n BY isa lorenzo | PNFSP

SACLAT start corn grinder, small farm reservoir

A corn grinder and a small farm reservoir are among the appropriate technol-ogy (AT) projects set to be implemented by Sustainable Agriculture Com-munity Level Appropriate Technology (SACLAT) coordinators Roger Camps and Felix Catajay and SACLAT assistant Bruce Dig in two sitios in Cawayan, Masbate.

The SACLAT team also visited Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac last May in order to study a shift from conventional farming to sustainable agriculture. During the same month they looked at irrigation sites in two sitios in the town of San Mariano, Isabela, in order to design an irrigation system. Last April, they introduced a rice dryer in a sitio in Igbaras, Iloilo.

Community members decided on which technologies to implement, with the assistance of the SACLAT team. In Masbate, the SACLAT team also checked on the progress of the mud and tin (rocket) stoves that they had in-troduced in one of the communities last December.

The mud stove did not turn out well due to the mixture, which Dig says may lack cement or contain too much mud.

But the five families who tried the rocket stove are still using it. Rocket stoves are more efficient than cooking over an open fire, although these re-quire more supervision. They conserve wood, and are healthier and safer for children and the community as the possible accidents and health hazards from using an open fire inside homes are avoided.

Digging has begun for the small farm reservoir, but the SACLAT team was unable to determine the water level.

In Isabela, 17 hoses were hauled to the irrigation site in one of the sitios. The irrigation system is set to begin operation by July. The SACLAT team also conducted a brief orientation on sustainable agriculture. They plan to return to Isabela this month to train the two sitios in sustainable agriculture and make plans on how to develop the irrigation system.

The rice dryer has not yet been finished in Iloilo due to the conflicting schedules of participants from the Organic Farming Field Experimental and Resource Station (OFFERS)– Panay.

Aside from OFFERS-Panay, the SACLAT team worked with local people’s organizations along with Tabang sa mga Biktima sa Bicol in Masbate, Alay-Bayan in Tarlac and Center for Relief and Rehabilitation Services – Cagayan Valley in Isabela. n

SACLAT ASSISTANT Bruce Dig measures the depth of the planned irrigation site in Isabela.

InsIde

Cordillera Day 2009

A Lifetime Engagement

Editorial

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PAG-ASA Cites Implications of Climate Changen BY Jhana June teJome | PNFSP

Last March 3 in a forum sponsored by the Citizen’s Disaster Response Center (CDRC), PAG-ASA–DOST discussed the implications of climate change in relation to agricultural pro-duction.

Climate monitoring and information officer of PAG-ASA- DOST, Daisy Ortega, explained that based on observations of increases in global aver-age air and ocean temperatures, there is a spread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level. Historical records show that 11 of the last 12 years, from 1995 to 2006, rank among the 12

warmest years since 1850. Ortega stressed that the archipelagic

Philippines has high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Some reports of other line agencies show experiences of de-cline in rice productivity by as much as 10 to 40 percent yearly. Farmers have observed change in hot and rainy seasons, and around 20 -21 typhoons that struck the country every year. They have not been equipped to respond to disturbing weather changes. Farmers have yet to gain the skills in the ap-propriate technology to cope with adverse

impacts of disasters in agriculture. People can contribute in decreasing the ef-

fects of climate change by saving electricity and gasoline since these are produced by fossil fuels.

PNFSP advocates for policies in the local, national and international level which will pro-tect and save the environment from more harm. Continuous research and development of neces-sary appropriate technologies in agriculture in communities will also serve as pilot models to find pro-active solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture. n

n BY isa lorenzo | PNFSP

3 ALCADEV teachers, Belgian visitor harassed

CELEBRATING THE CORDILLERA IN SAGADA

MIlItary operatIons force evacuatIons In surIgao del sur

n BY isa lorenzo | PNFSP

Visitors to the village of Ankileng, Mountain Province immediately hear the sound of gongs. It is a sound that will be heard constantly for the next two days, as the province celebrates the 25th Cordillera

day.Cordillera day started as a commemoration of the death of Butbut pangat

(tribal chief) Macliing Dulag, who was killed in 1980 by the military for op-posing the construction of the Chico River Basin Hydroelectric Dam. The four mega-dams would have submerged hectares of rice fields and numerous villages. Dulag led the opposition, who also included women who bared their breasts in protest.

