Bontoc, Mtn. Prov. – Eight municipalities here are to benefit from the government’s convergence initiative program focusing on the conservation and rehabilitation of rice terraces for food security.
The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), the convergence’s coordinating body with the provincial government here conducted a consultation with stakeholders last Tuesday, May 8 for the Rice Terraces Rehabilitation and Conservation for Food Security Development Plan 2018-2022 at the Congressional Hall, Capitol Building. A joint municipal site ocular inspection was also conducted in the municipalities of Barlig and Besao last May 9 and 10, 2018, respectively.
Participants during the consultation are municipal coordinators, Municipal Indigenous People Representatives and municipal officials from the recipient municipalities of Barlig, Bauko, Bontoc, Sadanga, Sabangan and Tadian.
According to NAPC Coordinator for Convergence Project, Sheillete Untalan, the activity aims to further improve and solicit feedbacks and reactions to the components of the proposed Development Plan 2018-20122 that was earlier submitted by the different municipalities.
She noted that the consultation is already the third of its series of convergence workshop activities, the first time was in the capital town of Bontoc and the second time was in Baguio City wherein input validation of the formulated five-year development plan was attended by PLGUs and identified stakeholders.
The 5-year development plan is a comprehensive, pro-farmer and pro-IP development plan dubbed as “5-Year Rice Terraces Rehabilitation and Conservation Plan for 2018 – 2022” for the rehabilitation and conservation of rice terraces in 24 municipalities in the Cordillera, addressing a host of development issues from land and ancestral domain, agricultural development, human capital development, to socio-economic empowerment issues.
Alfredo Antonio, NAPC Division Chief for Local Convergence said that the refined final output of the different stakeholders will be consolidated by the provincial government and will be submitted to the NAPC office. He said that the NAPC will then present the final output during the Regional Development Council and Economic Development Council meetings and during the assemblies of other bodies like the UNESCO etc. for funding.
He explained that NAPC – Local Affairs Coordinating and Monitoring Services is spearheading the convergence initiative until such time that the operational local structures are in place.
It can be recalled that the convergence initiative was established on September last year in Baguio City to help rehabilitate and conserve the Cordillera region’s rice terraces that is anchored on upholding and protection of Indigenous People’s (IP) rights on ancestral lands and is consistent with the Igorot’s economic and socio-cultural principles. NAPC stakeholders are composed of the national line agencies, provincial government, academe, people’s organizations and non-government organizations.
During the conduct of consultations and the site inspections, discussions and some informant interviews with selected people’s organizations and farmer’s associations in the covered areas were conducted to deepen the understanding of the situation of the convergence’s affiliate basic sectors.
The stakeholders and the farmer beneficiaries have all acknowledged the importance of rice terraces since it is the main source of food and also manifests the identity and culture of the Igorots.
Among the issues that requires intervention from concerned agencies is the poor irrigation systems resulting from the destruction of forests and water sources caused the abandonment of some rice terraces. Other development issues are confined in the agricultural and economic aspects, socio-cultural aspects and institutional aspects.
George Lumiwes, Head of the Provincial Secretariat for the Convergence Initiative said that the provincial government will assure that the development challenges and priorities of the IP and farmers sectors for the municipal beneficiaries are incorporated in their Local Development Plans before submission to the National Anti-Poverty Commission office.
Indigenous People Representative Chairman, Tomas B. Tawagen called on the different stakeholders to support the convergence initiative and to participate on all levels of development processes. **Erwin S. Batnag
