By BEVERLY PAOYON ALABEL, Sarangani (June 24, 2011) – Thirteen former members of the New Peoples’ Army who voluntarily returned to the folds of the law early this year received on Wednesday (June 22) P50,000 each as livelihood assistance from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). The financial aid was awarded thru the provincial government of Sarangani as part of the Local Social Integration Program, a province-wide program which the Provincial Peace and Order Council with the support of OPAPP created in 2008 to provide immediate psychosocial, technical and financial assistance to armed groups and its members who would like to surrender to the government. Governor Migs Dominguez told the former rebels (FR) that “the assistance is intended to start a livelihood project to ensure better future for their families.” “I hope your children would not experience what you have gone through,” Dominguez told them. “Karon nakita nako sa inyong mga mata ang paglaum,” Dominguez told the former rebels, and that as governor he always sought for reasons why people like them joined the rebel movement. “It could be caused by lack of education and convincing promises” from insurgent groups, but in Sarangani, Dominguez said all they have to do is to work hard to survive and “there could be no longer reasons their children could not go to school and for them to remain in the hinterlands.” “Nobody wanted war especially Filipinos fighting each other,” Dominguez said. However, the government would always be ready to respond if there were armed groups threatening peace and security. Major William Rodriguez of the 1002nd Infantry Brigade appreciated the peace and development interventions of the provincial government as he admitted the military could not respond to insurgency alone without the help of the local government and the returnees themselves. The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office reported 315 FRs from the municipalities of Glan, Malapatan, Alabel and Malungon since 2008 have been facilitated for debriefing and training. These individuals now have organized themselves into livelihood associations. The office said the fund assistance is “a realization of the returnees’ individual aspirations.” In the past, only P5,000 as emergency assistance were provided but starting this year, each surrenderee will receive P50,000 because OPAPP wanted to ensure the sustainability of the livelihood assistance. For this batch, the group underwent a three-day training on agri-farming technologies and simple bookkeeping before OPAPP granted the aid. Provincial social welfare officer Hermelo Latoja said immediately after the encashment of the fund assistance, his office will evaluate the FRs individually on the implementation and progress of the livelihood project they engaged in. Some FRs were to engage in farming while another wanted to put up a welding shop. (Beverly Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has earmarked multimillion funds for various livelihoods in Mindanao. The DA’s Mindanao Rural Development Program (DA-MRDP) has already disbursed a total of P234.96 million for its livelihood arm. While, another 260.56 million were issued with Certificate of Availability of Funds (CAF) and are ready for download to beneficiaries making the overall portfolio of CFAD to P495.51 million. Program director Lealyn A. Ramos, in her report to DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, said the Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD) component spent the amount mostly in food security interventions, community managed livelihoods and small support infrastructure. The various livelihoods have benefitted 49,537 individuals. With the aim to increase agricultural production and increase incomes of small farmers, CFAD component is a municipal-based funding facility though which MRDP provides financing for the diverse needs and priorities expressed by poor communities. “The bottom-up approach under the Program where the people’s organization themselves identify and mange the project has promoted participation and transparency in governance and prompted for the empowerment of many rural folks,” Ramos said. To date, there are already 1,988 agri-based livelihoods funded. 671 were completed, 365 are still on-going and the rest are ready for implementation. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) leads in the implementation with P118 million under its portfolio. ARMM completed 89 subprojects, 66 are on-going and 146 are ready for implementation. Caraga region follows closely having accessed P113.33 million for its covered towns. The region has a total of 471 subprojects where 108 completed, 79 are on-going and the rest are ready for implementation. Region 12 has a portfolio of P81.325 million with a total 405 subprojects; Region 11 has P75.5 million for its 287 projects; region 10 has accessed P63.10 for its 311 subprojects. And region 9 P44.25 million for 213 projects. Among the successful livelihood projects implemented is the rice production in Zamboanga del Sur where farmers have liberated themselves from huge debts of middlemen and informal lenders and “finaciers.” Farmers in North Cotabato has enjoyed the utility of the Carabao in the farm as well as the income from selling its offspring from their livestock dispersal project. Meanwhile, high-value vegetable production has made some 30 families in Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur acquire their own modest house and lot and additional two hectares of farm lot and vehicle for their marketing. While in Maguindanao, rice and corn farmers enjoy the benefits of their post harvest facilities. A rice mill in Mamasapano town has increased production and income of a number of farmers; while the solar drying pavement in North Upi has improved the quality of grains the farmers produced. The Ata-Bagobo tribe in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur are now enjoying the fruits of their labor in their lakatan banana production. While the Higa-onon tribe in Bukidnon has increased their incomes after they have expanded their sweet pea production through the program. “Aside from the number of completed subprojects, we are also glad that we are attaining our goal to benefit 30 percent of women and indigenous peoples,” Ramos added. In its mid-term assessment, CFAD has benefited a total of 4,498 IPs or 28 percent of the total beneficiaries. While women count reaches 7,474 or 47 percent of the total beneficiaries. (Sherwin B. Manual/DA-MRDP). Pix Caption: Easy Ride. Going to his farm, a farmer-beneficiary of Libungan, North Cotabato rides on his Carabao he acquired from the livestock dispersal project under the livelihood component of DA-MRDP and the local government unit of Libungan. Despite the advancement of farming practice, Carabao remains to be a reliable partner of many farmers in Mindanao. (Photo by: Sherwin B. Manual)

