LANTUD, TALAKAG, Bukidnon – A new partnership geared towards the Plant, Plant, Plant Program of the agriculture department in Northern Mindanao and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Region 10 provided livelihood options of the Maranao-Higaonon Tribe.

Located 1,761 feet above sea level, sitio Kibulag has a potential agricultural area suitable for high value development crops.

IP leader Sultan Abdul Amoran, recounted, “Pasalamat mi sa NICA nga maoy nag link namo sa DA ug nahatagan mi ug mga vegetable seeds.”

The IP community benefitted 150 packs, assorted 5-in-1 vegetable seeds constituting squash, pole sitao, eggplant, okra and ampalaya funded under the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of the agency.

DA’s Plant, Plant, Plant Program or the ALPAS COVID-19 or Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat laban sa COVID-19 eyes to drum up adequacy in food production amid the ongoing health crisis.

NICA 10 Regional Director Manuel M. Orduna requested from DA-RFO 10 to provide vegetable seeds for distribution in the communities that their agency engaged for their community-based dialogue.

As part of their mandate in the implementation of the provision of Executive Order No. 70, instituting the whole-of-nation approach to end local communist armed conflict, their agency is involved in community-based engagements in far flung barangays affected or vulnerable for communist terrorist group.

Sultan Amoran recalled, “Usa ni ka lugar nga hotspot sa una tungod kay usa kini nga political boundary. Dili magkasinabot ang mga tawo. Pero karon malinawon ug kontrolado na.”

NICA has identified the basic needs of the people, and among the requests of the local populace is the provision of vegetable seeds, so that they can plant in their backyard and in their small farms as a form of livelihood.

However, with the distribution of vegetable seeds, he proudly expressed, “Dako ang kausaban sa una ug sa karon nga panahon. Sa una walay mga vegetables diri kung magsuroy ka sa among lugar. Karon, duna na kay makita nga klase klaseng tanom,” said Sultan Amoran.

In a sloping area, Alfredo Amoran, one of the IP community farmer-members, showed his one-fourth hectare farm planted with eggplants.

He recounted, he has harvested nine times already and sold eggplants in major markets in Cagayan de Oro City.

Buyers also flocked in his farm. Lately, he sold around 120 kilograms at P18 per kilogram, to him, that’s far better than having no earned income with the onset of the pandemic.

Joanie A. Buaya of the Canitoan Farmers Association, one of DA-10’s Kadiwa suppliers, directly buys eggplants and other farm produce of said IP community and sells in Kadiwa outlets in Cagayan de Oro .

“Pasalamat mi sa Kadiwa kay nakatabang ko sa mga IP sa Kibulag ug naay merkado sa ilang produkto, kini dako nga tabang alang nila ug sa ubang mga mag-uuma,” said Buaya.

DA-10 OIC Regional Director Carlene C. Collado shared, the Kadiwa project is part of DA’s efforts in ensuring affordable and available food for all by directly linking suppliers to consumers, bringing their produce in communities in time for the implementation of the community quarantine due to COVID-19.

Importantly, NICA’s strategy yields a harmonized and strengthened partnership for agri-fishery development.

“Kung tan-awon nato ang insurgency sa Mindanao, isa ra ang solusyon – ang panginabuhian sa mga tawo. Walay pwedeng mag-anha anang bukid kung tanang tawo nabuhi, walay mag-anha sa bukid nga magkontra sa gobyerno. Ang agriculture maoy solusyon, walay lain,” conveyed Sultan Amoran.#(ATCabig)