Amb. Macdonald, EC officials meet with UDP co-directors

Ambassador Alistair Macdonald, the new Head of Delegation of the European Commission (EC) for the Philippines, together with Brussels-based EC Director-General External Relations Eneko Landaburu, and other EC officials met with the co-directors of the Upland Development Programme in Southern Mindanao (UDP) in a memorable Valentine’s Day dinner meeting held at Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City.

On the eve of February 14, the dinner meeting provided the opportunity for Ambassador MacDonald, EC officials and UDP’s National Co-Director Dashiel P. Indelible and European Co-Director Wiebe van Rij to meet officially. UDP is one of the important partners of the EC in Mindanao, especially in implementing a replicable model for sustainable upland agriculture and development.

UDP is a special project of the Government of the Philippines executed by the Department of Agriculture and supported by a grant from the European Union. It started in 1999 and will wrap up on July 2007.

With the ambassador, the EC dignitaries (including some Brussels-based officials) who shared the pleasantries of the evening were as follows: Mr. Seamus Gillespie, Head of Unit Southeast Asia, RELEX; Ms. Danielle Dal Molin, Desk Officer Philippines, RELEX; Mr. Gabriel Munueira Vinals, Head of Political, Economic, Trade and Cultural Section, EC Delegation to the Philippines; Mr. Roger de Backer, Deputy Head of Operations Section, EC Delegation; and Ms. Emily Mercado, Project Officer, EC Delegation.

Also present were Secretary Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on talks with the MNLF, Governor Daisy Fuentes of South Cotabato, Chairperson Irene Santiago of the Mindanao Commission on Women, and STARCM European Director Glynn Baker. ###

LMP's Initiative to Pursue National Policy on SUD: Taken Up in Bohol Province Donors Forum

The Philippine Development Forum (PDF) Working Group on Decentralization and Local Government in Partnership with the Philippine-Australia Local Governance Development Program invited the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) to present the Sustainable Upland Development Model and its proposal to undertake in 2007-2010 the nationwide replication of the SUD Model and the national policy support on SUD. This invitation was in line with the Forum on Enhancing Coordination and Management of ODA by Local Government Units. The Forum was held at the Bohol Tropics Resort in Tagbiliran City last 23 November 2006 .

The presentations were delivered by Hon. Givel Mamaril, Municipal Mayor of Malalag, Davao del Sur who is the LMP’s spokesperson on Sustainable Upland Development and by Mr. Elmer Mercado, Policy Advisor to the Upland Development Programme in Southern Mindanao (UDP).

The LMP-UDP presentations took place after the Bohol experience sharing which was followed by the Dialogue on Coordination and Management of ODA at the Local Level. The Bohol presentations included the following:

• “Sharing of Bohol ’s ODA Experience” by Gov. Enrico Aumentado;
• “Managing ODA at the Municipal Level” by Mayor Josephine Jumamoy;
• “Private & Public Sector Engagement in Bohol ” by Ms. Linda Paredes

The Dialogue on Coordination and Management of ODA at the Local Level was with Mr. Austere A. Panadero, Asst. Secretary of DILG and Lead Convener of the Working Group on Decentralization and Local Government.

Taking note that the PDF thru its working groups is the “primary mechanism of the Government for facilitating substantive policy dialogue among stakeholders on the country’s development agenda”, the LMP-UDP presentors –Mamaril and Mercado emphasized the realities in the uplands, the SUD model as well as the strategy to pursue the national policy on sustainable upland development. Moreover, the two presenters highlighted the fact that while ODA has been focused on the more popular areas because of their eco-tourism attractions, it is about time that the donor community take seriously the implications of investing and helping the uplands along their countries’ mission to help eradicate extreme poverty and address environmental security.

During the Dialogue on Coordination and Management of ODA, LMP’s Executive Director Ms. Li-Ann de Leon inquired on how the Working Group on Decentralization and Local Government may address the lack of information among local governments on ODA and suggested that thru its Mayors Development Center, the LMP can contribute a lot to ODA information dissemination to the LMP membership nationwide.

In attendance to this Forum were representatives from the donor community (JICA/JBIC/AUSAID/ADB/GTZ/EU/The German and Australian Embassies); national agencies (DILG/NEDA/DBM/MEDCO-ARMM) and the four local government leagues, namely: League of Provinces/League of Cities/League of Municipalities and Liga ng mga Barangay). Bohol province donors and NGO networks were also in attendance to this forum.

