It’s not the infrastructures, machines, or the money that left an impression on Efren Ananayo of the Abatan Vegetable Farmers Association (AVFA), a beneficiary of the Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resources Management Project (CHARMP2) Scale up.
“People were educated on how government funds are implemented. Now, at least they understand a bit of how funds are used,” is what Efren believes to be one of the biggest impacts of CHARMP in Barangay Abatan, one of the far-flung communities of Hungduan, Ifugao.
CHARMP 2.0: Scaling up interventions
Although a resource-rich region, many of the farming communities in the Cordillera are stuck with challenges such as the lack of quality farm-to-market roads and irrigation canals to boost development opportunities.
Most of these barangays are also identified as rural poor with families having low income.
In 1998, the government through the Department of Agriculture (DA) – International Fund for Agricultural Development, in partnership with the Local Government Units (LGUs), implemented CHARMP in three provinces of the Cordillera.
The project aims to reduce poverty by increasing rural family income through improvements on agricultural production and sustainable resource management.
CHARMP aims to reduce poverty by increasing rural family income through improvements on agricultural production and sustainable resource management, especially in the far-flung areas of the Cordillera.
Successful contributions of CHARMP and the existing grassroots networks paved the way for the continuation of the second phase of the project tagged as CHARMP 2 which covered 170 barangays in the six provinces of the Cordillera.
“With continuous support from funding agencies, the project was extended and known as the CHARMP 2 Scale Up,” explained Project Manager and DA-Cordillera Regional Executive Director Cameron Odsey.
CHARMP 2 Scale Up, a two-year extension, accommodated 18 more barangays as beneficiaries of development projects and focused on benefiting communities through organizations and associations instead of selected individuals.
It also highlighted five components to include social mobilization and participatory investment planning; community watershed conservation and forest management and agro forestry; agriculture, agribusiness and income generating activities; rural infrastructure development; and project management and coordination in charge of running the whole project.
Community-driven development
Social mobilization and participatory investment planning is among the five components of the CHARMP 2 Scale-up which aims to promote the participation of community members in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of projects.
“This is more of a bottoms-up approach because the planning is with the community. The plan made by the community is integrated in the barangay development plan,” said Odsey.
The bottoms-up approach allows the community to be more involved and have a sense of ownership, thus, a stronger support for the project.
“Our community listed the projects we wanted for our barangay. There are six projects implemented – three improvement of farm-to-market roads, two footpaths, and a multipurpose warehouse,” shared Barangay Captain Fernando Sasa, a beneficiary of CHARMP 2 Scale-Up in Pongayan, Kapangan, Benguet.
Conserving Watersheds
Another component of the project is aimed at promoting the conservation and rehabilitation of watersheds through forest management and agroforestry.
“While CHARMP 2 had the reforestation component, CHARMP 2 Scale-Up focused on promoting agroforestry by helping organizations put up agroforestry lots,” said CHARMP Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator Charles Picpican.
In Hungduan, the Abatan Womens Organization, a beneficiary association of CHARMP 2 Scale-Up, already planted and monitors around 1,500 pomelo trees as part of their efforts in watershed conservation.
Forwarding stake of farmers
“Before there are only few hog raisers here in our barangay. Now there around 20 of us who sell hogs for income,” shared Shirley Botongan of AVFA.
Along with distribution of hogs, trainings on feed formulation were also conducted to ensure productivity and sustainability.
“Although there is now more competition, we can see that the project is effective in our community because we have encouraged others to join,” Shirley said.
Aside from the hogs, AVFA divided the Php 400,000 fund assistance given under the agriculture and agribusiness component for the production of pepper, sayote, squash, and tomato.
“When CHARMP 2 Scale Up came, at least we did not have to loan from the cooperative. Even if there is interest, at least that money will also go to the organization,” explained AVFA president Ananayo.
Prior to planning of community projects, members of partner organizations were given training particularly on the crafting of investment plans to ensure proper management of the funds.
“With CHARMP, they taught us what to do first before they give us the fund. So when they turned it over, the community knew how to manage the funds,” said Ananayo.
Bridging infrastructure gaps
“Before, if people go to Baguio, they have to carry their shoes. When they reach the river at the barangay boundary, they wash their feet, put on their shoes, and ride on the first trip,” detailed Kapangan Mayor Manny Fermin as he explained the lack of quality roads connecting far-flung areas in the municipality.
This challenge, particularly in Barangay Pongayan, Kapangan has also been addressed through the partnership of CHARMP 2 Scale Up, the LGU, and the community that identified footpaths to be built as part of the rural infrastructure development component.
“These projects have a big impact especially in the delivery of basic services, transportation, and linking markets and schools,” added Fermin.
Communal spirit: a driver for development
“Now they see the importance of joining organizations and in working as a group. They felt the government’s support,” shared Ananayo.
Although remaining funds will still be released for the completion of community projects, Project Manager Odsey encouraged partner associations to continue to improve and grow the assistance funds and other projects left by CHARMP through strengthening their organizations.
“Let us continue this good endeavor especially our organizations. In CHARMP, we used what we call communal spirit,” he said. **JDP/JJPM-PIA CAR
