Peoples Development Institute

Progress Report of the Area Management Team

Palawan

Period: January to June 2012

1. SECURING LAND TENURE AND TRANSFORMING ASSETS

Objectives: 1. To ensure food security through climate-adaptive farming and resource management

system;

2. To provide support to sustainable livelihood.

Activities:

a. Community Seed Banking -

One of the programs of the

Department of Agriculture

to ensure the supply of

good quality Palay seeds is

to enable farmers to

produce more rice. This

program is being

implemented nationwide

and one of the areas

benefitted is Coron

Municipality. PDI is partner

implementor of the

program of the

Department of Agriculture

with the Office of the

Provincial Agriculture and

the Local Government Unit

of Coron. Palawan AMT

conducted the Community

Seed Banking Project in

Barangay San Nicolas and

Barangay Borac. PDI provided 11 bags of Registered Palay seeds during the first quarter

distributed to eight (8) trained seed growers. The harvest from these seeds are to be

distributed to another set of farmers for the next cropping season. Unfortunately, excessive

rainfall and insect pests caused severe damage to the palay during its flowering up to its

productive stage resulting in

low palay production. The

Department of Agriculture

and PhilRice provided an

additional 11 bags of

Registered Seeds for

Lowland rice and 10 bags of

Registered Seeds for Upland

rice to be planted this wet

season. This was distributed

to 22 trained seed growers from different Barangays. The program is regularly

monitored by the OPA/LGU/PAMT personnel to ensure its success.

b. Distribution of Tilapia Fry - the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Regional Fisheries

Training Center [BFAR-RFTC] gave their support to the rice farmers by providing Tilapia fry for

the livelihood project to ensure a supply of protein for their families. During the first quarter

of 2012, BFAR-RFTC provided 10

thousand Tilapia fry to six (6)

farmers in Barangays Decalachao,

Turda, San Nicolas, Guadalupe and

Sitio Marupo to give them an

additional income source aside from

rice production. Harvested tilapia

from the first dispersal was sold in

the market.

c. High Value Crop Development

Program (HVCDP) – The HVCDP

provides support to men and women

farmers to boost high value crop

production. The Department of

Agriculture supplied farming inputs

and materials for the identified

projects. Assorted vegetable seeds

were given by DA, OPAg, LGU to

support the vegetable demo farms and

backyard gardens, DA also provided

hose and plastic drums for the demo projects. These projects were requested by the farmer and

women associations thru resolutions submitted to DA and OPA.

Three (3) Indigenous Farmers Associations in

Barangay Buenavista, Turda and Sitio Marupo

were given working carabaos with plow and

harrow to support their rice production and

other farming activities.

c. Small Scale Composting

Facilities – A farmer

cooperator in Barangay

Borac received support

for his Small Scale

Composting project. The

project produces Vermi

Cast, an organic fertilizer

used for palay and

vegetable production.

d. Coconut Nursery Program – The Association of

Katutubong Tagbanua in Barangay Buenavista and

Turda obtained support from the Philippine

Coconut Authority to establish a nursery project for

coconut seedlings.

The seedlings will be

distributed to

identified coconut

farmers for the

intensification of

Coconut plantations

in the municipality.

e. Farm Mechanization Program –

Five (5) Farmers associations

requested for hand tractors

from DA Region 4-B under a

counter parting program with

15% counterpart collected from

the farmers and 85% shouldered

by DA Region. PDI staff

facilitated the preparation and

processing of requirements and

documents.

f. Seaweed Farming Materials - The

Provincial Government distributed

Seaweed farming materials to 111

fisher folk Federation members to

expand the production of seaweeds

in the municipality. The problem of

the seaweed growers in the area is

their inadequacy of capital to buy

planting materials. PDI assists

seaweed farmers with technical and

monitoring support.

2. SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING/HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Objective: To improve the human resource base of RBO /ARB and IP communities through

support of Non – formal Education and other capacity building measures.

An orientation workshop on Community Seed banking was sponsored by DA-ATI, OPAg to

familiarize seed growers with the activities to be undertaken. After the orientation, a 3 day

training on seed production was given to 28 farmers identified as seed growers of the CSB

program on lowland and upland rice.

