Sunday, January 12, 2025

Tag: Indigenous People

P5.5-M ‘drone-assisted’ reforestation set in Bukidnon

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A PHP5.5 million reforestation project to be carried out by drones is set to be implemented in the Mount Kalatungan ranges in Pangantucan, Bukidnon province this year

Ritchie Guno, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) provincial director for Bukidnon, said the collaboration between the local government of Pangantucan and the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) involves the use of specialized drones to reforest targeted areas.

“The reforestation project will cover four hectares of Mt. Kalatungan ranges (out of the 21,000 hectares). DOST allocated PHP1.2 million, but the counterpart of the LGU is PHP3.3 million, and PAMB worth PHP1.1 million,” Guno said in an interview last February 01, 2023.

The project will be carried out by the forestry firm Galansiyang, which was one of the DOST-incubated startup firms whose founders were students of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.

Guno said Galansiyang already had clients in other Mindanao regions, yielding an average of 80 to 90 percent success rate in reforesting land areas with the use of drones.

In drone-assisted planting, seeds are processed to become “seed balls,” to be loaded in the drone container and dispersed in the target area.

The Pangantucan project aims to train 370 participants in seed ball production — coating the seeds with soil and organic manure and has a target of 12,000 seed balls for reforestation.

Guno said the seed ball will be prepared by the community consisting of students from Bukidnon Community College, PAMB staff, and Indigenous People (IP).

Among the seeds that will be dispersed are balansihan, talingtingan, bagalug and ulayan, which are all endemic tree species referred to and approved by the PAMB.

“The seeds were based on the recommendation from CMU (Central Mindanao University) which have ample data on Mt. Kalatungan’s endemic plants,” Guno said.

Seeds will be bought from the IP communities in the area that regularly conducts seed collection straight from the source in the mountain.

Mt. Kalatungan is the Philippines’ fifth-tallest peak and home to at least 129 animal species and 342 plant species. (Nef Luczon/PNA)

NPA IP family of 3 surrender to Army in Bukidnon

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (06 Oct. 2021) – A family of three belonging to an indigenous peoples (IP) group who joined the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the Army’s 88th Infantry Battalion (88IB) in Bukidnon on Oct. 4.

The report was released by the Army on Tuesday afternoon (October 5) identified the surrenderers as Man Oloron, 56, an NPA “political guide,” and his wife Nili Salobo, 55, together with their 11-year-old son.

The 88IB’s Alfa Company confiscated from them one carbine rifle, with one magazine, and nine live ammunition in Sitio Malantao, Barangay Halapitan, San Fernando, Bukidnon, during their surrender.

Their surrender was the result of the unit’s continued campaign against communist armed groups in the mountainous areas of Pantaron Mountain Ranges, covering Malaybalay City, San Fernando, and Cabanglasan towns in Bukidnon.

Oloron said they joined the NPA after the communist group promised them a better life.
The couple’s son was turned over to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office of San Fernando, Bukidnon to undergo an interview and stress debriefing.

Lt. Col. Christian James P. Vingno, 88IB’s commander, said the continuous recruitment of children-soldiers and exploitation of IP communities is a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

“The comprehensive conduct of Community Support Program (CSP) and the focused military operation of government troops have been instrumental in the rapid disintegration of the NPA formation. This is a clear indicator that we are near to ending this 52-year of local communist armed conflict,” he said.

The 88IB has already coordinated with the police as it plans to file an IHL violation case against the NPA for recruiting minors.

“I am also calling the attention of all the parents, let us monitor our children from being recruited by the NPAs,” Vingno said.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.