SULU’S RESPONSE TO GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS

From well-oiled automatic rifles and smoke grenades, the Tausogs in Luuk, Sulu are now arming themselves for a different kind of war – a battle for full stomach and patience – to win over the scourge of poverty where it breeds terrorism.

Security officials in the country has been alarmed by the reality of food shortage that triggered riots erupting worldwide and is now gauging the security implications of the crucial rice and food situation in the country.

The Tausogs in this island of more than half a million Muslims are armed not with weapons, but farm implements battling to save themselves from the looming food crisis the country is facing.

Luuk, which literally means, ”low elevation”, was established in 1918 when Maas Kamlon, a very famous Tausog warrior fought against the government. The province is among the poorest provinces in the country and registered with the lowest human development index. It lagged behind in terms of economic development and the people here lived in a lonely island of poverty but ironically in the midst of a vast ocean of natural resources.

Agricultural Revolution

The Tausugs are now in the midst of what they call an agricultural revolution and are planting hundred of hectares of farms with cassava, corn and vegetable.

People here are now conscious enough and know very well the consequences, that if eventually supplies of imported of rice will decrease and will come in trickles, they can always eat cassava as an alternative.

Because they consider cassava as their staple instead of rice, the farmers are able to slowly cushion the impact of the soaring rice prices.

The local government led by Mayor Abdurahman Arbison, together with his Father and the entire government, rallied the people to engage in livelihood projects by tilling their lands and planting them with cassava and other crops, Arbison said that in the advent of a global rice shortage, people in Sulu need not to worry anymore, as they can always go back to their staple which is cassava and since they have an abundance of it ; they can even export it if needed.

Aside from planting essentials, fisher folks at its coastal area here are also concentrating on lobsters (tiger) and groupers (lapu-lapu) culture at sea.

The only fishpond in Sulu is found in this coastal town; and employs people from Iloilo in the Visayas (Ilongos). They manned the fishpond and at the same time teach bangus culture to the locals.

Ilongo’s are known in the Visayas to be industrious and are experts in cultivating fresh water seafoods to include tilapia and sugpo(prawns), however, the Tausogs are not used to eat fresh water fish but is now learning and beginning to like it.

Developments in Sulu

Access roads to near by municipalities connecting to the center town are now under construction and are to be operational before the end of this year. Roads to this areas before it was concreted, were not accessible due to big holes, mud -like soil and boulders of rocks.

Leisure Park, a few hundred meters away from the Tanduh Batu Port which is also adjacent to more than a kilometer from the Boulevard by the Sea is nearing completion.

When operational the park’s centerpiece is a Water Fountain complete with colored light bulbs that will illuminate the rolling and sprouting water above 12 feet from the ground.

The lighted Boulevard by the Sea has a walkway in the side of the riff-raff shoulders to accommodate early morning joggers and sunset lovers who are expected to troop the area.

Opposite the boulevard will rise a Sports Complex complete with Basketball and Tennis Courts with many indoor games.

More commercial stalls around the area will be built in uniform models to accommodate goods and products to be sold at bottom low prices that will showcase native and indigenous products.

Sulu had hosted the visit of two heads of states, two (2) Philippine Presidents, Pres. Gloria Arroyo and Former Pres. Joseph Estrada; and the son of the Great Libyan-Arab Jamahiriya Col. Muammar Khadafi.

Personally, Sulu is one of the areas in Mindanao that continues to attract me. I know so many business people that would really want to go and explore Sulu and see for themselves the economic progress that is now happening. Do it. Now is the time.

(My thanks to fellow MIndanaoan Mr. Ed General of MindaNews for the information in this column).

(Joji Ilagan Bian is a strong and respected advocate for the development of the island. She is Chair of Joji Ilagan Foundation , Phil. Call Centers Alliance, Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association; Mindanao Rep, Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com)

OPPORTUNITIES IN BIO FUEL PRODUCTION

With the prices of petroleum products breaching the $100 a barrel barrier, many of those in the fuel industry have started considering other alternatives. Our government had passed Republic Act 9367, the Biofuels Act, a law that mandates both the government and the private sector to lower dependence on imported fossil fuels and find alternative sources.

The law also states that diesel fuels should be blended with one percent bio-diesel, while gasoline fuels should be diluted with about five percent of bio ethanol. The blending will increase to two percent in diesel fuel by February 2009 and 10 percent of bio-ethanol by 2011.