The annual celebration soon came to symbolize the solidarity of the dif-ferent indigenous peoples of the Cordillera in promoting their rights to life and to ancestral land, and their unity with regional, national and interna-tional advocate and support groups.

The first celebration of Cordillera Day was held in Sadanga, Mountain Province. Now, 1000 people have come to Ankileng for this year's event. It is the first time that Cordillera day has been decentralized since 1993. There were simultaneous celebrations in Benguet, Tabuk, Ifugao, Sallapadan and Sagada.

Igorot lands continue to be threatened by large mining companies and

militarization. Mining giants such as Lepanto Mining and transnational companies like Anglo American continue to plunder the Cordillera provinces. They have violated the indigenous peoples' right to ancestral lands and their right to life, according to the Cordillera People's Alli-ance (CPA).

The military remains heavily deployed in mining areas. ThePhilip-pine Army's 50th Infantry Battalion has moved to Bulalacao, Mankayan Benguet from Pananuman, Tubo, Abra. The first case of enforced dis-appearance in the Cordillera happened in September 2008, with the abduction of CPA founding member and Odupan Clan Association President James Moy Balao.

As in many other places in the country, the people of Mountain Province do not have enough to eat. The price of vegetables grown in the province such as cabbages and potatoes continues to fall, even as the cost of farm inputs is rising, says Arthur Malecden, CPA-Mountain Province chairperson.

He adds that Cordillera farmers would be able to produce enough for their families if it weren't for pests like snakes and eels that destroy the crop. Natural fertilizer and pesticides have also been replaced by expensive artificial ones.

The CPA, however, is reintroducing natural fertilizer to the Cordil-lera together with its network organizations.

One of its organizations, Montanosa Research and Development Center (MRDC), produces bio fertilizer from plant material and chick-en dung. The fertilizer costs only P300 per sack, unlike conventional fertilizer, which costs P1,700 per sack. MRDC is also a member of the Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes.

MRDC’s success in producing natural fertilizer is an essential com-ponent of the sustainable agriculture practiced by member organiza-tions of the Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes.

MRDC is only one of the many organization participating in this year's Cordillera day. Among the participants are a group of teachers from Quezon City, students from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, and international delegates from Canada, Spain, Belgium, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

During the two-day celebration, there are numerous cultural pre-sentations. The MAITUD (elder) assembly is held on the first day, along with workshops on topics such as educational tourist attractions, indig-enous cultures, and appropriate technologies.

On the second day, there was a commemoration of martyrs and a solidarity night consisting of cultural presentations and solidarity mes-sages from allied organizations.

The solidarity shown in Sagada by people's organizations and by local and international delegates is heartening. While many problems remain in the Cordillera, the people stand firm and continue with their campaigns.

In the words of Macliing Dulag, “Land is life.” Land is at the center of the struggle of the Cordillera people for ancestral domain and self determination. The annual Cordillera day is both a celebration of the Cordillera people's continuing efforts, and a symbol of solidarity for their struggles. So long as the Cordillera people’s rights to their land are denied, they will continue to celebrate and struggle. n

Massive military operations by the 51st infan-try battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army

(PA) forced the evacuation of around 57 families or 311 individuals on February 4 from mountain communities of Purok 5 Logdeck, Purok 4 and Purok 3 Kiwagan in barangay San Isidro, Lian-ga.

The refugees have fled to the town center of Li-anga last February 4. Once again, livelihoods and school activities have been disrupted.

Three ALCADEV teachers and a Belgian na-tional were also harassed by members of the 401st infantry battalion of the Philippine Army based in Lianga, Surigao del Sur last February. The teach-ers and Joachim Sohie were refused entry into ALCADEV. Sohie, a New World intern, visited AL-CADEV to observe the Han-ayan school.

ALCADEV or the Alternative Learning Center

for Agricultural and Livelihood Develop-ment provides secondary education to poor indigenous youth. It also offers various live-lihood skills training programs.

New World is funding a program to strengthen food security in 15 communities in the Caraga region, which remains milita-rized.

According to ALCADEV, the military asked the lumads to organize a “bagani” or a civilian armed group of indigenous Filipinos against supposed New People’s Army rebels. The evacuees were also told by the military to go back to their communities during an assembly called by a certain Lt. Palumino and Master Sgt. Batuli in San Isidro.

