“Nature is our way of life. This is our ancestral home.”
This is how Datu Bawang, tribal chieftain of Higaonon
tribe regard their tribal community in a mountainous area of Brgy. Lawan-Lawan,
Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.
“Aside from picking wild fruits, our primary means of
livelihood is farming,” says Datu Bawang or Eddie Ampiyawan on his real name.
Datu Bawang, chairperson of the Lekda Higaonon Farmers
Producers Cooperative (LeHFaPCo) with 30 members said that their practice in
farming was to clear a piece of land in hilly areas, plant corn, harvest then
leave the area and look for another area to cultivate crops.
In the process, hilly areas left barren and in danger of a
landslide. But their traditional way of farming had ended after embracing a project
of the Department of Agriculture that somehow changed their outlook towards the
environment.
Dubbed as Sustainable Corn Production for Sustainable
Agriculture (SCoPSA), a project introduced to the community in 2017 through the
Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM).
Prior to the implementation of SCoPSA in a particular
site, it should pass the criteria such as accessible and connected to nearest
farm-to-market roads; visible to other farmer as a show window of soil and
water conservation technologies in the locality; free from any land tenure
problems; among others.
After which, soil conservation development plan will be
mapped out and corresponding technical training will be conducted for the
involved stakeholders including the farmer –cooperator in preparation for the
actual establishment of the farm.
The
project aims to enhance productivity level of corn farmers through the
promotion of a sustainable land use management that will enhance agricultural
livelihood and restore ecological balance in sloping areas of the country
cultivated with corn.
Technologies demonstrated
in the farm is focused on
soil erosion control
and gully stabilization coupled
with soil fertility improvement, such as contouring, buffer
cropping system, crop rotation, among others.
“Never
in our imagination could those abandoned hilly areas still be utilized again as
a source of our livelihood. Nowadays, no need for us to leave and look for new a
area to be cultivated,” Datu Bawang said.
“SCoPSA
teaches us the value of a piece of land, which could sustainably, provides us
food and means of our livelihood,” he added.
Appreciating
the benefits of the program, 3 hectares had been initially developed in SCoPSA
way, and currently, it has increased to 15 hectares.
Through
the Bayanihan spirit among coop
members, the area had been planted with corn, banana, coffee, mangosten, durian,
and pineapple, wherein the planting materials had been given from the
Department of Agriculture with support from the provincial government of Agusan
del Norte.
“We
already harvested 40 sacks of corn, so it helps us for our food,” Datu Bawang
said.
Provincial
Agriculture Office of Agusan del Norte provided technical support to the tribe
especially on pest monitoring to ensure a good harvest.
“To
help our IP brothers, the provincial government trained and provided an
allowance to two tribe member as para-technician,” said Oscar Tuyor, provincial
corn coordinator.
Soon
farmers in Lawan-lawan, some 46 kilometers from Buenavista Poblacion, will
experience ease in transporting agricultural products as an on-going
construction of a national highway going to Bukidnon, traversed in the area.
In
Caraga Region, 3 areas had been identified as SCoPSA sites since last year
including Brgy. Malapong in Buenavista, Brgy. Culit in Nasipit and Brgy.
Lawan-Lawan in Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.
Additional areas are still under validation. (Aurelius P. Arais/DA
Caraga)
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