ROSARIO, ADS—In line with government efforts to sustainably increase livelihood for all, the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP) together with the Local Government of Rosario, Agusan del Sur, held a ceremonial turnover of farm equipment, and a ₱900,000 starting capitalization fund to the CAMMPACAMM Indigenous Peoples Organization (IPO) on August 26.
The intervention aims to modernise farm operations, cut post-harvest losses, and lower transportation overhead for roughly 6,000 smallholder Manobo coconut farmers situated within Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) 078 and neighboring communities.
Equipment Provision Breakdown
The assistance package covers post-harvest handling, weighing, and farm-to-market logistics equipment such as:
- Enterprise Working Capital: ₱900,000 cash capitalization for farm produce buying and initial trading operations
- Hauling & Logistics: Two units of 14-foot dropside hauling trucks
- Processing & Harvesting Equipment: Two moisture meters, two iron coconut dehusker removers, 20 coconut shell removers, 10 heavy-duty bolos, and three heavy-duty plastic container drums with covers
- Measurement & Handling: Two platform trolleys, two digital platform weighing scales, and one mechanical platform weighing scale
Empowering Indigenous Enterprises
Funded through the World Bank, MIADP targets ancestral domains across Mindanao to enhance agricultural productivity and strengthen market access for indigenous cultural communities.
Rosario Mayor Jupiter Abulog expressed strong support for the community’s new assets. “This gives me great joy that the municipality and the CADT is able to receive these interventions,” Abulog said.
MIADP Deputy Project Director Rebecca R. Atega emphasized that the project relies on active partnership. “This is a shared responsibility towards achieving the objectives of MIADP—to alleviate the lives of IP communities,” Atega said.
Expressing gratitude on behalf of the beneficiaries, Municipal IP Mandatory Representative Emiliano Pugosa affirmed the community’s commitment to managing the enterprise. “The CAMMPACAMM is very happy because we are grateful of having the opportunity to be a recipient of such interventions. We assure you that the IPO will take care of these tools and maximize them for our community,” Pugosa noted.
The turnover forms part of the government’s broader thrust under the ancestral domain development framework to build self-sustaining, community-led agri-enterprises.
MIADP | Indigenous Peoples’ Harnessing Opportunities for a Progressive Economy #IPsHOPE
