T'boli farmers receive Php 10-M aid for rubber production

For Pastor Cesar Tandog and fellow T'boli farmers the future has become brighter.

"We thank God for making the provincial government, the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Department of Agriculture, and CFAD an instrument for this blessing," Tandog said in local dialect.

He was referring to was the Php 10 million assistance their association, the South Cotabato Rubber-Based Farming Multi-Purpose Cooperative, received on Monday from DA's Mindanao Rural Development Program through its Community Fund for Agricultural Development component.

Secretary Proceso Alcala turned over the cheque to members of SCRBF MPC on Monday during the groundbreaking rites for the Php 24-M Rice Processing Center in Barangay Ambalgan in Sto. Niño.

The aid consists of Php 6-million grant from the MRDP-CFAD, Php 2 million from the national government and another Php 2-million equity from the provincial government, according to information from the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division of DA 12

Nelly Escote-Ylanan, chief of DA 12-RAFID, said the counterpart of the cooperative, whose 84 members are T'boli lumads, is to provide the land – at least one hectare from each member -- where rubber trees can be grown.

"At least 55,500 rubber trees intercropped with coffee will be established at Sitio Basag, Salacafe, T'boli," Ylanan said.

"The rubber production project is a combination of food security intervention and community-based livelihood activities in support to the government's initiatives for reforestation of forest lands," she added.

"Hopefully this project would solve several problems in the area including marijuana, kaingin (slash and burn farming), and siltation of the Allah River," said Gov. Arthur Y. Pingoy Jr.

In February, authorities found and uprooted close to 4,000 fully-grown marijuana plants and 9,500 seedlings from Sitio Blu and Culi also in Salacafe.

The governor believes promoting alternative sources of income such as growing high value crops, particularly rubber and coffee, could lure residents away from cultivating marijuana.

Barangay Salacafe is the closest village to Mt. Melebengoy (formerly Parker) and Lake Holon (formerly Maughan), which drains into the Allah River. About 60 percent of its residents live below subsistence level.

Provincial Agriculturist Reynaldo Legaste said the provincial government is promoting production of rubber to improve living standards of farmers and protect the watersheds of the province.

"Farmers may potentially earn about Php 12,000 to Php 15,000 per hectare by the time the actual production begins on the sixth or seventh year," he said.

Last year, a similar rubber production project was established in Barangay Lamdalag, Lake Sebu involving 157 hectares. These have also been intercropped with at least 24,000 hills of coffee, which have already started bearing berries.

Legaste assured rubber farmers that more support are being prepared for them. These include training on cultural management such as proper tapping method and establishment of village-level processing facilities.

Pastor Tandog said, "the project will definitely provide us with additional job for more productive livelihood, and help us restore the mountains where we live in."

"We promise to take care of this project for the education of our children and the benefit of their children," he added. - PIA — ARA