Monitoring and Evaluation for SUD schemes

The Programme conducted two (2) batches of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Training last November 15-17 and 22-24, 2006 at the Mergrande Ocean Resort, Davao City participated in by UDP-covered Local Government Units with installed Management Information System (MIS).   It aimed to: (1) improve capacity of Provincial and Municipal LGU offices to do M&E; (2) establish a practical M&E method and procedures; and, (3) improve linkage between planning, M&E and MIS.   At the end of the 3-day training, the participants were expected to have clear understanding of linkages that exist between planning, M&E and MIS, to include the establishment of procedures and protocols for data recording and exchange, data analysis through the MIS, and an optimistic outlook of providing value to project progress, accomplishments, impact, and effect to all stakeholders.

 

The case work exercises involved Diversified Farming System, Labour-based Road Repair and Maintenance, and the Area Delineation component of Barangay Forest Protection and Management schemes of the Programme highlighting the identification of appropriate indicators for LGU monitoring and assessment of accomplishments.   The think tank representatives from key offices of Compostela Valley , Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Sarangani Province and South Cotabato were the following: Provincial Planning and Development Offices, Office of Provincial Agriculturists, Provincial Engineering Offices, Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Offices, Provincial Budget Offices. Thirteen (13) Municipal LGUs piloted with MIS were represented by officials and staff from the Municipal Planning and Development Offices, Municipal Agriculturist Offices, Municipal Engineering Offices, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Offices, Municipal Budget Offices, and the chairpersons of the Project Monitoring Committee of the Municipal Development Councils.   Likewise, representatives from the Department of Agriculture XI – Planning and Monitoring Unit were invited as participants to support the mainstreaming process of the UDP SUD model.

 

M & E as a management tool has varied utilization levels requiring technical skills and political sensitivity, where in simplified and practical approaches were options presented to the LGUs.   The management information system (MIS) developed for monitoring AIP projects provides clear recording, and processing of data for analysis not only its financial and physical progress but also its assessment in recommending and acting on immediate issues during and after project implementation, explained by Mr. Henk Remme, M&E Specialist. A challenging conclusion of the training was stated by Mr. Dashiel P. Indelible, UDP National Co-Director, “As front liners in government service, the effort of doing M & E gives value in improving upland development and affecting the lives of the stakeholders.   Although it needs time, the balance of encouraging political will and responsibility to support these efforts are gains involving community participation and welfare”.

 

The mainstreamed SUD schemes provided the LGUs with mechanisms that will contribute to the pursuit for sustainable development, transparency, sensible policy agenda, and good governance [MACS] .

Sarangani villages move to protect remaining forests

General Santos City - Three villages in Sarangani have set up their respective "forest protected zones" to preserve the remaining forest cover destroyed by the expansion of inappropriate upland agricultural practices, officials said.

Sufatubo and Rio del Pilar in Glan and Libi in Malapatan recently forged co-management agreements to protect their forest zones covering a total of nearly 800 hectares. Sufatubo has a forest zone area of 152 hectares, Rio del Pilar with 544.9 hectares and Libi with 70 hectares.

Under the agreement, the Barangay Forest Protected Zone shall be managed by the parties because of its "critical ecological functions that would affect the others subsystems" in the entire barangay.

The parties are national and local environment offices, municipal and barangay local government units, Department of Education, police, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, tribal community, the barangay forest protection and management committee and forest occupants.

Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez said forest guards would be deployed to curb further forest degradation.

During s program at Sufatubo, he urged the teachers to educate their students early on about the importance of the forest. “We must instill on the young minds forest protection initiatives [so we can avoid disasters such as landslide],” he said.

Sufatubo Chairman Romeo Ogong, Sr. said the project runs suitably with his barangay ordinance declaring protected areas as wildlife sanctuary. “Hunting wildlife or even birds is strictly prohibited here,” he added. He said many of his constituents are willing to plant trees.

Mr. Ogong has asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to train his forest guards on seedling propagation “so that we won’t ask seedlings from you all the time.”

The DENR has devolved its forest management functions to the municipal and barangay local government units. The decentralized functions include identification, delineation and establishment of protected forest lands.

The barangay forest protection and management scheme was presented to residents in the three barangays by the Upland Development Program (UDP) on October 11-13.