ALCADEV executive director Marife Magbanua says that the military has also set up a food blockade in SAMMILIA check-point in Diatagon, Lianga.

ALCADEV teachers Jerome Loquite, Ilyan Milladas and Mauro Mapinsahan were bringing food supplies to the school's 118 students in Han-ayan last Saturday from Lianga, but the military refused to allow them past the latter, which is an hour's drive from Han-ayan. The military men demanded that the teachers produce certifica-tions from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education, clearances from the barangay and the police, and a certificate from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. This was impossible as it was a weekend and of-fices were closed. Due to the food blockade, the children from ALCADEV’s school went hungry.

Magbanua deplored the need for all the re-quirements, adding that a military colonel had threatened ALCADEV, accusing them of bringing rice to communists. But due to the food blockade, community members have turned to ALCADEV for food.(ALCADEV | PAgE 4)

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BY isa lorenzo | PNFSP

A LIfETImE ENGAGEmENT

After over 20 years, Rob Van Vlierden has returned to the Phil-ippines. Rob is a social worker and a member of Steunfonds Filippijnen,

which is part of Filippijnen Groepen Belgie (Philippine Groups Bel-gium), a network of solidarity groups in Belgium. He first visited the Philippines in 1983, at the suggestion of a colleague’s brother, a priest involved in the theology of national liberation. He was able to collect $10,000 to finance new economic activities for farmers and their fami-lies who were victim of hamletting in Mindanao

“We were so impressed by what we saw that we decided to continue with the workmanship,” says Rob. He went back to the Philippines in 1987 and continues to be part of a local group of volun-teers that has donated over $2 million to projects in the country. The projects vary from sustainable agriculture to labor and education. Since 1984, the group has given P1,000 a month to educate children of organizers from the people’s groups Kilusang Mayo Uno and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. His organization will also start to sup-port the children of victims of human rights viola-tions.

During his visit last May, Rob met with repre-sentatives from people’s organizations and stayed at communities in Tarlac and Isabela.

Rob checked on the progress of an irrigation project in Isabela that his organization is fund-ing, in coordination with PNFSP. He also explored other potential future projects.

PNFSP promotes sustainable agriculture in communities in provinces like Isabela by help-ing the people implement appropriate technology projects.

While much has changed in Manila, Rob says that in the countryside, nothing has changed. “It's absolutely the same as 26 years ago. [There

is] no electric-ity, no water, the children still don't go to school.” De-spite the backwards situation, Rob was still impressed by the people's solidarity in the communities in Tarlac and Isabela. PNFSP is helping to build a small irrigation project in two barangays of the town of San Mari-ano, Isabela, with Rob’s group helping with the fundraising.

In Isabela, Rob volunteered to help set up an education program for the children. He has also pledged to tap volunteers in-cluding teachers and engineers who can help in literacy, numeracy and appropriate technology programs.

Rob is among the many people who are building a strong network of solidarity to combat hunger and food insecurity all over the world.

For all that he has seen and done in dur-ing his three-week visit, Rob still found his visit to be much too short. He plans to re-turn for a three to four-month visit after he retires in six years.

“For me it’s clear that it’s a lifetime en-gagement.” n

PNfSP attends New World Exchange Program

Food security is a global issue, and there are many opportunities and reasons for strengthening partnership, solidarity and

networking.This is one of the learnings that Philippine

Network of Food Security Programmes (PNFSP) executive director Maria Isabel Lanada brought back from New World (NW) partner exchange program and annual educational “World Week-end” on food security held last February 25 to March 13 in Belgium.

Representatives of three NW partners from the Philippines, Gambia and Bolivia shared their organizations' programs on food security and the environment with NW staff and three of the non-government organization's partners in Belgium. They also attended forums on related topics.

In Bolivia, land is now being distributed to in-digenous families and others, as part of President Evo Morales' focus on the economy and ongoing reconstruction. This is extremely different from the situation in Gambia and the Philippines.

Morales is an Aymara, one of 36 minorities and tribes of indigenous people in Bolivia. Sole-dad Delgadillo, director of the Instituto de Ca-pacitación Campesina, said during the weekend meeting that the country's indigenous people were key to Morales's victory. They had long slaved and struggled, pushing their advocacy and asserting their rights, marching constantly until they had achieved victory.