Another intention of the law is to increase economic activity in the country considering that bio-diesel and bio-ethanol are both products of plants or agriculture activities.

Under this program, the Philippines is looking into becoming the global leader in the bio-fuels industry by 2011 through accelerating production of these products; as this will also result in self-sufficiency and at the same time protect the environment.

Based on the data from the Agribusiness Land Investment Center, blending one percent of bioethanol to gasoline fuels will result in $168 million in annual foreign exchange savings; while doubling the amount blended will mean $482 million in foreign exchange savings.

The same data also shows that blending diesel fuel with one percent biodiesel, usually the cocomethyl ester from coconut will result in $50 million annual savings; while doubling the amount blended will result in $133 million savings.

Under the implementing rules and regulation guidelines of the law, the Department of Agriculture, the lead agency in implementing the program; was tasked to identify and develop viable and quality feedstock; develop a national program for the production of crops for use as feedstock supply;ensure increased productivity and sustainable supply of biofuel feedstocks; publish information on available and suitable areas for cultivation and production of biofuels crops; and undertake the identification and publication of potential areas suitable for expansion.

Biofuel Production in Mindanao

What is notable is that the areas identified for the production of both products are Mindanao provinces.

The provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Basilan, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Camiguin, Compostela Valley, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Isabela City, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Shariff Kabunsuan, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del sur, Tawi-tawi, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay are the production centers for bio diesel. Majority of the areas that are part of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are in this short list.

If one reviews the list, an obvious conclusion can be drawn that Mindanao is capable of producing the entire biodiesel requirements of the country. About 893,000 hectares in the whole region can be planted with jatropha, coconut and oil palm, the main sources of biodiesel.

Sources of Bio-ethanol

The same provinces can also be planted with cassava, sugarcane and sweet sorghum; the main raw materials for bioethanol. The Agriculture Department has identified about 701,000 hectares of land in Mindanao for these plants.

In Davao Oriental, for example, Gov. Corazon Malanyaon has pushed for both the production of cassava and oil palm and the rehabilitation of coconut considering that the province is the top producer of copra.

At present, six companies have already been accredited for biodiesel production with their total production of 252 million liters annually. Four other companies are also seeking accreditation.

On the bioethanol program, the country’s potential production could reach 794 million liters a year and that several companies have committed to buy locally-produced bioethanol.

To be able to produce the target, the existing sugarmills could be converted within 18 months; while the conversion of greenfield facilities will take between two years and 30 months.

Under the program, the target is to replace 10% of imported gasoline with bioethanol and this would result in P10.4 billion in saving within the next three years. The Philippine Fuel Ethanol Alliance estimates that bioethanol requirements for the next 10 years of 3.7 billion liters will be equivalent to 51.71 million metric tons of sugarcane.

At present, Mindanao accounts for 19.1% of the total sugarcane production in the country at 72,319 hectares of the total 377,182 hectares. This further validates the fact that Mindanao, with its vast agricultural land, can produce more than the country requirements.

Will we in Mindanao be able to capture these opportunities? Will we be able to translate these into jobs in the countryside? We all know that the answers are within ourselves.

(Joji Ilagan Bian is a strong and respected advocate for the development of the region. She is Chair of Joji Ilagan Foundation ( www.jojiilagancareercenter.com) ; President , Phil. Call Centers Alliance and Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association; Mindanao Rep, Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com)

Mindanao Must Lead In Rice Production

Mindanao is considered the food basket of the country as it contributes about 40% of its total agricultural production. This is because aside from having the most fertile soil in the country, it is also shielded from storms that devastate the farms in other parts of the country.

On rice production, based on the data from the International Rice Research Institute, Mindanao contributes 23% of the country’s production, the biggest among the rice producing areas. Not bad considering that the island is also a top producer of other agricultural products like copra, corn and banana.

In the report of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, the production of the island last year reached to 3.74 million metric tons with Region 12 being the largest producer at 1.186 million metric tons, or nearly one-third of the total production of the island.

The region is composed of Sarangani, the Cotabato provinces and Sultan Kudarat with North Cotabato producing 449,202 metric tons, higher even the production of Region 11 which could only produce 427,184 metric tons.

This is because most areas in the Davao Region are either planted with banana and coconut, its top two exports. Some of the rice farms were even converted into banana plantations.

Another Mindanao region considered as big rice producer is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Based on the report, the region produced 615,780 metric tons last year.

