Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) Inc.

LUNHAW AWARDS 2013 expands search to include more categories

Davao City – This year’s  search for green initiatives has been expanded to include more categories, according to the co-organizers of the Lunhaw Award. Launched last Friday during the Araw ng Dabaw festivities, the search for this year’s best green initiatives will run the whole year and culminate in the city’s foundation day in 2014. The Interface Development Interventions, one of the Award co-organizers, said that the change meant more initiatives in Davao City can be recognized. “Organic farming practitioners comprised most of the awardees for 2012. This year, we hope that green initiatives from other sectors will be recognized and highlighted in the next batch of Lunhaw Awardees.”, said IDIS Executive Director Ann Fuertes. For 2013, the search will now include initiatives coming from the areas of Education/Advocacy, Waste Management, Pollution Control, Energy ,and Forest-based Initiatives. “The inclusion of the new categories underscore our support for Davao City’s thrust to provide an environment which is healthy and sustainable for its residents. Davao is a trailblazer in terms of the number of environmental ordinances passed; this Award serves to strengthen the current policy direction by highlighting the successful green practices of its citizens.”, Fuertes said. Organized by the City Agriculturist’s Office (CAO), the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), Davao Association of Catholic Schools (DACS), Davao City Water District (DCWD) and IDIS last 2012, the Lunhaw Award seeks to recognize initiatives by individuals or groups which use innovative and sustainable practices to protect the environment. The contest is open to initiatives which have been practiced in the city for a minimum of two years.  Entries are judged according to the following criteria: Environmental and Economic Benefits, Use of Renewable Energy, Replicability, Sustainability and Innovation. The winners will be announced next year during the 2014Araw ng Dabaw celebrations. Each Lunhaw Awardee will be receive P5,000.00, a trophy and a bag of organic goodies. Nomination forms can be obtained from the offices of the organizers or downloaded at https://idisphil.org/lunhaw-awards. (#)

World Water Day 2013: Summit launches grassroots-led initiative to protect Davao’s water resources

Davao City – Davao City’s Watershed Management Council (WMC) deputized 42 upland farmers to monitor and report environmental violators in Mt. Tipolog, in the Panigan-Tamugan watershed, this week during a Watershed Summit in celebration of World Water Day. The Summit, which was organized by Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), was supported through a grant from the U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE).  The event, which gathered together provincial government representatives, and officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and representatives of local citizens groups who are concerned about Davao’s watersheds, was aimed at strengthening partnerships among and between government and non-governmental organizations to improve the protection and management of water resources. In a message delivered at the event by a representative of USAID, U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. said, “Managing watersheds, and the environmental services they provide, helps build ecological resilience and supports livelihoods for Filipinos.  The livelihood opportunities that these efforts create, in turn encourages broad-based and inclusive economic growth, which is a shared goal under the U.S.-Philippines Partnership for Growth (PFG).” IDIS Executive Director Ann Fuertes said, “This is the first batch of Bantay Bukid volunteers who will be deputized by the Davao City Government to become local protectors of the environmental. Hopefully, they can encourage other forest communities to participate in the management and protection of their forest resources by forming similar groups to safeguard the integrity of all of Davao’s eight watersheds.” The Panigan-Tamugan watershed is one of the sites of a USAID-funded project entitled” Up-scaling Forest Restoration Efforts in Key Biodiversity Areas.”  FPE and IDIS are implementing this project in Davao to improve biodiversity conservation in selected areas through forest protection and restoration.  The idea for the “Bantay Bukid” volunteers springs from the recognition that forest guards play a crucial role in the protection and sustainable use of forest resources. The Watershed Summit gave participants the opportunity to learn about best practices on watershed management and preservation.  Highlights included the presentation of watershed management action plans for the Talomo-Lipadas and Panigan-Tamugan watersheds, the current and future sources of Davao’s drinking water. “This Summit is very timely since 2013 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Water Cooperation.  We are proud to highlight the innovative local initiatives that demonstrate cooperation among stakeholders for better water resource management. With each having different needs and priorities with regard to water use, it is essential that we all work together to achieve a sustainable and beneficial use of our water,” Fuertes said. (#)

