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Luzon

Vizcayanos Patronize Organic Food

The first Farmers Market Day, featuring organic produce from PRRM's partner peoples organizations as well as local entrepreneurs.

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya – Upland food growers in this landlocked province have found a growing domestic market for their organic vegetable produce. During the Farmer’s Market Day last July 30, 2011 at the provincial capitol grounds, organic produce seemed to have penetrated the high-end segment of the local market. Doctors, lawyers and other professionals, Rotarians and their friends, arrived early at the organic fair to get the best produce available. The medical practitioners among them were one in saying that organically-grown vegetables and other food items can maintain one’s health and prolong one’s life.

It all started with the upland farmers themselves who expressed the need for a market for their vegetable, fruit, poultry and livestock produce that they had been growing organically, with support from the partnership of PRRM and the Global Link Management Institute (GLMI). GLMI, a Japanese NGO, has been working in the last three years in in Nueva Vizcaya in a project called Participatory Forest Management (PPFM) which is funded by the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines.

Healthy options. Organic produce from the mountains of Vizcaya. These are produced without using chemical pesticides and fertilizer.

This project has assisted farmers in the towns of Kasibu, Dupax del Sur, Kayapa and Santa Fe to raise organic crops in hillside contour farms where green manure is abundant. Soil fertility is maintained by the application of vermi-compost, a natural fertilizer produced by feeding earthworms with decaying weeds and other organic farm waste. Planting companion crops and spraying organic pesticides are the primary methods of pest control.

Municipal agriculture offices (MAOs) are also involved in the process of certifying that crops grown are compliant to organic standards. The project has developed a monitoring system to raise the farmer’s level of compliance in order to meet international standards in the coming years.

The Farmers' Market was made possible with the cooperation of the local Rotary Club and the Provincial Government who provided the venue.

To help ensure a market, Ms. Miki Matsumoto, GLMI’s representative, invited the local Rotary Club to assist in promoting the produce of the upland farmers. The Nueva Vizcaya provincial government has also supported this initiative by assigning the People’s Stage in the provincial capitol grounds as the venue for the Farmers Market Day.

In addition, four of the leading restaurants in the province, Mrs. Bakers in Bayombong and Balay Gloria’s Cafe Angelo, Basti’s Grill and Gorio’s Restaurant in nearby Solano town regularly order organically-grown beans, cucumber, lettuce and other temperate vegetables directly from the producers in Santa Fe, Kayapa, Kasibu, and Dupax del Sur. Mrs. Bakers, for example, is now offering “fried organic beans” in its menu. There is also an increasing number of restaurants and households placing their orders for organic produce.

The first Farmers Market Day proved that people are willing top spend more for a healthier option . The challenge now for upland farmers is in sustaining production to meet the growing market demand.

The challenge of maintaining a steady supply of organic vegetables now lies on how upland farmers sustain their production. With a fairly-priced vegetable pack transported from the uplands down to Bayombong and Solano, farmers are expected to offset their operational expenses. “What we save from eliminating expensive pesticides and fertilizers in our system is being spent on transportation expenses,” says Eddie Galap of Brgy. Sinapaoan, Santa Fe. Local traders usually don’t buy organic vegetables because they trade in huge volumes, thus, organic farmers are bound to do the marketing themselves.

Organic farmers have come to realize that organic production needs a growing market. The Famers' Market Day has shown this potential.

“We came to realize that growing organic food must be supported by a ready market of health-conscious consumers who are willing to pay a fair price,” says Josephine Almirol, a senior Community Development Officer in the PPFM project. “People who want to eat organic food must take part in the advocacy by spending a little more to make both ends meet for organic farmers. It is just costly to go against the traditional trading system that considers profit above all other factors,” she added.

Novoled, a micro-finance institution based in Bayombong, also pledged support to the organic farmers. #

More photos may be found at the PRRM Facebook Page.

