“The least of my brothers…!” ‘ADOPT-A-TRIBAL FAMILY” IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

In all of my years in public service, I have always personally crafted and designed programs based on the problems I encountered in my travels to the remotest areas of the country.

The Solar-Powered irrigation System Program (SPIS) was conceptualized in Aparri, Cagayan; the Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA) Program in Malimono, Surigao del Norte; the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) in Magpet, North Cotabato when I was still Governor; the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loaning Program during the floods in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur; the Malinis at Masagang Karagatan (MMK) in a visit to a garbage-fillef coastal area; the Farmers Digital Guide Map, the Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa (BASIL) and many more were all in response to peculiar problems I saw during my countryside trips.

The latest program which I designed is the “Adopt-a-Tribal-Family” Program which was conceptualized after a shocking realization that in this age and time, many tribal families in the mountains live in abject poverty, unserved by government and deprived of services.

What I usually do is to craft a general concept then assign it to a special group which fine-tunes my ideas and works on the details of the implementation.

Now, with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), a small agency with only P172-M budget, I am privileged to work with a group of planners whose skills have been honed for years.

For the “Adopt-a-Tribal Family” Program, I wrote the concept, passed it on to Undersecretary Janet Lopoz who in turn forwarded it to the Planning Division under Director Reyzaldy Tan.

Here is the output:

I. Program Concept

The “Adopt A Tribal Family” Program harnesses the role of the private and business groups to be part of nation building specifically in community transformation efforts with focus on the marginalized and vulnerable IP peoples/communities. It will be piloted in Sitio Tapayanon, Barangay Gupitan, Municipality of Kapalong, Davao Del Norte targeting 150 families.

The program package will involve community preparation/profiling, shelter support, livelihood projects, education assistance and organizing self-help IP groups. A network of private and business groups tapping their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programs will be engaged as key partners to this program by adopting Tribal families for the livelihood and enterprise and education package (e.g. Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Manny Pangilinan, Enrique Razon, Ramon Ang and the Aboitiz groups). MinDA, Davao Del Norte and National Government Agencies will also pool resources for this Program.

II. Objectives

The general objective of the Program is to transform the indigenous communities of Davao Del Norte into model self-reliant agriculture development areas building on their Indigenous Knowledge, Systems and Practices (IKSPs).

Specifically, the Program aims to:

•Help 150 disadvantaged tribal families of Sitio Tapayanon, Barangay Gupitan, Municipality of Kapalong who only rely on subsistence farming to have their own alternative and sustainable sources of livelihood based on the area’s agriculture potentials;

•Help 450 students (assumption: each family has 3 students) of the 150 tribal families in their education needs through the adopt a student component of the program;

•Strengthen Government and Private Sector partnership by optimizing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programs of big companies with government programs;

•Transform the marginalized IP communities in Davao Del Norte into self-reliant and self-sustaining agriculture development areas; and,

•Harness the IP communities’ Indigenous Knowledge, Systems and Practices (IKSPs) with culture-sensitive/appropriate innovative approaches.

III. Expected Outputs

•150 IP/tribal families of Sitio Tapayanon, Barangay Gupitan, Municipality of Kapalong with increased income from alternative and sustainable sources of livelihood based on the area’s agriculture potential;

•450 IP students with education support until they graduate in elementary, secondary, tertiary or technical/vocational education;

•Five (5) CSR programs of big private/business groups complementing government programs in the target IP communities in Davao Del Norte; and,

•Sitio Mondol of Barangay Tapayanon, Municipality of Kapalong in Davao Del Norte transformed into self-reliant and self-sustaining agriculture development areas integrating innovative but culture-sensitive approaches in their IIndigenous Knowledge, Systems and Practices (IKSPs).

VI. Implementation Arrangement

The “Adopt A Tribal Family” Program will be a collaborative IP-focused program of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Provincial Government Unit of Davao Del Norte and participating private/business groups. Government agencies like the DA, DENR, DTI, TESDA, DSWD, NCIP, DOLE, NHA, DepEd, CHED, DPWH and other relevant offices will complement the Integrated Area Development (IAD) approach for this program.

A tripartite agreement between and among MinDA, PLGU Davao Del Norte and the participating private/business groups will be signed to specify the complementary support for this program.

The MOA signing will be done on 5 October 2020 at Sitio Mondol, Municipality of Kapalong, Davao Del Norte. A ceremonial turnover of farming tools, seeds, fertilizers and start-up kits will be done during the MOA signing.

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

#WhenHeartBeatsBrainWorks!

(All photos were taken by the Beauty & Bounty of Mindanao Media Team for the Mindanao Development Authority.)