Sustainable Organic Agriculture

MAYOR NACIANCENO M. PACALIOGA, JR. Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur Region IX, Mindanao

Situationer

2nd class municipality 44 barangays: 33 uplands, 11 lowlands landlocked municipality no mining, logging and marine resources people mainly rely on agriculture. 90% of population are poor based on NSCB standards

Situationer

84% of the farmers have no sufficient production and income to at least support the basic needs of their family. In Dumingag, you can witness widespread poverty

Challenges of Leaders

How to liberate the people from poverty, sickness and hunger? How to bring the municipality to a higher level of development? How to provide brighter future for the people?

Program of Government

Genuine Peoples Agenda

a product of collective discussion and leadership a comprehensive program of government solution to the challenges provides the right direction assures the better future of the people

Establishing Local Economy

Sustainable Organic Agriculture

Food Sufficiency Program Special Program

Household Approach Farming instead of corporate farming People Empowerment

Capacity Building Peoples participation in decision making and governance

Innovative Features

Our Strategies
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We build trust in the leadership among the people. Building the appropriate structure for program implementation. Direction towards food sufficiency and liberation from poverty.

Our major thrust: FOOD SUFFICIENCY

Our Vision: To make Dumingag an Organic Capital of the Philippines

The LGU gives emphasis of transforming Dumingag from conventional farming into organic.

What have we done?

I. Promotion of Peoples Participation and Empowerment

A. Community integration

Under my leadership, the local officials, heads of offices, and different stakeholders had immersed in all the 11 lowland barangays and 33 upland barangays campaigning for the economic program that is centered on Sustainable Organic farming.

I. Promotion of Peoples Participation and Empowerment

B. Employment of Community Organizing Initiative

Had organized the livelihood development coordinators (LDC) The LDCs are the direct arm of the Office of the Mayor and work as community organizers

I. Promotion of Peoples Participation and Empowerment

B. Employment of Community Organizing Initiative

Through the LDCs, the LCE has been able to dialogue with the people at the grassroots level in all the stages of planning, implementing and evaluating the GPA.

I. Promotion of Peoples Participation and Empowerment

B. Employment of Community Organizing Initiative

A councilor from every barangay was

designated as a focal person for each agriculture program in their respective barangay supervised by its Punong Barangay.

They are also organized municipal-wide per agriculture program and work along with the LDCs.

I. Promotion of Peoples Participation and Empowerment

B. Employment of Community Organizing Initiative

Has organized Organic Farming (OF) Team tasked to lead the implementation of the organic farming program, especially education and advocacy.

I. Promotion of Peoples Participation and Empowerment

B. Employment of Community Organizing Initiative

Has trained Barangay Livelihood Development Coordinators (BLDC) as farmer technicians trained on Organic Agriculture technologies that shall work directly with the farmers.

I. Promotion of Peoples Participation and Empowerment

B. Employment of Community Organizing Initiative

The organic farming practitioners was organized into Dumingag Organic Farming System Practitioners Association with an active set of officers and members. They also formed a credit cooperative that could help better in raising capital for farming or in sharing the cost of farming failures due to calamities. Their cooperative initially started in providing production loan to the organic farming practitioners and helps in accessing good market.

I. Promotion of Peoples Participation and Empowerment

C. Employing SPSPP Approach

SPSPP Stands for Social Preparation and Strengthening Peoples Participation It is a new social approach designed purposely for Dumingag to set the minds of the people to work and to participate to the program for their own good. In this approach, communities were able to diagnose their concrete social problems, identify priorities and plan out doable solutions to address their problems.

II. Partnerships with other Organic Agriculture Advocates

The Dumingag LGU was able to establish partnerships with:

Assisi Development Foundation, Inc. (ADFI), for partnership in Sustainable Agriculture, Water System, and Lumad Education; Xavier University- Sustainable Agriculture Center, for education and advocacy for Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change; Philippine Agrarian Reform Fund (PARFUND), for RiceDuck Farming and Technology; Department of Agriculture, for various programs and projects for livelihood and support infra services and lately, on organic farming; Provincial Government, on organic farming; JH Cerilles State College, for research and documentation and on organic farming;

II. Partnerships with other Organic Agriculture Advocates

The Dumingag LGU signed MOAs to strengthen partnerships in promoting organic agriculture:

Assisi Development Foundation Xavier University-Sustainable Agriculture Center

JH Cerilles State College

Organic Farms Modeling

The Dumingag LGU and JH Cerilles State College signed a MOA to transform 100% the 43 hectares rice fields owned by the school into organic farming model, in support of the organic agriculture drive of the LGU.

