BAYUGAN CITY, Agusan del Sur, April 22 - At least 6,055 indigenous people (IPs) in Mindanao benefited from agri-business opportunities and capacity building activities by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through its Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD).
A statement released by DA and Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) said IP beneficiaries comprise 43 percent of the 14,185 total beneficiaries of CFAD.
The DA-MRDP also reported that among the IPs, 2,640 were female and 3,415 were male.
This statistical record came out after a Mindanao-wide World Bank (WB) review mission of the DA's five-year program.
Most of the beneficiaries were from Northeastern Mindanao Caraga region (8 percent); Region 10 (28 percent); Region 11 (26 percent); Region 12 (22 percent); Autonomus Region in Muslim Mindanao (10 percent); and Region 9 (7 percent).
Among the tribes which received the assistance were Ata Manobo, Mansaka, Teduray, T'boli, Subanen, and Higaonon from Northern Mindanao and Agusan provinces, the DA-MRDP report said.
These beneficiaries are engaged in production of high value crops like banana, vegetables, peanuts and fruits, cattle production and swine breeding, while other groups received farm implements.
The DA-MRDP statement said IPs are the majority beneficiaries of the livelihood projects of the anti-poverty program of the DA in Mindanao.
MRDP, now on its second phase, is a multi-million program jointly funded by the World Bank, the National government and the local government units.
For five years, the program has allotted close to U.S.$ 30 million for its livelihood component, the CFAD.
CFAD is a community driven development where the people themselves identify their own project based on the available resources of the community and skills of their members. This allows poor communities to take part in the decision-making process, establishing a sense of ownership and generating high level of participation.
"Empowering the marginalized sector through agribusiness activities expands the strength of rural economy since agriculture as is said as the mainstay of economic activities in rural areas," said DA-MRDP official Lealyn A. Ramos.
Ramos added that the program has exceeded its IP target beneficiaries. CFAD sets to target only 35 percent IPs among its beneficiaries.
PHILIP JAMES MONGAYA TREMEDALCALL OR TEXT ME : E-MAIL ME : pjtremedal@gmail.comvisit my website: www.mindanao on-line.tk
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