Third biggest last year in terms of rice production was Zamboanga Peninsula with 553,759 metric tons and Northern Mindanao came in fourth with 501,892 metric tons. The Caraga Administrative Region even surpassed the Davao Region after it registered 455,838 metric tons in rice production.

Yet the island, just like the rest of the country was caught flatfooted by the recent development in the rice industry as prices of commercial varieties have continued to rise since the start of the year.

We don’t want to lay the blame on anyone, but we believe both government and the private sector could have anticipated this problem of insufficient supply that we are all confronted with if only ample attention was given to the irrigation infrastructure and post harvest facilities in many areas of Mindanao.

Several programs have been implemented in Mindanao, including the Mindanao Rural Development Program and several others directed at the improvement of productivity of the farmers in the island, but there is more that has to be done.

There is the $90 million World Bank-funded program aimed at improving necessary infrastructure facilities not just for rice farmers but for other sectors as this will also result in improvement of their productivity which will eventually translate into better life for the farmers.

Some top experts of both the government and private institutions have also pushed for adoption of hybrid rice varieties to increase productivity. It is time that the government, as well as everyone, move in the same direction in improving our food sustainability.

We need a concerted effort to address food supply, particularly of the staple, so that we will be independent from other countries that learned the science of increasing their productivity from us. Now is the time.

We also hope that the government implement other basic programs that will address food sustainability and empower farmers to become not just main tillers but also profiteers of their endeavors. We believe this can be done by coming up with schemes that will increase their production earning through increasing the buying prices. Although the National Food Authority already hiked the palay purchasing prices by P5, we still believe there are other similar mechanisms which will lure back farmers into planting rice rather than converting their lands into other use.

The greater challenge is to review the agriculture budget given to Mindanao and to increase it to a level so that we can truly be the food basket of the country.

We need to move faster. We don’t to be caught flatfooted again with a graver consequence.

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The Philippine Call Center Alliance (PhilCall) will be holding its 2^nd Forum : “Power of One: Maximizing your Call Center Agent's Performance” on April 25, 2008 at the Commision of ICT,Diliman , Quezon City. This is designed for small and medium sized call center owners and supervisors to gain a better understanding of motivating agents and translating their performance to better profitability. For reservations, please contact Ms. Josine De Leon at the Office of the PhilCall Secretariat at 942-3282 or mobile (0918) 930-5027 or e-mail philcall_secretariat@yahoo.com.ph.

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The Basilan Chamber of Commerce will be holding their annual regional business conference in Basilan on April 26, 2008. These will be attended by the business community of the Zamboanga Peninsula as well as with other stake holders.

(Joji Ilagan Bian is a strong and respected advocate for the development of the island. She is Chair of Joji Ilagan Foundation , Phil. Call Centers Alliance, Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association; Mindanao Rep, Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com)

MINDANAO TVET HELPS THE POOR (2nd of 2 Parts)

Even if Mindanao posted a relatively higher employment rate than the national average, it is ironic that there are also several provinces which have a higher number of poor families . More than half of our population at 57% are living below the poverty threshold. And in the past seven years, only Region X or Northern Mindanao was able to reduce its poor families by 4.9 percent

TVET Initiatives

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ensures that an individual has the technical skills and knowledge for gainful employment at the shortest time possible. All you need is to study from six months or two years, depending on your choice of skills training. Therefore, one does not have to waste money or time pursuing a four year college degree to be able to find a job; more so if one does not have ample financial resources. By taking a TVET course, one has the option to work and continue to go up the education ladder at his own pace. The Ladderized Education was introduced by both TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) and CHED ( Commission of Higher Education) early last year ; where one may opt to get a college degree by finishing one skills certificate at a time ; step by step ; until the highest rung of the ladder is reached. This is applicable for baccalaureate courses in Nursing, Hotel and Restaurant Management and Engineering.

Through TVET or the ladderize program, the children of poor family is able to help augment the meager family income through their new - learned skills and find work fast in many service companies, agriculture and manufacturing plants .

Priority Skills in Mindanao

There was a survey made among the different industries in Mindanao as to the kind of skills that were needed to sustain or bring about higher economic activities in different regions. This was done so TVET schools and institutions in each region will know what kind of training programs to offer to match the demands of industries.

