CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – To expand Northern Mindanao’s agricultural production areas, the Department of Agriculture – Region 10 (DA-NorMin) has prepared to roll out agricultural projects for eligible Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICC/IP) in the region

In a consultation meeting on Monday, February 10, DA-NorMin Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan and DA-Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project Regional Project Coordination Office 10 (DA-MIADP RPCO 10) Deputy Project Director Joel S. Rudinas met with leaders of the Kalanawan 2 Indigenous Political Structure (IPS) of San Luis, Malitbog, Bukidnon, led by Datu Man-Untolan Rogelio D. Sumonda, to discuss agricultural projects for implementation by the DA under its regular programs and the DA-MIADP this year.

The consultation facilitated a bilateral dialogue to outline the DA’s policies and procedures for granting agricultural projects and define the roles of the Kalanawan 2 IPS as the project recipient.

To increase agricultural productivity, the ICC/IP will receive agri-livelihood projects from the DA-MIADP, a World Bank-funded initiative, as outlined in the Ancestral Domain Agriculture Implementation Framework (ADAIF)—a development plan created in accordance with the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) of the ICC/IP.

While comprehensive resource-based agricultural projects will be developed under the DA-MIADP, RED Pacamalan initiated immediate agricultural interventions from the DA’s regular programs for the Kalanawan 2 IPS, including corn and adlay seeds, fertilizer, sprayers, grass cutters, drums, corn shellers, and goats.

The community will also receive training in soybean production and processing, as well as in natural pest control technology using biological control agents (BCA).

He also urged the Kalanawan 2 clan members to register with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) of the DA for proper profiling.

The Kalanawan 2 IPS spans over 8,000 hectares of ancestral land under Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title-203 (CADT-203) and is inhabited by at least 103 families.

Following the directive of President Marcos, the DA, led by Secretary Francisco P. Tiu-Laurel Jr., aims to provide more assistance for a prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive future in the country’s agricultural sector. (ATT)