Default Thumbnail

DA-4K launched to help IP communities

August 12, 2022 Cory Martinez 703 views

RECOGNIZING the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) as fundamental stakeholders and partners in the government, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has designed several programs and projects for their communities.

Mercedita A. Sombilla, DA Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and Regulations, said that the programs for the IP communities aim to explore the potential of developing ancestral lands into sustainable food production areas.

Sombilla said that the DA is set to implement its culturally-sensitive projects Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo Program (DA-4K), which will cater to the needs of the IPs, including the development of agroforestry in IP communities through nursery establishment and promoting organic agriculture.

The DA-4K is also an active participant in the proposed Mindanao Inclusive Development Agriculture Program (MIADP), which emulates the Philippine Rural Development Program.

The MIADP is in its final negotiation stage and is expected to be on the ground on June 2023. This project is considered the first government project to implement business incubators for farmers and fisherfolk in indigenous cultural communities.

It will include “enterprise development” as a component for all agri-projects.

“We at DA consider IP as fundamental stakeholders and partners in the government. In fact, we believe that securing IPs access to lands and natural resources is fundamental to generate stability and to boost long-term inclusive and sustainable development in our local communities,” Sombilla said during the opening program of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People at the DA lobby on Aug. 9, 2022.

Meanwhile, DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns and BARMM Zamzamin L. Ampatuan said that DA-4K was developed to ensure IP areas can contribute to agricultural production while respecting their culture.

For his part, National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) Chairman Allen A. Capuyan said that they are committed to the direction of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and the DA.

Capuyan added they are also committed to collaborating, enhancing, and taking actions that will lay the foundation for strengthening and achieving food security in our country.

The DA-4K was created to promote food security and enhance livelihood opportunities to uplift the welfare and living conditions of tribal communities in tandem with the NCIP and other partner agencies.

From 2020 to June 2022, the program has provided interventions to 250 ancestral domains – of 145 sub-projects, 52 were completed, and 93 are still ongoing, benefiting 143 IP organizations.

It has also assisted and conducted training for individual IP women as part of GAD activities. It was able to help 2994 IP women and 210 IP women groups by providing production support and capacity-building activities.

AUTHOR PROFILE