Lanada says that what happened in Bolivia serves as an encouragement to PNFSP members who provide services for indigenous people such as the CDPC, ALCADEV, TRIFPSS, FIND, KA-

DAIT, Alay Bayan Inc., CEDAR, OFFERS-Panay and SALT-RD.

After Lanada, Agency for Development of Women and Children's (ADWAC) repre-sentative director Mamsamba Joof, shared his experiences in Gambia.

Compared to Bolivia, access to land is much more restricted in Gambia, said Joof. Women are not allowed to own property, and are targets of discrimination. All the power is concentrated in the hands of men.

Joof added that Gambia has an authori-tarian regime, thus advocacy work is dif-ficult. Political killings in the country are numerous. But ADWAC continues to offer livelihood services, focusing especially on the environment.

The Europe desk of Via Campesina, a worldwide network of peasant organiza-tions also provided insights on food security in the north as well as the cycle of global-ization and exportation and importation in Belgium and Europe.

During the weekend activity, Lanada presented the state of food insecurity in the Philippines and PNFSP's initial response. She also attended a forum on family-based agriculture.

She says however that unlike the North, the most basic problem in Southern coun-tries like the Philippines is landlessness, as majority of the farmers are landless tenants. So the concept of Family Based Agriculture is not a suitable solution for problems in the South. In order to address global hunger, there is a need to distribute the lands to the

tillers of the world.In these countries, it is not the lack of land

that is a problem, but too many taxes. Farmers are letting their lands go fallow instead of pay-ing hefty sums to the government for their every move. Now the farmers live on insufficient gov-ernment subsidies.

European governments are importing raw materials such as cacao from other countries, in-stead of encouraging farmers to grow crops and subsidizing their efforts.

Thus, says Lanada, we should expect a worsen-ing of the food crisis in southern countries due to the increased depletion of our natural resources, and the imbalance of trade. The economic crisis in Northern countries could also lead to jobless-ness in Southern countries as overseas workers from the latter become unemployed.

Lanada adds that it is also the economic and political situation that pushes people to assert and defend their rights to food. Hence a fascist administration will give rise to a militant culture.

She was able to appreciate the partnership of New World-funded organizations as well as the network, as it was often discussed what each member could do to help the others. The north-ern NW organizations and many Belgians also expressed their solidarity with southern NW or-ganizations such as the PNFSP.

Lanada recommends the strengthening of partnership, solidarity and advocacy between North and South New World partners and locally and internationally. “If there is strong partner-ship, there should also be strong advocacy that will result in resource generation, whether these are material, finances or people. This partnership serves the peasant sector who feed the world yet are the poorest and hungry.” n(full article on www.pnfsp.org/news)

BY isa lorenzo | PNFSP

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announceMentAni Special Issue: climate change, GMOs and food security Climate change, gMOs and their impact on food security will be the focus of Ani’s special issue in August. Everyone is encouraged to send in stories, photos, and suggestions to pnfsp_inc@yahoo.com.ph. n

PHILIPPINE NETWORK OF FOOD SECURITY PROGRAMMES, INC. (PNFSP)

EDITORIAL

ani is the newsletter of the Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes, Inc (PNFSP). The regular edition is published twice a year and distributed to the network’s members.

PHILIPPINE NETWORK OF FOOD SECURITY PROGRAMMES, INC. (PNFSP)

Estrella Flores–Catarata chairperson Maria Isabel LanadaExECUTIvE DIRECTOR Jhana June Tejome REGIONAL SERvICES COORDINATOR Roger Camps Felix Catajay SACLAT COORDINATORS

Bruce DigSACLAT ASSISTANT

Isa Lorenzo RESEARCH & DOCUMENTATION COORDINATOR Yolanda Breva ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE OFFICER

72-A Times St, West Triangle Homes, Quezon City 1104 Tel: 410.13.95 /e-mail: foodsec@pnfsp.org/ site: www.pnfsp.org

(CONFErENCE | FrOM PAgE 1)

dealIng WItH clIMate cHange

The early onset of the rainy season is a clear sign that there is a disturbance in the weather. Such phenomena are the result of climate change, which is defined as an increase in average global temperatures. This is said to be due to natural events and

human activities like greenhouse gas emissions. Rich nations that have emitted climate changing pollution for centuries are mostly responsible for global warming. Historically, industrialized countries are responsible for 80 percent of the carbon dioxide buildup in the atmosphere. But poor countries bear the brunt of global warming.