Dashiel Indelible, UDP Co-Director, said barangay residents were gathered to witness the signing of site management agreements, presentation of memorandum of agreement and oath taking of forest guards because they are stakeholders of the project.

“Improving agriculture alone is not enough,” the program’s briefer said. “Equally important is the protection of the barangay forest resources and management of forest production areas under a localized scheme. “The scheme addresses the destruction of the remaining forests in the uplands caused by the expansion of inappropriate farming and similar unsound practices in steep slopes.

UDP has projects in all seven towns of Sarangani through the sustainable upland development model that ensures management of the upland resource base and to improve the living standards of the communities who derive most of their income from upland farming.

UDP is implemented by the Department of Agriculture and supported by a grant from the European Union.

When copying is a good thing

Amid the undulating hills some 650 meters above sea level at Brgy. Kablacan, Maasim, Sarangani lies the farm of Florencio "Poren" Benitez. While he is surrounded by vast hectares of sweet pineapples, his farm is planted with a multitude of crops and fruit trees. These he proudly showed to more than 400 visitors who came to witness and learn from this farmers’ learning site during the "Tabu sa Uma" where fellow farmers and partner agencies from the six provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato , Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley gathered for a day last July 6, 2006.

"I was only a driver before and was never even a graduate of agriculture. But I encourage others to copy also what I have copied now,” declares Manong Poren.

"When I heard of this special project for upland development, I applied. I was then brought to a seminar and came to understand that this Upland Development Programme in Southern Mindanao (UDP) is like a big tree with 6 branches, which represent the 6 components of the programme," relates Benitez.

Benitez went on that he helped organize the Upland Barangay Association (UBA), the Upland Community Organization (UCO) into many things in the implementation of this project. But then he felt it wasn’t enough to just teach about the technologies of the programme. His father had this farm which he is tending today. Now, he declares that such transformation in this farm is indeed good for others to see and learn as a training ground or “classroom” for farmers, agricultural technicians and other interested stakeholders. It is also the site where new technologies are tested or demonstrated.

True enough, the participants to the Tabu sa Uma were grouped and guided to a field tour around the farm or learning site where visitors asked or shared to fellow farmers of Maasim about the particular components that the farm showcase. The farm has adopted the Diversified Farming System (DFS) technology planted with a variety of vegetables, crops, fruit trees and some forest trees arranged in contours with hedgerows.

With the visiting farmers were UDP Co-Directors Dashiel Indelible and Wiebe van Rij, LGU Maasim Mayor Hon. Aniceto P. Lopez, Provincial Boardmembers Arturo Lawa and Popo Octavio, UDP provincial office managers and personnel, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) personnel, a DOLE-Phils. representative, municipal and provincial agriculturists or representatives, and other cooperating agencies and companies who came to grace the occasion.

Belying Manong Poren’s rough hands and sun burnt skin is his thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm to encourage others to do the same thing as he did. He admits he still pursues a continuing education even for this sort of endeavor.

"I am promoting to others to copy the farming technologies for sustainable upland development. This is unlike what happens at school when the teacher gets angry if you copy from your classmates. Instead, UDP will even be very happy that many will replicate the model that they have started," concludes Benitez.

UDP is promoting a Sustainable Upland Development (SUD) model which, consists of the following schemes: Land-Use Based Barangay Development Planning, Barangay Forest Protection Management Scheme, Agricultural Extension Scheme, Labour-Based Routine Road Maintenance Scheme.

From planting corn to diversification

" Sa una, nag-mais-mais lang mi, (before, we were only planting corns)" says Samuel Jimenia, 45 years old, a resident of Sitio Lower, Kinabalan, Malungon, Sarangani Province.

He went on to relate how his farm yield and the soil fertility declined after every cropping season when the rains would wash down the topsoil in the hilly landscape.

But things began to change in October 2002 when he started putting natural vegetative strips (NVS) on his farm using sitaria and lemon grass among others as hedgerows for the contours. He learned these during the many seminars and trainings he attended under the Upland Development Programme in Southern Mindanao (UDP). Three hectares of his 4.8 hectares farm lot are now fully developed and planted with a variety of crops and trees.

" Karon, lain-laing mga tanum naa dinhi (now, various plants are here)," relates Manong Samuel and pointed out several kinds of his planted fruit trees and cash crops which he now delivers to the nearby KIMALAKA Multi-Purpose Cooperative thus saves much on his energy and transport cost. He has even designated a watershed area for planting with forest tree varieties.