U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. (top row, center) visited the U.S. government-funded Job Enabling English Proficiency (JEEP) Project at the Davao Merchant Marine Academy (DMMA)-College of the Southern Philippines. To his right is Sec. Luwalhati Antonino, Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority. Also participating in the visit were (r-l): Dr. Nelia Alibin (5th from right) of the Commission on Higher Education Development; USAID Office of Economic Development and Governance Deputy Chief, Daniel Miller; DMMA President, Lorenzo Edwin Eusebio; Robert Quinto, Trustee of the Davao Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and USAID Economic Growth Advisor, Robert Barnes. USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, under the oversight of the Mindanao Development Authority, has partnered with 27 colleges and universities to implement JEEP, an intensive two-year course that assists college students to acquire sufficient proficiency in English to allow them to compete for jobs in travel, tourism, and the merchant marine, among other fields.

ALABEL, Sarangani (June 22, 2011) – Buenaventura Solarte Jr., a community affairs officer II, briefs former rebels on the background of livelihood assistance project from the provincial government of Sarangani in partnership with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Wednesday, June 22, at the Capitol guest house. These 13 former combatant rebels completed a three-day agri-farming technologies and simple bookkeeping workshop conducted by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and the Office of the Vice Governor as requisite for the provision of financial assistance amounting to P50,000 for each rebel returnee from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (June 22, 2011) – A recipient of livelihood assistance program of the provincial government in partnership with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process looks at his check and certificate of completion during the graduation ceremony on agri-farming technologies and simple bookkeeping Wednesday, June 22, at the Capitol guest house. 13 former combatant rebels completed a three-day agri-farming technologies and simple bookkeeping workshop conducted by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and the Office of the Vice Governor as requisite for the provision of financial assistance amounting to P50,000 for each rebel returnee from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (June 22, 2011) – Governor Migs Dominguez delivers a message of peace to former rebels during their graduation ceremony on agri-farming technologies and simple bookkeeping and turnover of checks amounting to P50,000 as livelihood assistance to each recipient from the provincial government and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Wednesday, June 22, at the Capitol guest house as provincial social welfare officer Hermelo Latoja and Major William Rodriguez listen. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

MAASIM, Sarangani (June 22, 2011) – Municipal councilor Romie Bellocura (center) leads the distribution of school supplies together with sitio Langaran Primary School teacher Alfredo Jutar (right), school supplies sponsor Raphael Marion Quintanar (left), Barangay Captain Aldrick Ambrad (2nd left) and members of Philippine Air Force reservists who also sponsored the school supplies for the children of sitio Langaran, barangay Kablacan during the Serbisyong Sarangan community outreach activity. (Bon-Bon Quiño/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

MALUNGON, Sarangani (June 22, 2011) – Dr. Samuel Evans of Reach International Healthcare and Training, Inc. greets the children of barangay Lutay before the community outreach and first aid training for the volunteers of Integrated Barangay Defense Force. (Bon-Bon Quiño/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

MAASIM, Sarangani (June 22, 2011) – 1st Lt. Rodel Reambonanza of Philippine Air Force distributes toothbrush to the children of sitio Langaran, barangay Kablacan during the medical outreach activity in partnership with 73rd Infantry Battalion, 1002nd Brigade medical team, municipal health unit, Acim Asia, Kapayapaan Kapatid Council, Philippine Air Force reservists, Raphael Marion Kintanar, Reach International Healthcare and Training, Inc., Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, International Care Ministry, Inc., Dra. Nelda P. Nisperos, Global Fund, Alcantara Foundation, Provincial Health Office and Office of Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon. (Bon-Bon Quiño/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

BUSINESS Officers of chambers of commerce from across Mindanao converged in Davao City for a seminar-workshop on policy analysis and planning organized by the Business Support Organization (BSO) Development Team of USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program. Among those represented at the workshop were the chambers of commerce in Surigao, Bukidnon, Iligan, Marawi, Cotabato, Kidapawan, Sarangani, and Pagadian—which will be hosting the Mindanao Business Conference later this year— as well as chambers based in the island-provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. The USAID-GEM Program assists chambers, industry associations, and other BSOs to strengthen their capability to generate business activity and draw trade and investment to their respective areas, under the oversight of the Mindanao Development Authority. GEM