn the new trends of writing in the face of technology development.

“We would like to make our stories more “palatable and publishable” as we compete for space in print media or air time in broadcast,” Reyes said in a press briefing held in Makati.

“DA is gold mine good stories from our regions that tell story of farmers, good governance and reforms but they seldom get the attention from national media,” he added.

Reyes said that only few stories from the regions get published in national dailies, thus, refining the skills is a timely concern.

“We need to rehash our skills, learn new style of writing as it evolves along with the current developments in terms of technology, people’s interests and

lifestyle,” he added. A total of 30 participants from across the

country participated in the training including information officers from Region 1 to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The three-day training workshop slated April 10 -13 include topics like news, feature and technical writing to be facilitated by the country’s leading media practitioners including GMA-7 Senior News reporter Rawnna Crisostomo, freelance copywriter and editor Ms. Rose Galvez, Philippine star business editor Roman Floresca who delved deep in business writing and award-winning agriculture writer, Rudy Fernandez.

The LGU’s capabilities are being enhanced by providing them the opportunities to participate actively in the implementation of DA banner programs that included the rice, corn, livestock and high value crops development program (HVCDP).

World Bank consultant Cesar Umali said, harmonization eliminates conflicts between and among policies, programs or activities, and corollary, enhancing complementation among these.

“This does not really necessarily always require that all the programs and projects should strictly follow one standard set of policies and procedures in order to account for flexibility warranted by program-specific or local conditions,” Umali said.

In the core of agricultural projects, the DA banner program directors and regional directors identify and prioritize the program areas, set

targets and finance inputs. On the other hand, the municipal LGUs identify the beneficiaries and deliver the program inputs.

MRDP-Investment for Governance Reform (IGR) head ConsolacionSatorre said more specific working arrangements between the DA and LGUs have been observed to vary between and among the programs.

Currently, there are 27 pilot LGUs involved in the harmonization in various Regions in Mindanao.

Including Mahayag-Zamboanga del Sur; Siayan and Tampilisan in Zamboanga del Norte; Naawan, Misamis Oriental; Plaridel, Misamis Occidental; Kadingilan and Libona in Bukidnon; Sagay, Camiguin; San Isidro, Davao Oriental; Bansalan, Davao del Sur; Laak, COmpostela Valley; and IGACOS in Davao del Norte.

Also includes, Sen. Ninoy Aquino and Carmen in Sultan Kudarat; Malungon and Maasim in Saranggani; General Santos, South Cotabato; Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur; Kitcharao and Malimono in Agusan del Norte; San Miguel and Tagbina in Surigao del Sur; and in Tubajon, Dinagat Island.

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Dir. Noel Reyes encourage the participants to improve their stories to be more publishable as it aims development in agriculture.

by Christian Jadd D. Galicia

will attended by around one thousand PO beneficiaries of the program. MRDP is a poverty-alleviation initiative of the Department of Agriculture (DA) jointly funded by the World Bank, national government, and local government units covering Mindanao’s 26 provinces and 225 municipalities. It seeks to further improve rural incomes and achieve food security through agri-fishery infrastructure, livelihood enterprise, and biodiversity conservation projects. Through the Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD), MRDP had been providing livelihood project such as food production, aqua culture, food processing and small-scale rural infrastructure. MRDP program director Lealyn Ramos said providing POs with livelihood projects complements the Aquino’s administration goal of promoting inclusive growth where fruits of developments will benefit a broader segment of the society especially the poor.

MRDP to hold PO gab

Improving People’s Lives. Reaching Farther and Wider. MRDPulse3

NEWS

by Sherwin B. ManualBrgy. Borakis, Balindong, Lanao del Sur – Maranaos here have better reason to get up early, sail and do their fishing activity.

This after the fisherfolk community were granted their new boats and fishing gear to boost their sluggish fishing livelihood.

“For a long time, many of us were fishermen without a boat and nets of our own,” said Macalaba Saporna in his Maranao dialect.

The livelihood assistance was from the local government unit of Balindong and the Department of Agriculture’s Mindanao Rural Development Program (DA-MRDP).

MRDP is poverty alleviation initiative under DA aimed to uplift living conditions of select poor communities in Mindanao. Funded by the loan portfolio from the World Bank and equity share of the national and local government units, the program covers 225 towns in all of the six regions in Mindanao.

In this coastal barangay along Lake Lanao, expectedly fishing is the main source of income. But the lack of fishing gear is also among their problem.

“It was difficult even for subsistence much more for income generation. Lake Lanao is abundant in fish but we could hardly benefit from it,” said Saporna who is the president of the Borakis Ranao Association.

So-called “people of the Lake”, the Maranaos are skillful fishermen whose economic activities are tied mostly on Lake Lanao known as the deepest freshwater lake and the second largest lake in the Philippines.

“Before, those who do not have boats have to wait for the boat owners to comeback after their fishing. Only then can they sail and fish for their own catch,” said Saporna.

Such arrangement was difficult but many of them was used to compromise lest there will be no food on their tables.

Having to wait for the boat owners’ permission to use their banca is a waste of a lot of time and fishing has to be on the right time in order to catch more fish.

“It was really difficult back then. Even as we wake up in the morning we worry whether we could have food on the table or much more extra catch to sell for income,” said Saporna.

In the October 2011, the PO was able to access at least P250,000 funding from MRDP which they use to purchase 25 boats and nets for the first 25 beneficiaries.