Envi org lauds latest Bukidnon LGU resolution against plantation expansion

Davao City – The Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (IDIS)  welcomed the latest resolution from the Municipality of Maramag in Bukidnon calling for a moratorium on the expansion of bananas and pineapple plantations in the area. “More and more Mindanawons are slowly realizing that watersheds are a valuable resource that is vulnerable to contamination from the harmful pesticides that these monocrop plantations use.”, said IDIS Executive Director Ann Fuertes. Fuertes pointed out that , like Davao City, plantations have been blighting the upland areas of Bukidnon. “Too much reliance on agro-industries like these will result in the irreparable damage to the environment by way of floods and contamination of water aquifers. This effect can be felt even in Davao City because the local watersheds here are part of the Davao River Basin ecosystem, which starts from Bukidnon and ends in Davao.”, she pointed out. The Davao River Basin system is one of the eight major river basins on Mindanao island. So important is  this  that the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has made it one of its priorities  in its island wide program on  watershed management and rehabilitation. Fuertes called the Maramag resolution “a step in the right direction.” “ But to give it more teeth, LGUs should follow it up with an ordinance so that this moratorium can be implemented with the full backing of the law.”, she added. On a national policy level, Fuertes said  the Aquino administration should repeal Executive Order 807, issued by former president, Macapagal-Arroyo, to stop plantations from further exploiting the precious forest resource. “The root cause for this unrelentless expansion is because the previous administration has lifted the restrictions in the allowable size for banana plantations.”, she said, citing Executive Order  807 which lifted the limits for allowable hectarage for banana plantations. The restrictions on expansion were previously defined  by laws (LOI 58 and LOI 709)  made during the Marcos era which specifically puts limits to banana plantation areas to protect the country’s agricultural and forest lands. But EO 807 changed all that. “Now we are seeing the effect of unregulated expansion.  From problems with pesticide contamination to soil erosion causing floods, by replacing our precious forest with monocrops, we are endangering the lives of our  present and future generations.” “If we are to truly protect our watersheds on a long term basis, we  should call for the repeal of EO 807 and impose limits on monocrop plantations .”, she said. (#)  

Groups launch the 2012 Lunhaw Awards for Davao’s best green initiatives

DAVAO CITY –  The Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (IDIS), the Davao Association of Colleges  and Schools (DACS), City Agriculturist’s Office (CAO), the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and the Davao City Water District (DCWD)  are launching a citywide search to recognize outstanding practices in organic farming and environment-friendly initiatives. Named after the Cebuano word for ‘green’, the Lunhaw Awards seeks to recognize individuals, groups  or communities which use innovative and sustainable ways of living which protect and nurture the environment. “This award seeks to recognize and honor the initiatives of the ordinary Dabawenyo, who believes in the vision of Green Davao, and thus  finds ways to make the vision a reality.”, said Mary Ann Fuertes, IDIS Executive Director. A maximum  of fifteen (15) awards will be given. Winners will be selected from three categories: individual household categorys (small), community-based/association (medium), and institutions/malls/hotels (large). Winning entries will be judged according to the following criteria:  environmental benefits, economic benefits, use of renewable energy, replicability, durability and continuity, and innovation. The contest is open to Dabawenyos currently living in Davao City. Candidates may nominate their own green practices or else submit other entries which fit the search criteria. “We will award the winners during the citywide celebration of Organic Day in December 2012.”, said Fuertes. “The winners will receive P5,000.00 and a trophy, plus their stories will be promoted as green initiatives worth replicating in the City.” “We hope to sustain this as a yearly activity. In time,  we hope to  create a Davao City’s Hall of Fame for Best Practitioners in Environmentally Sound/ Sustainable Lifestyles where consecutive winners of the Lunhaw Awards will be enshrined.”, she added. “This will underscore the fact that Green Davao goes beyond the buzzwords and is actually a city of best green practices.” (#)

Organic farming advocates work with CAO to plan for the future of the Davao’s organic agriculture

DAVAO CITY –  The future of Davao City’s organic farming is being laid out at the City Agriculturist Office. Organic farming practitioners and their advocates are meeting with the city’s Technical Committee on Organic Agriculture/ Organic Agriculture Management Council (TCOA-OAMC) this week to determine how to mainstream organic farming in the next five years. The most pressing questions include how to sustain the production of high quality organic products, and how to make organic farm produce more accessible to the public. Go Organic Davao City network member Ling Castro, of the Interface Development Interventions, said that they hope to have the 5 year strategic plan in place before the year ends. “Having a  strategic plan for organic makes it even more of a commitment for Davao City to establish itself as the organic center in Southern Mindanao where organic farming communities are producing a sufficient supply of affordable organic produce and where these communities are patronized and supported by the local government and the public.”, she said. “This will also contribute to Davao’s vision of a green city where there is a confluence of sustainable initiatives and environment-friendly lifestyles.”, Castro added. Davao City already has more than 100 farmers practicing organic agriculture, excluding the indigenous upland farmers who grow crops using traditional techniques without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.  That number is expected to increase with implementation of the strategic plan as it will pave the way for the institutionalization  of  LGU support for organic farming. This includes the development and popularization of indigenous based organic farming techniques as well as the integration of organic agriculture promotion in local school curricula. Of late, Davao City’s agricultural lands  have been drawing the interest of investors. Last month, CAO Officer in Charge Leo Avila revealed that Chinese investors are interested in establishing a vegetable farm in the areas of Waan, Mandug and Tigatto, and a dried mango processing plant. Go DC members are hopeful that these investments will be in the area of organic farming so that Davao’s small vegetable farmers,which comprise the bulk of  organic farming sector, will be able to  benefit from this as they will be able to touch base with the export market. Castro is optimistic about the  results of the strategic planning. “Even if we’re just starting it now, the organic farming movement has already accomplished a lot in partnership with CAO. We’ve already begun to identify the initial organic farming zones as well as organic centers.  These are small steps, to be sure, but this is why we are participating with the formulation of the OA strategic plan. We want to make sure that the policies are in place to ensure sustainability of Davao’s organic agriculture for years to come.”, she said. (#)