The top 3 critical skills of Region 9 are in agriculture and fisheries, processed food and in construction; Region 10 is also in agriculture, construction and in the information/communication technology (ICT) arena . Topping the critical skills in Region 11 is ICT, agriculture and processed food and beverages; while Region 12 is in agriculture, land transport and tourism. CARAGA‘s needed skills is in furniture and furnishing, agriculture and construction while ARMM is in agriculture, construction and automotive.

In the general ranking, the top 5 critical skills in the entire island is still agriculture and fishery and that further strengthens Mindanao’s role as the food basket of the country. Followed by construction, processed food and beverages, ICT and Tourism.

This actually reflects the investment priorities of many regions in Mindanao. The cities of Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Zamboanga are all positioning themselves as the prime tourism destinations as well as the ICT hub for call centers, transcription and the like. CARAGA remains as the region where you can find abundant wood for furniture. Skills pertaining to construction is a necessity since we know that progress and more business will bring about new buildings, roads and other infrastructure to support growth.

Partners in TVET

The Philippine Australian Human Resource Development Facility (PAHRDF) of Australian- Aid is an active partner of the Mindanao TVET Association MinTVET). This association is the biggest network of technical vocational schools association all over the island and is in the forefront of advocacy and bringing about positive changes and developments in TVET. Through the PAHRDF, the faculty members or teachers of TVET schools are given the opportunity to avail of both the short and long term scholarship to Australia. For this year, there were approximately ten (10) teachers who are now in Sydney taking up courses in Curriculum and Instructional Materials, School Management, Software Development and Metal and Fabrication. This will be an annual program between PAHRDF and MinTVET.

The Asian Development Bank is also one of the more active education donors in Mindanao working in collaboration with TESDA, CHED and the Mindanao Economic Development Council.

With this in mind, TVET is now being looked at with higher respect and TVET graduates are now able to stand proudly knowing that their skills certificate will be their key to success and prosperity.

For one thing, we must focus on the skills defined under the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan 2005-2009 as these are the skills required by the companies. Let me present, therefore, the priority sector under the plan and the corresponding labor force requirements.

No	Sector	Total
1	Agriculture and Fishery	287,393
2	Construction	30,541
3	Processed Food and Beverages	29,928
4	Information Communications Technology	29,111
5	Tourism	14,459
6	Land Transport	8,812
7	Automotive	6,796
8	Furniture and Furnishings	4,057
9	Metals and Engineering	1,860
10	Mining	1,672

With the help of the government agencies through its scholarship programs like the Iskolar ng Mahirap sa Pamilya and other programs, we hope that Mindanao TVET is on the right track in helping the government improve the condition of the people of Mindanao.

(Joji Ilagan Bian is a strong and respected advocate for the development of the island. She is Chair of Joji Ilagan Foundation , Phil. Call Centers Alliance, Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association; Mindanao Rep, Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com)

Strengthening Mindanao’s Skilled Human Resources (1st of 2 parts)

Just recently, I was invited by the Western Mindanao Technical Vocational Schools Association to talk about the status of the Mindanao technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Zamboanga City The event has allowed me to bring to the fore the real issues and the prevailing situation of the institutions that are responsible for the skills training of the human resource sector.

Let us consider the fact that the national government has been faced with the major challenge of fighting poverty which can only be fought in an intensified way if more jobs are created to sustain the economic activities and improve the lives of both the rural and urban poor.

Because of this, the TVET industry is faced with a the difficult challenge of ensuring that skills meet industry demands that will make our manpower competitive both in the local and international labor markets.

To start with, let us look at the status of human resources in Mindanao based on data from government agencies.

Profile of Mindanao’s human resources

Mindanao has a total labor force of 8,435,878 as of April 2005, majority are from Region X. Surprisingly, Mindanao’s employment rate of 91.7% is even higher than the national average of 87.1%26% of the country’s employed persons are in Mindanao.

26% of the country’s employed persons are in Mindanao.

ARMM region where you find most of Mindanao’s poor has the lowest employment rate at 7.2%.

51% of the total Mindanaoans are employed in the agricultural sector.

Literacy level

Functional literacy is a higher level of literacy which includes not only reading and writing skills but also numerical and comprehension skills. Mindanao is lowest in simple and functional literacy compared to other island groups.

Full attention must therefore be given to our growing population to improve our literacy rates. The increasing number of illiterates reflects the inability of basic education to answer to the needs of the growing population. Education is still the main source of basic skills. The impact therefore of literacy on the lives of learners in terms of improved family life cannot be discounted.

