The Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing portions of vast ancestral lands nationwide to be transformed into food production areas to help increase the country’s food supply amid the government’s effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In this time of crisis, we need practical strategies that can produce immediate results. Thus, we are calling on our fellow countrymen, the indigenous peoples or IPs, to transform part if not most of their idle ancestral lands into vegetable and high-value crop farms,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar (Department of Agriculture official portal, accessed April 16, 2020).

According to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), in terms of territories, about 7.7 million hectares are occupied by the IPs, or 26 percent of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares. As of 2019, the NCIP has issued 243 certificates of ancestral domain titles, with a total land area of 5.7 million hectares and a total of 1.3 million IPs as rights holders.

Mangyan, the indigenous groups found in Mindoro island, with a total population of around 100,000, but no official statistics are available because of the difficulties of counting remote and reclusive tribal groups, many of which have no contact with the outside world. They are mainly subsistence farmers, planting a variety of rootcrops, upland rice and corn. They also hunt small animals and wild pig. Many who live in close contact with lowland Filipinos sell cash crops such as bananas and ginger.

The general objective of this research for development project is to develop a community-based sustainable farming system that enhance capacities on climate change adaptation, and achieve higher income for the IP upland farmers of Oriental Mindoro. Specifically, it aims to (1) introduce upland, diversified and integrated farming systems that could increase farm productivity and income, create livelihood opportunities and employment; (2) enhance capacities of IP farmer groups and establish a farmer-led, scientist-supported and community-based farms (learning site) for technology transfer, (3) adopt and support climate-resilient agricultural technologies and practices; and (4) promote and support sustainable agriculture based on local soil and climatic conditions as well as local traditions and culture.

The municipality of Bulalacao is selected based on level of vulnerability and adaptive capacity as a result of Climate Risk Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) of the province. It ranked one of the highest in terms of vulnerability to hazards and lowest in adaptive capacity. Seventy (70) farmer cooperators from two barangays in three agro-ecological zones (sloping, flat and coco-based) were identified.

The Department of Agriculture will provide technical assistance, marketing support, access to affordable credit, agricultural inputs to the farmer- cooperators/association. They will establish or enhance their upland farms to become community-based model/demo farms cum learning sites with nursery to become a supply line for adoptors or other collaborating farmers in the barangays.

Model farms  should be easily visible and accessible from roads and footpaths, and have a range of minority land units (crests, ridges, and small valleys), so one or more of the changes can be demonstrated. Their individual farms will be clustered to create economies of scale, farmer-cooperators will be formed into farmer cooperative or association, and become extension team.

The DA will help in organizing a central clearing house for the coordination and information sharing on learning from each other’s experiences, innovation and creativity. They will convince other IP farmers to become sustainable agriculture practitioners on “learning by doing” basis. Convincing others should cascade or radiate from community to community. # # # (DA-RFO IVB, Research Division)