LIPA CITY, Batangas – The Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Calabarzon Region is campaigning for food security among indigenous peoples (IP) groups as it develops livelihood opportunities for them.
In an interview on Wednesday, Antonio Zara, the DA’s regional focal person for the “Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo” or 4K program, said his office aspires “that our indigenous people have enough food” as the DA also strives for food sufficiency in the entire country.
The program is a response to the call of former President Rodrigo Duterte to help IPs.
According to Zara, studies have proven that IPs have been neglected in the country.
“If we call the farmers and the fisherfolks marginalized, the poverty suffered by the indigenous people is greater because they are far away and usually in the mountains that are difficult to reach with the help of our government,” said Zara.
The pilot project in the region was conducted in Tanay town, Rizal province among 11 indigenous groups, then brought to Antipolo City and Montalban town, also in Rizal.
He also revealed that the program was also opened to IP groups in the province of Quezon, particularly in the towns of General Nakar, Real and Catanauan.
The program serves the indigenous Dumagats, the Remontados, and the Aetas.
“What we gave before was vegetable seeds and tools. In the beginning, if they could not produce a lot of vegetables, they could at least secure their own food. And now, they are already selling it to other towns,” Zara said.
“We have also provided a carabao because the tractor is not possible [and] because their areas are mountainous. We also produce wood vinegar that we use as organic insecticides and fertilizer. Our approach to our program is organic or natural farming, we do not use synthetics so as not to harm nature,” he added.
Meanwhile, Zara said there are requirements for the IP groups to avail of the benefits of this program.
“Among the requirements is that our natives must live in the ancestral domain. Their association should be recognized by our National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). They must also be willing to accept their program especially the technologies that we will give them although we do not change their native knowledge,” he said.
Zara said his office is very much appreciated by the IP groups located in Geographically Isolated Depressed Areas (GIDA) of the region.
“Just going to their place is a huge challenge. It gave me a feeling of fulfillment to be able to provide help because according to them we were the first government agency that was able to provide help to them," Zara said.
He also recognized the efforts of the NCIP as their partner in the implementation of the program. (PNA)