III. Membership to International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM).

The Dumingag LGU was accepted as new member of IFOAM through the endorsement of Xavier University Sustainable Agriculture Center (XUSAC)

IV. Attendance to SouthEast Asia Trainer's Training on SA

The Dumingag LGU was able to send seven (7) students to the South-East Asia trainers training at Xavier University on Organic Agriculture for one-month course.

Recently, through the facilitation of SACXavier University, Dumingag LGU was able to send three delegates to South Korea for a

three-month training on Natural Farming Systems. (MAO, SB on Agriculture, and an

employee under Mun. Agricultures Office)

V. Installation of Internal Control System (ICS)

The Dumingag LGU is now on its 3rd Phase of the process to acquire capability to certify its agricultural products in compliance with the international organic standards through OCCP.

VI. Formulated Dumingag Sustainable Organic Agriculture Master Plan

The Dumingag LGU now has a master plan on organic agriculture, crafted by different sectors during a strategic planning with different stakeholders assisted by Sustainable Agriculture Center of Xavier University, CDO City.

VII. Establishment of Dumingag Institute of Sustainable Organic Agriculture

The Dumingag LGU has just opened the Dumingag Institute of Sustainable Organic Agriculture (DISOA), a school that trains farmers on organic farming principles and technology.

VII. Establishment of Dumingag Institute of Sustainable Organic Agriculture

Though DISOA started with modular courses as a vocational school, it aims to become a regular college later offering special and ladderized courses on organic agriculture.

Education and Advocacies

All public and private school teachers in all levels were educated on Sustainable Organic Agriculture and Climate Change

Almost all the people in Dumingag were given advocacies and educated on Sustainable Organic Agriculture and Climate Change

Integrative Medicine

We identify integrative medicine as the best peoples approach in dealing with health problems Had educated women and men in 44 brgys. including IP women in 23 Ancestral Domain Barangays Had regularly produce alternative medicines

Positive Results and Impacts:

1. Increased Number of Organic Farming Practitioners

The number of organic farming practitioners has increased from less than 20 farmers in 2007 to 438 at present and still counting. They also have a hunlos or laborsharing scheme among their members whose farms are in the same area.

From less than 20 organic farming practitioners before the term and now it reaches 438;

This implies that the organic farms in Dumingag have dramatically increased, as well as the production of organic rice.

2. Produced Organic seeds

Dumingag is now generating and storing our own seed varieties of rice so that we will not be at the mercy of big agrichemical firms in the future.

3. Establishment of Vermicomposting Facilities

Through the assistance and facilitation of Congressman Victor J. Yu, 1st District of Zamboanga del Sur, VERMICULTURE has since become a community activity in Dumingag already.

4. Rice-Duck Farming System

The Dumingag LGU has around 75 riceduck farmers that covers 76 has. both from upland and lowland.
This revolving rice-duck farming project is ultimately aimed to benefit all rice farmers in Dumingag whose farm has adequate water supply.

Mayor Jun Pacalioga himself harvested 121 sacks in a hectare, on a 50kls/sack, on his first harvest. Punong Barangay Efren Costanilla, a rice-duck farmer, harvested 115 sacks, of organic rice in a hectare and had observed a reduce of 50% cost of farm inputs and less laborious.

5. Able to identify Organic Vegetable Basket of the Town

One Barangay Dapiwak was identified by the locals as Organic Vegetable Basket of the town because of its organic vegetables produced. Series of trainings on Organic Vegetable farming were conducted. Farmers are provided with seeds, foliar sprayers and other farm implements.

6. Inland Fisheries were Developed.

Through partnership with MSU-Naawan, Dumingag Inland Fisheries Development Program was institutionalized.

6. Inland Fisheries were Developed.

From less than 5 ponds in 2007 to 264 ponds to date.

