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 PDIs 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 FarmersFisherfolks 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 Departments 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.

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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 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.