Levelling the playing field: Davao’s small farmers push for second party organic certification

DAVAO CITY –  Organic small farmers  are pushing for a second party organic certification to enable them greater market access for their products. Tranquilina Alibango, an organic farmer who markets her produce every Sunday at the women managed organic vegetable bagsakan at the Calinan market, says that third party organic certification is complicated and very  expensive for a small farmer like her. “Dili man namo makaya kay mahal kaayo. Kung ing-ana ang mamahimong paagi, dili gihapon kalahutay nga mupartisipar ang mga gagmay nga mag uuma sa organikong  merkado.”, according to her. Alibango’s case is symptomatic of the dilemma that small organic farmers face under Republic Act 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010.  While the Act  provides  support and incentives for farmers to  shift to organic farming,  helping small farmers access the growing global market for organic produce remains problematic. In the international market, much depends on the certification of a product.  In the case of the organic market, this means the acknowledgement that the marketed products have been produced according to the applicable organic production standards.  Such certification may be obtained through any of three levels:  branding, or 1st party certification,where the farmer brands his product as organic; participatory guaranty system (PGS), or 2nd party certification, where a network of farmer peers certify the product as organic; and private organic marking, or 3rd party certification, where a  independent group of private inspectors certify the product as organic. In the Philippines, the OA law only recognizes 3rd party certification. This means that only certified by an independent and accredited  third party as organic will be the  ones allowed to market and brand themselves as such. Any sale  of products with organic labels or claims without the approval of the certification body will be illegal. The same applies to imported products. But according to Ling Castro, Policy Officer for Interface Development Interventions, the  third party certification process puts small farmers at a disadvantage. “Getting a 3rd party certification will cost a farmer P 100,000.00 per crop.”, Castro said. According to her,  the certification is only good for one year, after which, it must be renewed. “ For the small organic  farmer who practices diversified cropping, it would be very expensive.”, she said. “We need to level the playing field between small farmers and big farmers.”, she stressed. For Castro and the rest  of the Go Organic Davao City, a network of organic farming practitioners and advocates,  this will entail the adoption of the 2nd party certification so that farmers will be able  to engage the international market. Castro pointed out the experience of MASIPAG, a non government organization  engaged in sustainable farming, which already practices 2nd party certification among its partner organizations.  “The Masipag Farmer’s Guarantee System (MFGS) is an appropriate system  for Davao’s small  organic farmers to follow because it empowers the small farmers in that it allows them to participate in the certification process.”, she said. Last week, GO DC had invited MASIPAG National Coordinator, Dr. Chito Medina, PhD , to give an orientation on the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) which the GO DC  is pushing for as an alternative to 3rd party certification. “As an example of a 2nd party certification, the PGS  is even more reliable than the 3rd party process because monitoring is built among the farmers.”, according to  Dr.Medina. Under the PGS system,  organic producers are certified based on the active participation of stakeholders, built on trust, social networks and knowledge exchange.  “For instance, communities can be mobilized around the clock to ensure that their organic fields are safe and healthy.”, Medina said. It is also very much cheaper than 3rd party certification.  “In PGS, local inspectors are trained to conduct monitoring and evaluation. There is no need to pay expensive fees for 3rd party certification inspectors.”, he pointed out. Around the world, various countries have already adopted their own versions of the PGS. Australia, India and Brazil which supply most of the world’s demand for organic produce are already using their own versions, according to Medina. At last year’s national conference on organic agriculture , the Aquino administration had estimated that in 2012, the high potential of organically grown commodities in the world market would cost around $40 billlion- $70 billion. “With a potential market like that, small  farmers need to take advantage of it but only if the necessary mechanisms are in place.”, said Medina. Locally, this will entail mainstreaming the PGS model among the  farmers in the grassroots.  On a national scope, this will mean amending the OA law to include PGS as a valid organic certification process. Go DC, which is taking the lead in drafting its own version of PGS, hopes that  this 2nd party certification will be adopted by Davao City as part of the implementation of  its Organic Agriculture Ordinance. “If the Organic Agricultural Management Council  (OAMC) mainstreams the PGS,  this will mean that small farmers like Alibango will not have  only the Calinan district to market their organic products, but the whole world.”, said Tina Delima, Go DC member and officer-in-charge of  SIMCARRD. “Through  PGS, we aim to make organic agriculture more inclusive and facilitative for our small organic farmers.”, she  added. (Mindanao Daily Mirror, Feb 19, 2012)