Albay

Albay Area Manager: Dante Bismonte
Contact Address: Purok 5 Salvacion, Tabaco, Albay
Telephone No. : (052) 4877406
Fax No.: (052) 4877406 or (052) 5582002
Email: danbismonte@yahoo.com

Bataan

Bataan Area Manager: Crispin Tria
Contact Address: 990 National Road, Brgy. Capitagan, Abucay, Bataan
Telephone No. : (047) 2372231
Fax No.: (047) 2372231
Email: c_eboy@yahoo.com

Benguet

Benguet Chairperson: Asuncion Belardo
Contact Address: IC 109 Betag Municipality of La Trinidad Benguet
Contact No. : 09189307173
Email:

Camarines Norte

Area Manager: Aristotle Pitapit
Contact Address: Door 3, E. Guerra’s Apartment, Covernor Panotes Ave., Daet, Camarines Norte
Telephone No. :
Fax No.:
Email: arisp87@yahoo.com

Camarines Sur

Area Manager: Dante Bismonte
Contact Address: PRRM Bicol Resource Center, Brgy. San Vicente, Baao, Camarines Sur
Telephone No. : (054) 4157172
Fax No.: (054) 4157172
Email: danbismonte@yahoo.com

Cavite

Cavite Area Manager: Leonora Lava
Contact Address:
Telephone No. :
Fax No.:
Email: lavaleonora@yahoo.com

Ifugao

Ifugao Area Manager:
Contact Address: Ifugao Heritage & Community Education Center Sitio Dinapugan, Tuplac, Kiangan, Ifugao
Telephone No. : (074) 3822156
Fax No.:
Email:

Ilocos Sur

President: Engr. Sancho S. Buquing
Contact Address: Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
Contact No.: 09158273545
Email:

Marinduque

Marinduque Chairperson: Adeline M. Angeles
Contact Address: 6-C Gloria 2 Subdivision, Tandang Sora, Quezon City
Contact No.: 09183216489
Email: lynangeles1@yahoo.com

Nueva Ecija

Area Manager: Shubert Ciencia
Contact Address: Bukang Liwayway, Bantug, Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
Telephone No. : (044) 4560713
Fax No.: (044) 4565404
Email: slciencia2004@yahoo.com.uk

Nueva Vizcaya

Area Manager: Merlinda Calubaquib
Contact Address: 562 National Road, Magsaysay, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
Telephone No. : (078) 3212568
Fax No.: (078) 3212568
Email: merlinda_calubaquib@yahoo.com

Pasig City

Pasig City Chairperson: Virgilio C. Aganon
Contact Address: Room 106, PSSC Building, Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City
Contact No.: (632) 929-5047 c/o Mr. Gregorio Magdaraog
Email:

Quezon City

Chairperson: Isagani R. Serrano
Contact Address: PRRM Building, 56 Mother Ignacia Ave., cor. Dr. Lazcano st., Quezon City
Contact No.: (632) 372-4991 loc 41
Email: iserrano@prrm.org

Quezon Province

Quezon Province Area Manager: Amor Cabico
Contact Address: 6 Edaño st., cor. Leon Guinto st., Lucena City
Telephone No. : (042) 6607541
Fax No.: (042) 6607541
Email: amorcabico2004@yahoo.com

Visayas

Coalition Unites Negros Civil Society, Renews Call for Social Change

Comprising a wide range of local civil society groups including non-government and people’s organizations, social movements, progressive political formations and concerned citizens, the founding general assembly and launching of the Negros Coalition for Social Change (NCSC) was held last April 2, 2011 at the Servants of the Lord Center, San Antonio Abad Parish, Bacolod City. The NCSC calls and aims to work for authentic social reforms and transformation in Negros and the country.

Around 81 leaders and representatives of various sectoral and civil society formations participated in the activity. Among them were farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries, fisherfolks, urban poor, labor, environmental and social activists, development workers and church people. The dedication and activism of the members of the secretariat which include the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), Negros Organic Agriculture Movement (NOAM), Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), Negros Environment Watch (NEW), Negros Caucus and Social Action Center (SAC) as well as the council of convenors in ensuring the spadework and organizing of the coalition spelled its eventual success.

GSIS Chairman Daniel Lacson exhorting the NCSC founding assembly to join the Aquino government's efforts to stamp out corruption and to persevere in its quest for good governance in Negros and the country.

The project was initiated to formalize the organizational meeting of the NCSC as well as to publicly launch it and present it to the media and the general public.

The general assembly was held to formalize and project the coalition, discuss and approve its concept paper and principles of unity, reaffirm members of its council of convenors and elect its executive officers and formulate and approve its general program of action (GPOA) for 2011.