At present, his picturesque hilly landscape has become a learning site for his neighboring farmers and other visitors who want to draw experience from his farm. Their barangay captain, Eusebio Moral, who lives on the adjacent hill is quick to imbibe his improved farming methods, along with 6 other farmers who have become members of the Farmers’ Training Group (FTG). The FTG becomes a driving force on their community to encourage fellow farmers to employ the same agricultural practices suitable for the uplands.

Recently, a batch of Agricultural Technicians of Sarangani Province visited his farm as part of their exposure training and admired what Manong Samuel has done to his slopes and the over-all effect to his family and community life.

He is even confident that even when UDP’s assistance will finally fade out, he will continue to spread what he has learned and invite more farmers to follow the sustainable upland development practices as espoused by the programme.

“ Malipay ko nga makatabang sa uban maski boluntaryo lang, (I am happy to help others even if it is only voluntary),” wraps up Manong Samuel.

UDP’s goal is to develop a replicable model for sustaining the upland resource base and improving the quality of life of upland communities. At present, UDP is promoting a Sustainable Upland Development (SUD) model which, consists of the following schemes:

1. Land-Use Based Barangay Development Planning , whereby the community, barangay and municipal LGU and the DENR/NCIP together agree on which forest areas in the barangay to rehabilitate and protect as a forest and which areas to be used for sustainable agricultural development.

2. Barangay Forest Protection Management Scheme , whereby the community, mandated by the LGU and DENR, take the lead in rehabilitation and protecting the remaining forest pockets in their barangay as agreed upon in their barangay land use plan.

3. Agricultural Extension Scheme promoting diversified farming and sound soil and water conservation measures on the agricultural lands agreed upon in their barangay land use plan.

4. Labour-Based Routine Road Maintenance Scheme to keep vital barangay roads passable at relatively low transport costs.

UDP in Southern Mindanao is a Philippine-European Union Development Cooperation executed by the Department of Agriculture and implemented through the local government units, partner financial institutions and other participating agencies. It started on January 1999 and will end on July 2007

Determined widow takes the challenge

"I became challenged after being told that to qualify as beneficiary of the programme, I should have a husband with me," recalls Silvana Yoca when personnel from the Upland Development Programme first came to visit her place. A widow since 1987, Silvana managed to live by herself being a teacher to grade 5 pupils at Mamangan Elementary School , San Isidro , Davao del Norte.

"At first I was disheartened, but I asked myself why can't I learn and apply the technology taught by UDP even without their assistance?" she countered. Since she saw the transformation of the farms assisted by the programme, she asked the municipal agricultural technician who is also working with the programme to help and teach her. She then availed of a loan from GSIS and poured her efforts into developing the 3.75 hectares sloping area into a diversified farm, now abound with fruit trees, vegetables, forest trees and the very visible hedgerows.

"Before, I used to worry and wonder what will I do with my life. I am a widow with no child. I have a high blood pressure and a heart problem already. Since I am the only child of my father’s second wife, I could not run immediately to relatives to help me. I sold or gave the other lands I owned since I thought I don’t need so much of it anymore and this sloping area was left for me," Silvana relates.

Then she saw the opportunity for change posed by the programme, only that she was initially rejected. But her being a widow didn't stop her from taking the challenge once more and rebuild her dreams and secure her future. She sought some trusted workers in her neighborhood and paid them to help her in her farm.

Now, she proudly compares that her income has increased more than tenfold since then. For example, her 110 coconut trees before would yield only about P1,000 while she is getting more than P15,000 now at P13.00 per kilo. She can gather more than a thousand kilos of coconuts per harvest.

After a day’s work, Silvana relaxes in her small rustic bamboo hut, complete with television, a refrigerator and a CD/radio component. She also lives with her niece whom she sends off to school as her scholar. She will also be finally included in the third batch of recipients of UDP’s assistance in the form of seedlings and other farm implements.

"I don’t have so much grandiose dreams in my life anymore. I don’t even need a big concrete house for myself. I’ve had my share of downfalls and other experiences. For now, I am just waiting when my lanzones trees will finally bear fruit,” she tells the UDP group who has come to visit her to ask for her story.

U ntil then, Silvana eagerly declares that we are very welcome to come back and visit her to share the harvest soon. She is indeed a great fighter and a fine woman as an example of indefatigable determination despite the initial rejection.