“Each boat means food on table and income since fishing is our main source of food and income,” he said.

“They are in our priority list since many of the families in that community belong to the poorest of the poor” Mayor Raysalam Mangondato said.

“Since we are a fourth class town our IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment) cannot really provided the needed assistance especially on livelihood even if we wanted to. We need to prioritize our

infrastructure, health concerns and other social services” said Mayor Mangondato.

“We find in MRDP a big ally. So we invested in the Program infrastructure projects like irrigation and roads. As well as potable water systems which many of our communities badly need and livelihood projects which they have long clamored for,” she said.

Soparna said the boat and the fishing gears provided them has brought a renewed hope and confidence that income and food on their table is somehow secured.

“I notice our little village has become more alive now that many of us have boats of our own. In fact some fishermen here bring their catch to the nearby town’s market daily. Paired with our hardwork and skills, we are secured to boost our income and provide food for our families,” he said.

DA boosts fishing activity in Lake Lanao

Boatmen. To boost their livelihood activities, the fisherfolk communitiy living along Lake Lanao in Balin-dog, Lanao del Sur receive new boat and fishing gears from the partnership of the local government unit and the Department of Agriculture’s Mindanao Rural Development Program

by Sherwin B. Manual

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“Unlike farming or food processing shingle production does not also require longer time so we just rely on volunteer magpapawod or weavers our association. Each volunteer can produce 50-60 sheets of nipa shingles just enough to make their spare time productive,” Humunong said.

She said they are selling nipa shingles at P450 per hundred sheets to local traders. The association grossed P4,500 a week out of the 1,000 sheets of nipa-shingles they produced. Buyers regularly contact their association for a steady supply of nipa shingles.

“Critical here is the steady supply as buyers will look for other supplier if we cannot keep up with the volume requirement. So we encourage our volunteers to produce more,” she said.

Humunong said they are also planning to produce other products from nipa palms such as mat, hat, and other handicrafts to increase their association’s income.

“Although our association’s income in nipa shingle is just about to pick up, it is inspiring to note that housewives and elderly were given the chance to be productive,” she said.

Rural women produce nipa shingle...

Regional Pulse

To:

From:The Editor-in-Chief

MRDPulse 2/4 Flr. Alvarez BuildingAngliongto Sr. Ave., Lanang, Davao City

Noel T. Provido Sherwin B. Manual Editor-in-Chief Managing EditorRemjim V. Salido Lutzie E. Odtojan Circulation Manager Circulation Manager Regional InfoACE Focal Persons Ma. Lucille A. Branzuela Contributors Christian Jadd D. Galicia Production Assistants

Advisers: Lealyn A. Ramos - Program Director Arnel V. De Mesa - Deputy Program Director

MRDPulse is a monthly in-house newsletter of the Department of Agriculture- Mindanao Rural Development Program (DA-MRDP). Views of the writers in this publication are not necessarily endorsed by DA-MRDP. For your comments, suggestions and articles e-mail us at: mrdp_info@yahoo.com. Visit us at: www.damrdp.netwww.damrdp.net

Rural women produce nipa shingle to augment income

by Noel T. Provido

SURIGAO DEL NORTE -- When rural women here had been looking for ways to complement their husband’s earnings, they landed on an idea of using their village’s most valuable resource: nipa.

“Nipa (Nypa fruticans) is a mangrove palm that thrives in coastal areas like Gigaquit. The plant offers numerous benefits be it as source of food and protection,” said Lourdes Olais, chairperson of the Villafranca Women’s Association (ViWA).

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Olais said nipa palms are one of our sources of food and livelihood as it serves as breeding ground for shrimp and some fishes. She added that the palms also serve as buffer crop which prevents soil erosion and breakers against strong wind and tide.

“Nipa is also a good source of affordable housing materials particularly shingles. Here in Gigaquit and neighboring towns there is high demand for nipa shingles to be used either for roofing

and partition materials of native houses or for livestock shelters as well as for shed or bodega,” Olais said, adding: “The demand will be higher during typhoon season which usually falls from October to December in our province.”

Olais said their association had been eyeing the potential of nipa shingle production not only because of its economic potential but also the manageability of the livelihood.

“Our members who are mostly housewives don’t have enough time to engage in economic activities while elder members don’t have enough capability to go into farming,” Olais said.

“We acknowledge the need to help augment our household incomes but we cannot totally abandon household chores which is very demanding on our part. As housewives we are in-charge to tend to our children’s needs while our husbands are busy earning a living either through fishing or farming,” she added.

So when the association was able to access funds from the Mindanao Rural

Development Program (MRDP), ViWA then agreed to venture into nipa shingle production considering the availability of raw materials.

MRDP is a special project of the Department of Agriculture (DA) jointly funded by the World Bank, the national government, and the local government units. Livelihood projects are provided to small farmers and people’s organizations through the Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD), the program’s livelihood portfolio.

“Production of nipa shingle is just simple that does not require special skills. Nipa’s compound leaves are simply cut from nipa trees. The small long leaflets are then removed from the stem or stalk. These leaves are folded over bamboo stick of convenient length and then sewed together with nipa midribs. Then the shingle is ready for sale,” said ViWA treasurer Lucina Humunong.

The “shingle“ woman of Villafranca Women’s Association (VIWA) in Gigaquit Surigao del Sur engage in nipa-shingle production to compliment their husbands’ meager income.

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