7. Native Chicken in most Households Raised Organically

Most households were trained organic feed formulation and encouraged to raise native chicken organically.

Chicken raisers were formed into cooperative for stable market access.

8. From 350 has. of Cassava in 2007, now more than 2000 has.

To date, there are already more than 2000 hectares of cassava plantation harvestable once a year

Proven Discovery: Hole Method Organic-Based Cassava

It has discovered that by using the hole-method of farming (fondly called the Cerilles-method of farming), any crop would have a bigger yield.

Mayor Jun himself made the first discovery with cassava in his own demo farm. Later, some local farmers successfully applied the same method with other crops, like banana and etc.

ZamboSurs Provincial Agriculturist Malyn Bersales and Mayor Jun Pacalioga with 12.7 kls. Fresh tuber cassava directly uprooted from hole method organic-based technology.

Provincial Cassava Coordinators lifted 16.2 kls cassava fresh tubers from hole method organicbased technology.

9. From 5 has. of Abaca in 2007, now there are around 500 has.

Abaca are scattered in the upland barangays of Dumingag.

9. From 5 has. of Abaca in 2007, now there are around 500 has.

90% of abaca planter are considered as smallholders having less than two hectares of abaca farm.

9. From 5 has. of Abaca in 2007, now there are around 500 has.

More that 100 farm workers making a living in the abaca farms. This means that the effect of the abaca campaign has reached the grassroots level.

10. Abaca Industry Flourished

Before the term of Mayor Pacalioga, abaca handicrafts did not exist in Dumingag. At this time, the local abaca industry is flourishing. LGU had increased its handicraft workforce from 4 to 60 women. The local abaca industry generates jobs, provides income, and stimulates further the local economy.

Dumingag Handicrafts display center

11. From less 10 has. of Rubber, now it turns 1,100 has. and still counting.

This vast rubber plantation in Dumingag now will surely raise the income of Dumingag landowners and rubber tappers substantially.

11. From less 10 has. of Rubber, now it turns 1,100 has. and still counting.

This does not include the jobs to be generated from the processing plants that will be built to process the rubber latex in Dumingag.

12. Less than 5 has. in 2007, now more than 200 has. of Falcata

These Falcata plantations are harvestable in around seven years.

To ensure the market, the LGU engaged in MOA with different buyers.

MOA with

NewTech Pulp, Corp. for the

abaca;
MOA with

Novawood industries for falcata

MOA with San Miguel Corp. for cassava For rubber, market is not a problem for the demand is high, MOA may not be necessary.

Other partnerships: Damayang Pilipino sa Nederland and Jobs, Education for Peace on women empowerment, social enterprise and integrative medicine

Other partnerships:

Growth with Equity in Mindanao (USAid-GEM) - on revenue generation program

Other political accomplishments

The local income has increased. More people paid their real property and business taxes.

Average local income before 2007: P2.9M Rising trend:2007-P4.5M;2008-P5.7M;2009P12.5M; Estimated local income in 2010: P13.5M

More business

In 2007: 180 In 2010: 324

Other political accomplishments

Estimated Average Money Circulation in the market vicinity:

In 2007: only P100,000 At present: P2.5 Million

Other political accomplishments

No illegal gambling Normally Peaceful No smoking Red Orchid Award by WHO-DOH NO TO LARGE SCALE MINING: As the official stand of the LGU No Trans-National Corporations-owned FARMS NO TO GMO: LGUs official stand by virtue of a Municipal Ordinance

Other political accomplishments

Galing Pook awardee as one of the TOP 10 MOST OUTSTANDING LGUs IN THE PHILIPPINES 2010 personally awarded by His Excellency Benigno Simeon C. Aquino, I

Steering local development thru people empowerment

Conclusion

Weve manage to set-up the fundamentals of building a local development without compromising the interest of the people.

Food security (Organic Agriculture-Based) Household-based farming People on equal footing with capitalist Good governance peoples participation and the government is accountable to the people

Conclusion

Lastly, were able to let the people participate on a program for their own good. Our goal, to attain food sufficiency and liberation from poverty, is worth working.

It is a tough task, but we need to do this for a better quality of life and future of our people.
Our commitment and determination will enable us to win the war against poverty and will translate our dreams into reality. Three to five years from now, Dumingag people will triumph!