TVET Profile

One aspect that we should also look into is the profile of our TVET considering that these are the sources of the human resources more so when so many of our workers have continuously leave for abroad and overseas seeking for greener pastures. It is unfortunate that majority of our Highschool graduates are all looking for course options that will facilitate their employment to foreign countries

Our TVET institutions in Mindanao have been increasing their output during the last few years . There are over 500 providers of technical skills now and 62% are private institutions, while the rest are government-run centers. Among the other providers are higher education institutions (HEIs), industry-based training centers, non-government organization-based training centers, local government unit-based training centers and TESDA supervised schools and training centers.

These institutions have registered and complied with government implemented standards through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the agency that regulates them. Complying with the set of standards are mandatory considering that the government wants to assure that the quality of our workers meet the standards set not only by local employers but also by the international markets.

With this in Mindanao, the Mindanao TVET Association, which is the strongest and the biggest technical vocationl schools organization is gearing its institutional focus to expanding and strengthening private technical and vocational institutions through technical capacity building, which is deemed necessary to provide the skills requirement demands of the industries and directed towards critical areas where impact is expected.

Based on the data for 2006, TVET institutions had a total enrolment of 718,576 seats just in Mindanao, from just about 477,667 in 2001, or a 54% increase, an indication that they have earned recognition that these institutions have continuously rendered the skills called for by both the global and domestic market.

(Joji Ilagan Bian is a strong and respected advocate for the development of the island. She is Chair of Joji Ilagan Career Center Foundation (www.jojiilagancareercenter.com); Phil. Call Centers Alliance, Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association; Mindanao Rep, Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com )

CHIPS R’ US- MINDANAO BANANA CHIPS

The global market for processed fruits , most specially the banana chips has grown into a billion dollar market as preference of consumers   lean towards more healthy and organic food. The sales for more natural food is expected to reach $100 billion in 2008  and projected to grow at 20-30% annually. Major markets are the    European Union Members , Germany, United Kingdom and France , United States and Canada, Singapore, China and Japan

 

The  raw material for banana chips is the cardava or plantain banana variety which is processed in various product forms such as fried, dried, vacuum fried and vacuum freeze dried chips and as ingredient for breakfast cereals and trail mixes. Majority of the country's production comes from Mindanao, accounting for 90 percent of output. There are about 15 major companies in the region with average production capacity of 580 metric tons per day.  Fifteen (15) of the twenty four(24) largest banana chips facility is found in Mindanao

Industry data show that the country's annual banana chips exports averages close to $80 million with the biggest shipments going to the US, Taiwan, Hongkong and mainland China.

Davao Region is one of the largest, if not the largest, exporter of banana chips in the Philippines. According to Trade Assistant Secretary Merly Cruz, the region was able to sell $24.77 million of banana chips last year, higher by 32 percent compared with what was exported in 2005.

 

 

China's Crackdown on Banana Chips

The  crackdown that China  recently had   on banana products from the Philippines is one hard lesson that must be learned. Although it was fortunate that China spared banana chips shipment from Mindanao as it only seized two tons of banana chips from the country for containing sulfur dioxide 25 times higher than the allowable level;  Mindanao producers must bear in mind that the incident was something to ponder upon.

 

 In assuring that the shipment that was seized came from Cebu and not Mindanao, the Trade regional offices in Davao Region and in Central Mindanao both claimed that the recall did not affect shipments from these two regions.

 

However, banana chips producers in Mindanao must not be complacent because the incident only pointed out that there is  so much has to be done in order to protect their products from market manipulation or sheer failure to abide by world standards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Developing the Mindanao Banana Chips 

 In its desire to really push the development of banana chips, the  Department of Trade  Regional office even commissioned a private company to produce 12 variants of banana chips as it called on local producers to commercialize these variants and market them either locally or internationally. These banana chips variants  land in shelves of school canteen as substitute of junk foods.  The regional office of the Department of Education also made a parallel move by requesting canteens in public school to do away with soda drinks and patronize banana chips.

 

Homegrown talent Joey Ayala also  composed a song that would promote banana, considered the number one export of the region, particularly Davao del Norte which hosts the biggest banana plantations.

 

There is also a move to develop just ONE brand for Mindanao banana chips- a  brand that would be synonymous  with excellence and quality.  All Mindanao banana chips  will carry a single brand and packaging. This will  result to better prices, increase in profitability and even reduce   cost through common marketing and promotions efforts.