Regular meetings with the FA, RIC and RBO federations were attended by PDI’s PAMT staff who

were also tasked to supervise and monitor their activities. A quarterly meeting of the RBO

federation was conducted to ensure that the programs to be implemented were based on the

plans and targets. Regular field visitation and project monitoring is being conducted by the

PAMT staff.

PAMT staff also attended a series of Training conducted in Puerto Princesa City and in Coron,

Palawan. One of the Farmer leaders also attended the Farmer Leader Technician training in

Puerto Princesa City. This farmer leader will assist the Technician in the implementation of the

Farmer Field School in the municipality.

Regular field visitation and project monitoring was conducted by the PAMT staff.

Barangay Food Terminal is one of the projects of the RIC in Barangay

6. This project is operated by the women association. The Barangay

Food terminal (BFT) by-pass the middlemen and sold vegetable and

other agricultural products produced by the farmers in

the locality. This project was assisted by PAMT staff with

recording and surprising activities.

Lack of capital is the main problem

of the association. It needs money

to buy groceries stocks, vegetables

and fruits for resale.

A joint program of the OPAg, LGU and PDI is

the annual celebration of Farmer Family Day.

The 2nd Year celebration of Farmers-

Fisherfolks Family day was successfully

celebrated by about 200 people from the

members of the federation. It was also

attended by the MLGU and BLGU officials.

Alternative Learning System

From August 2011 to March 2012, the PAMT, together with parateachers and the Department’s

Alternative Learning System program conducted Non-Formal Education classes among the

Tagbanuas. The completion ceremony (mass graduation) was held last March 20, 2012 at

Coron Coliseum. A total of 441 enrollees was registered for 2011-2012. A total number of 220

completed with 168 females and 52 males. We

are proud to report that of the 134 learners who

passed the A & E Secondary level examination,

70 came from the PDI ALS Program. From April

to May 2012, the Selection of learners for BLP

and A&E were completed. A total of 359

learners were listed with 234 females and 125

males. 15 Para Teachers who will handle the

program in 8 identified Barangays.

3. ALLIANCE AND NETWORKING

Objective : Strengthen the development agency role of PDI and its partner PO.

PAMT assisted 22 Associations in the preparation

of Resolution and project proposals and submitted

them to concerned agencies for funding. Letters of

intent and project proposals were submitted to DA,

BFAR, Palawan Provincial Government and NIA.

The DA, Provincial Government and BFAR have

approved projects to the farmer recipients who

requested projects through resolutions.

The BFAR released 55 sets of gill nets and 75

sets of hook and line. The DA provided

farming materials like drums, hose, and

others. The NIA is in the process of

validating areas for irrigation projects.

PAMT staff facilitated the

processing and preparation of

DOLE requirements and

documents for registration of

twenty two (22) Associations, 6

Farmers Associations, 7 Fisherfolks

and 9 Rural Improvement Club

Women Associations. An

additional 3 associations are in

the process of registration together with 3 Federations. The Coron Farmer Fisherfolk

Association Inc. was registered with SEC and as a member of the Provincial Farmer Federation.

PAMT staff also attended Barangay Sessions

in Barangay Turda and Borac to coordinate

programs and projects for implementation.

Meetings with National Agencies (DA, NIA,

BFAR, and OPA) were also conducted for

possible partnerships in a Sustainable

Agriculture Program.

Farmer leaders together with the local officials of

Coron and Busuanga attended a dialogue with

Sec. of Agriculture Hon. Proceso Alcala. During

the meeting the farmers submitted project

proposals for a possible livelihood and

infrastructure project, farm to market road, and

an irrigation project. Sec. Alcala ordered the

Directors of different line agencies to conduct a

comprehensive planning workshop to prioritize

projects for the Calamianes Group of Islands.

4. LAND TENURE IMPROVEMENT

Objective: To support land claims

A joint meeting of the NCIP Region, Province

and PDI National was held in PDI Coron office

to discuss plans and activities to be

undertaken in the processing of application of

CADT. The first activities conducted included

the Information Education Campaign in

Barangay Turda, a Census Survey (total of 168

households) and an ocular site inspection.

Validation of the list of elders, proofs

and testimonies were completed by

PDI and NCIP. Boundary conflicts

were resolved and a resolution was

signed by Tagbanua tribal leaders

and NCIP. A survey of the area will

follow after the approval and release

of funds from NCIP.