Notably taking the lead in the groundworking and preparatory activities were PRRM and the SAC which performed secretariat work and provided initial fund and material support. PRRM was instrumental in the crafting of the concept paper and together with SAC shepherded the process of building the NCSC towards its formal launching. Among the challenges faced by the NCSC are the usual dynamics of coalition work and its unique nature, considering that it unites various sectors, individuals and thematic networks which have their own dynamisms and relative set of perspectives and appreciation on a topic as diverse and as gripping like social change and reform. The coalition also has to deal with the reality of lack of funds for mobilization and for maintaining the coalition’s initial operations. Without a clear source of fund support, the secretariat and conveners undertook their respective fund sourcing activities that mobilized initial funds to finance the assembly. Edwin Balajadia, PRRM Negros

Iloilo

Iloilo Chairperson: Estela Paredes
Contact Address: NEDA Regional Office 6, 5000 Fort San Pedro, City Proper Area, Iloilo City
Contact No.: (033) 335-0677
Email:

Negros Occidental

Negros Occidental Area Manager: Edwin Balajadia
Contact Address: 48 21^st Aguinaldo St., Capitol Subd., Bacolod City
Telephone No. : (034) 433-0774
Fax No.: (034) 433-0774
Email: prrm_negros@yahoo.com

Mindanao

Strengthening CBCRM in Camiguin

BY LEONARD G. REYES

Camiguin's municipal fishermen-the main actors and stakeholders in coastal resource management.

Known for its beautiful beaches and world-class diving sites, the island province of Camiguin’s local government and civil society have over the years become aware of the need to protect its coastal and marine resources and have taken steps to address this. Camiguin’s ecological importance is even recognized by foreign aid agencies such as NZAid which has been supporting an LGU-led coastal and marine resource conservation program beginning 2007. This program has led to the establishment of numerous marine protected areas (MPAs) in the province. And for these conservation sites to be sustainably managed, community participation must be strengthened.

PRRM Chairperson Emeritus Helena Z. Benitez and President Isagani R. Serrano sign a MOA with Ms. Katlyn Deckmyn (seated, center), DISOP Philippines Coordinator, during the 59th Anniversary Program at the PRRM-NTI in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija.

It is thus timely that PRRM has recently formalized a a partnership with Belgian aid organization Dienst voor Internationale Samenwerking aan Ontwikkelings Projecten (DISOP or Organization for International Cooperation on Development Projects) for a 3-year program in the Province of Camiguin. The Project dubbed, “Building Capacities of Coastal Communities to Strengthen Institutionalization of Coastal Resource Management System in the Island Province of Camiguin”, seeks to increase communities’ capacities to manage their source of livelihood and work with local government units and other stakeholders. The project hopes to achieve this through capacity-building in organizational management, resource-based enterprise development and coastal resource conservation initiatives. It will also be guided by “the cross-cutting themes of environment protection, equality between men and women, empowerment of women, respect of the rights of children and decent employment”.

PRRM has been in Camiguin since 1992 and has implemented and assisted community-based coastal resource management (CBCRM) in the island province. In recent years, PRRM Camiguin has focused on micro-finance and enterprise development. The project supported by the PRRM-DISOP partnership will build on these earlier initiatives.

“The project will allow us to work closely with small fishers in an island province on enterprise development and develop and test new micro finance products for small fishers. It will also be an opportunity to innovate micro-insurance schemes for the same partners”, shares Joey Gloria, PRRM AVP and Director for Movement Building and Field Operations.

The MOA signing was one of the highlights of PRRM’s 59th anniversary celebration held at the National Training Institute (NTI) in Nieves, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija held last July 14.

Camiguin

Area Manager: Raymundo Agaton
Contact Address: Rizal Artade St., Mambajao, Camiguin
Telephone No. : (088) 3871102
Fax No.: (088) 3871102
Email: donagaton@yahoo.com

North Cotabato

Contact Person: Editha Bernad
Contact Address: Datu Icdang St., Kidapawan, North Cotabato
Telephone No. : (064) 288-1652 or (064) 288-5267
Fax No.: (064) 288-1652 or (064) 288-5267
Email: ditbernad@yahoo.com

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