 

Meeting the Challenges 

The China incident should be a wakeup call for all those involved in banana production, particularly those into banana chips making.

 

For one thing, that  should pave the way for these producers to see to it that their products meet not just the minimum international standards but the highest standards attainable. In this modern world of competition, it always pays to invest in improving the quality of products for international markets.

 

Another issue that must be addressed is for government to help these producers look for additional markets and provide more access to financing.  Just about two years ago when prices of banana chips plunged, the incident showed how vulnerable local producers to market manipulation. But with new markets, there is an assurance that even if marketing to traditional buyers falter, exporters can run to these new buyers. With additional financing, the producers can invest in   new machineries and technologies.

 

Lastly, the government and the producers must sit down and discuss how they should package the products. For example, some school canteen operators refused to sell banana chips because children will not buy because they did not find banana chips as attractive as those junk foods. "The problem of packaging is what is hounding us," says one of them.

 

It pays to improve our products. Otherwise, the competition will just run over us.

Palawan: Gateway to Southern Philippines

PALAWAN has always been considered part of the Southern Philippines.

 

In fact, when the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front signed the so-called Tripoli Agreement on December 23, 1976, the province was included as the 13 ^th province of the autonomous government. However, because of the referendum, the province did not become part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

 

Because of its proximity to Mindanao, the province was also included in the broader subregional group, the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asean Growth Area which the four countries formed in 1994.

 

In 2000, Palawan had a population of about 755,000 with 40 percent of its people natives, while six percent are Muslims.

 

The province, declared as the natural sanctuary of the world, is endowed with natural resources and has become one of the best tourist attractions of the country. Its inclusion in the subregional group, which was created in attempt to push for developments in the identified areas, was intended to alleviate poverty of its people as its poverty incidence in 1994 was at 54.50%.

 

As a result of its inclusion in the subregion, Palawan formed a trade linkage with Kudat, which is part of Sabah in Malaysia.

 

According to the Mindanao Economic Development Concil (MedCo) the formation of the trade linkage was eyed for a port-to-port trading between Sabah and Palawan. In a memorandum of understanding on the cross-border trade linkage, the two sides agreed to undertake a concerted effort that will open the trade link promote investment areas together.

 

Based on the agreement, Palawan can supply marine products, corn, fruits, coconut, virgin coconut oil, cashew nuts and seaweeds, while Sabah, through Kudat, can sell noodles, cooking oil and other grocery items.

 

Retired general Efren Abu, Philippine special envoy for the subregion, believed that the memorandum of understanding between Palawan and Sabah will allow the flow of goods between the two areas with Brooke's Point, a municipality, serving as a gateway to Malaysia.

 

Kudat, northern town of Sabah, is just 137 miles away from Brooke's Point and is just about 12 hours by sea. Brooke's Point is the only municipality in Palawan that has a port.

 

But the subregional group leaders believed that in implementing trade linkages, they must be able to assure the protection and safety of  the business traders as they intensify their travels between and among the identified growth areas.

 

Since a year after its creation, leaders of the subregion have started discussing harmonization of customs, immigration, quarantine and security (CIQS) policies of their respective countries with the hope of coming up with a comprehensive set of policies that will apply to all the members.

 

With its inclusion in the subregion and the continuing discussions on the CIQS, Palawan may eventually become one of the key areas of development in the country. With its natural resources including the wonderful attractions, it is not far-fetched for the province to play a vital role in the development not just of itself but of Southern Philippines. After all, Palawan is nearer to Mindanao than to Metro Manila.

 

ERRATUM:

 

In the previous column, we failed to mention that the late Emmanuel Pelaez, a Mindanawan ,   was elected as vice president of the country in 1965. Our apologies.

MINDANAO NGO’S AND THE ANCESTRAL DOMAIN AGENDA

Ancestral Domain, as one of the three sub-theme agendas made by the Moro International Liberation Front (MILF) for the Mindanao Peace Process, refers to the MILF's demand for territory that will constitute the Muslim native soil, sufficient control over economic resources, and a structure of government that will allow self-governance in ways that are consonant with their culture and with minimal intrusion from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP).   It is assumed to be the key for a more enduring peace in Mindanao but because of its delicate nature, there are still many issues and concerns that need to be resolved.

