DAR-ILOILO TURN-OVERS LIVELIHOOD ASSISTANCE TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE (IP) UNDER CONVERGENCE ON LIVELIHOOD ASSISTANCE FOR ARBS PROJECT (CLAAP)

November 12, 2020, marks one of the momentous events for Nagpana Minorities Association (NAMIAS) in Sitio Nagpana, Barangay Lipata, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo as DARPO-Iloilo turn-overs the livelihood assistance under CLAAP which includes 114 heads of swine with 1 bag Pre-starter (25kilos) and 2 bags starter (50 kilos) of feeds, knapsack sprayers, spades, and training kits composed of alcohol, facemask, ballpen and notebook. 57 qualified indigenous people who passed the means test of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) availed the said project.

 

Present during the turn-over ceremony are the distinguished guests coming from the Municipal Office of Barotac Viejo represented by its Municipal Administrato -Ronald Barrameda and staff, Brgy. Council member of Brgy. Lipata-Ney Barro, Hon. Gregorio Elosendo –Chieftain of Sitio Nagpana, MARPO Flor Ervite and Staff from MARO Barotac Viejo, OIC-CARPO of PBDD-Celina Candoleta, Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) Section Chief – Antonio Mocero and staff, and most of all the 57 IP beneficiaries from the said barangay.

This project was implemented by the DAR under the Climate Resiliency Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS)Section, and DSWD’s Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for ARBs Projects (CLAAP). Further, made realized through the guidance and supervision of no less than the PARPO II of DARPO-Iloilo herself, Harriet A. Loot duly facilitated by the PDBB team headed by OIC-CARPO Celina C. Candoleta and staff.

All members of Nagpana Minorities Association are indigenous people belonging to the Aeta Tribe.  Their means of livelihood comes from farming on the land awarded through the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT). Most of the women busied themselves in handicraft making due to inherent weaving skills and abundance of raw materials. The Indigenous People, specifically the women, are making Nito Products to augment their means of living.  However, the income that they derive from farming and Nito weaving are still considered below the poverty threshold especially during the occurrence of COVID-19 pandemic which hampered their marketing activities. In their need to augment to their income comes the support and assistance provided by the Department of Agrarian Reform and the DSWD. One of the projects identified and agreed by the IPs themselves was swine production (hog raising) in which having pigpen, labor and other materials will be their counterpart.

The purpose of this project is to improve the capacities of 57 participating men and women ARBs/SHFs including farmworkers in managing livelihood micro enterprises, and be trained directly in managing viable livelihood projects. DARPO-Iloilo also facilitates skills training on Techno Training on Swine Production, Training on Nito Weaving and Christmas Decoration, Training on Coffee Rejuvenation, and Training on Feed Formulation designed to strengthen their knowledge and skills. 

In her message, OIC-CARPO Celina Candoleta acknowledges that the association particularly the cultural minorities has special place in the heart of DAR and that, they should continue in helping each other and properly make use of the project provided to them to uplift the quality of their lives. 

Moreover, Chieftain Gregorio Elosendo and Mr. Ronald Barrameda expressed their heartfelt gratitude and mixed feeling of happiness and sadness that inspite of the pandemic, DAR is present to help the NAMIAS. In her acceptance speech, Raquel Mateo encourages the beneficiaries to take good care of the project like that of their children.

The ceremony ended with a song offered by one of the beneficiaries to show their appreciation with a loud applaud, and smiles painted in their faces as they bring home the early Christmas gift they received from DAR.