Mayor`s Development Center in Mindanao

Mayor`s Development Center in Mindanao

University of Southeastern Philippines

Governance Department

 

MDC FACILITY FOR DEVELOPING PROACTIVE, RESPONSIBLE, RESPONSIVE AND INNOVATIVE LOCAL LEADERS IN RELATION TO DISASTER & CRISES MANAGEMENT

 

The Mayor’s Development Center is a brainchild project of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines created and duly registered with the Securities Exchange Commission.   It is conceived to be the training and development arm for the mayors, cognizant of their pivotal role in bringing about development   and prosperity of their respective towns,   in   effecting social transformation to ensure   improvement   in the quality of lives of their constituencies, ensuring human and ecological security and in innovating as well as in creatively using   the powers   enshrined in the Local Government Code of 1991  to enhance people’s participation in   the various processes in running the affairs of the local governments.

 

Since its creation, the Mayor’s Development Center (MDC) has been actively engaged in enlisting partnerships both with national and foreign development partners and thus started to develop training /learning modules and facilitated trainings on selected capability areas.   Learning events in the MDC are tailored-fit to mayors and other key LGU leaders and staff as they are made practical, enriching and results oriented where the participants are asked to prepare entry plans in their towns for the adoption or replication of flagship programs.   It is designed to be mainly peer to peer learning engagement where Champion Mayors who have created exemplary local governance practices impart conceptual, experiential and insightful lessons to their co-mayors along side with the expertise and knowledge from experts in the academe or private practitioners.     This rich mix of theoretical, experiential and practical learning events is gradually proving to be a very potent capability enhancement approach because as peers, the bonding, sharing and exchange of knowledge and ideas continue even after the in-house training. Bringing the trainees to learning sites expose and allow them to interact with the end-users of the program/s where their testimonies, stories and real projects attest to the do-ability, soundness and impact of tested LGU strategies/programs/development models.

 

           

Owing to the archepelagic distribution of the towns all over the country, the MDC is established on an island basis hence, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will each have a Mayor’s Development Center.   Establishing MDC in every island will strategically allow it to serve its clients better in a more cost-effective manner. MDC-Mindanao has been established and viewed not just as a sustainability mechanism for the expansion and replication of the Sustainable Upland Development (SUD) Model but also to be a complementary service provider to regional and national government efforts to ensure human and ecological security:   translating peace efforts, disaster preparedness and crises management at the local level. It is LMP and MDC ‘s responsibility to create the necessary manpower to run on its own the operations of the MDC and help it achieve the goal of a nation-wide replication of sustainable upland development.

Champions of the Uplands to be Recognized

A UDP Culmination Event was held on July 11-13, 2007 to recognize the achievements of the Programme’s partners in the uplands whose active involvement has led to the successful implementation of the Programme.   The event had as theme, “Sustainable Upland Development…Here to Stay.”

 

Awardees in the Recognition Program included provincial and municipal government units, municipal project teams and partner institutions.

 

In addition to the Recognition Program, the Sustainable Upland Development Book Series were launched consisting of five books that serve as a step-by-step guide on the implementation of the SUD Model.   Each of these five volumes is dedicated to a specific entity, namely: the barangay and communities, the local government units, the national government agencies, the development assistance institutions, and the non-government organizations.

 

Guests include His Excellency Ambassador Alistair B. MacDonald, Head of Delegation, European Commission to the Philippines, representatives of EU member states, of Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, and of NEDA Director-General Romulo L. Neri as well as other Government Officials.  

 

To further promote the SUD Model and its schemes to all the sectors of society , a SAVE THE UPLANDS EXPO 2007 was organized from July 11 to July 12 and 13, showcasing the artistic and digital forms of the various SUD schemes at the Davao Convention and Trade Center for public viewing.   A series of seminars was held at the Expo covering several topics related to sustainable upland development.

 

Furthermore, also as part of the UDP Culmination Event, a project site visit to Laak, Compostela Valley by some dignitaries was conducted and led by UDP National Co-Director Dashiel P. Indelible and UDP European Co-Director Wiebe van Rij.

EO 606 and its Rules and Implementing Guidelines

JOINT MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR

DA-DAR-DENR-DILG-LMP

NO 2007-

 

SUBJECT          :      RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING EXECUTIVE ORDER 606 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SUSTAINABLE UPLAND DEVELOPMENT (SUD)