 

This covers five Muslim autonomous provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur, and Maguindanao, and other areas in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Saranggani provinces where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes.  These communities, commonly referred to as Indigenous People (IP), include the Ata, Manobo, Dibabawon, Mandaya, Isamal, Mansaka, and Manguguanan tribes, among others.   They mostly dwell in forests but have established ancestral land and domain claims over areas and territories said to be their custody, occupied and utilized by the government.

 

As a response to the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development Protection Plan (ADSDPP), a number of non-government organizations (NGO's) set up programs in Mindanao. Many of these NGO's have operations that aim to benefit the tribes of Manobo, Dibabawon, Mandaya, and Manguguanan.  Some of them would attempt to focus on the economical development of the forestry situated in the Ancestral Domain to culturally unite all IP to become socially developed, politically empowered, and economically reliant, thus establishing a productive and self-sustaining community.

 

Role of NGO's

                                                                                  

The role of the NGO's in assisting the IP's in Mindanao is very significant since it ensures that socio-economic opportunities would reach these far flung areas. There are NGO's that give them the needed technical and financial assistance and other endeavors to uplift their moral, social, and economic conditions. Most of them also aim to improve the physical and mental being, as well as health conditions of the tribal communities.

 

Provision of materials, micro-finance, and extension services and the establishment of a cooperative to bring added value to forest and agro-forest activities are among the programs being implemented.

 

Ancestral Domain Land Use

Four main productive land uses for the Ancestral Domain were identified, namely forest, agricultural, mining, and settlement.

 

The domain is endowed with a land area of 28,740 hectares and is categorized as public forest or timberland.   Within it are tenurial instruments issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which includes an area of about 480 individual Certificate of Stewardship Contract (CSC) of approximately 1, 038.79 hectares, four forest land agreements with a total area of 187 hectares, and one community based forest management agreement enclosing about 2,766 hectares.

 

 A sustainable reforestation scheme was also designed, which included recommendation of the arbitrary harvesting of Gemelina, the establishment of nurseries for the remaining flora and fauna for its identification and propagation, and the protection of palm species such as Rattan and fiber such as Abaca. Likewise, ordinances to combat "kaingin" and illegal logging will be enforced.

 

Environmental Safeguards

To safeguard the Ancestral Domain from environmental concerns, enforcement of DENR guidelines were promoted on designated areas for mining and prospecting activities. Mining activities in the area cause disturbances such as contamination of water ecosystems, migration, solid wastes, air and liquid chemical pollution, forest degradation, erosion and siltation, and habitat destruction, among others.

 

Hunting conservation of wild animals and land mammals, as well as endangered species of birds inhabiting the Ancestral Domain is also intensified due to unconfirmed reports that unidentified specie of eagle was sighted within its southern boundary.

 

Aside from tourism purposes, there are plans to promote the establishment of bridges and landmarks to clean waterways, connecting the locals to their heritage, thus instilling pride and ownership.   The installation and maintenance of 24 kilometers farm to market roads is likewise requested, as well as the rehabilitation and electrification of identified barangays, such as Purok V Mahayahay, Baylo and Purok II, Pasian.

 

Modern Facilities and Infrastructures

Eight water systems were also solicited wherein each water generation system will have its basic aquifer and hydrologists.   All water plans will include the consumption of water for plants and garden within the residential areas.

 

Seven terminals for public transport utilities were requested with aims to offer the landscape of the overall theme of the Ancestral Domain, its heritage and interdependence upon the forest and the reefs

With the vision to develop community appreciation of sustainable reforestation and the adaptation of biodiversity as an integral part of community lifestyle, the various NGO's collaborated for the set up of nine elementary schools, three secondary schools, two day care centers, a home for the aged, and six tribal health center and medicinal gardens.   This, as a goal, fosters the establishment of 11 tribal villages/settlements with basic facilities.

 

Cell sites are also being built in designated areas of the Ancestral Domain.   Providers such as Smart and Globe are now racing to position posts in Pasian and Diwata.  The development of the wireless connectivity technology makes it feasible for IPO consideration as compared to the installation of conventional system throughout the domain.

 

Other plans included in the proposal facilitates the preservation of the cultural heritages, sanitation, undertaking of intensive information, education, and communication campaign to 300 member households, advanced planning on waste management, establishment of checkpoints for environmental protection, proper cutting and selling of trees, health and nutrition.