In one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of global warning, the effects of climate change on agriculture are many and devastating.

Too much or too little rain, and there is less harvest. During this year's dry season, farmers in Oriental Mindoro suffered enor-mous yield losses that they believe was due to climate change. Their rice harvest was halved, to as low as two tonnes per hectare due to unpredictable weather. The increased possibility for droughts and floods could lead to less crops, which means less income and food for farmers who are already going hungry.

In Negros, farm workers are caught in chronic hunger as a result of the yearly off-milling season or tiempos muertos. During this season, less work is available in sugar plantations, making life more miserable for the hungry farm workers and their families. Climate change is one of the reasons behind this year's longer tiempos muertos, which started in January and is expected to last until November.

During the 1st Philippine National Grassroots Conference on Climate Change organized by the Philippine Climate Watch Alliance held last April, rural community organizations said that they were the most affected, but also the least informed. Al-ready lacking access to resources such as land, water and seeds, rural communities also do not have access to technology that will help them to adapt to the impact of cli-mate change.

The Philippine government is a signa-tory of the Kyoto protocol, where coun-tries pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Yet it lacks genuine policies and programs to mitigate climate change and help communities adapt to its impacts. The Arroyo administration promotes and pursues globalization-oriented policies in strategic sectors, such as energy, mining, forestry, agriculture and trade which will render it more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. While hunger is increas-ing, the government is promoting massive biofuel production that endangers food security and agricultural self-sufficiency. It passed the Biofuels Act, which will lead to widespread conversion of agricultural land to grow biofuels.

In order to address the problems posed by climate change, PNFSP challenges the government to prioritize climate change ad-aptation measures to prepare the local com-munities for the possible impacts of climate change, such as improving water supplies in rural areas.

Systematic and widespread education and public information on climate change and its effects needs to be undertaken in the

countryside, where the effects of global warming are most felt.

There is also a need to lobby against laws that will only exacerbate the impact of climate change on the people, such as the Mining Act. This law opens up more land to mining, includ-ing agricultural land. The mining industry leads to the pollution of rivers and watersheds with toxic metals, which reduces water supply and irrigation.

As the unity statement of the national confer-ence on climate change states, any genuine move to resolve the problem of global warming must critically recognize and address the larger socio-economic context in which it occurs. The deci-sions and actions which the government and the international community will make should primarily consider and uphold the interest and welfare of the environment and the majority of our people. Food security must be ensured for poor people especially farmers and peasants in the countryside.

According to Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura, a national partner of PNFSP, sustainable agriculture lessens agri-culture carbon emission because resource poor farmers producing mostly for local markets have less emissions than large-scale, highly mecha-nized, export oriented agriculture.

Local production and consumption also cuts long travel, supports short supply chains and promotes food sovereignty and security by giv-ing farmers control over their produce.

As an advocate of sustainable agriculture, PNFSP is helping communities in Isabela, Mas-bate and Panay study and implement appropriate technology programs such as irrigation projects and corn grinders. PNFSP member organiza-tions also practice organic farming, which emits less harmful gases into the atmosphere.

While the effects of climate change are already being felt, PNFSP, along with its member orga-nizations all over the country, continues to im-plement programs that will help mitigate the im-pact of global warming. It opposes the prevalent profit-oriented agriculture system that is tied to corporate interests and exacerbates climate change. PNFSP promotes sustainable agricul-ture that lessens the impact of global warming and prioritizes food security for the people.

PNFSP promotes agricultural self-sufficiency, instead of the government's free-market orienta-tion geared towards exporting food products like bananas while importing staples such as rice.

PNFSP calls on transnational companies to admit to the overuse of resources and to their part in causing climate change. Large corpora-tions need to adapt their operations in order to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The network also challenges the government to support people-led initiatives in adapting to climate change such as agroforestry and provide services to farmers that will help them cope with the effects of global warming. n

Magbanua added that when some lumads previ-ously tried to bring 10 sacks of rice for the students, the military made them leave five sacks at the de-tachment.

“Lahat talaga ng [supplies] dadaan talaga sa bri-gade (All the supplies pass through the brigade).”

Sohie ‘s visa was also questioned by the military. A defiant Sohie said however that he was well within his rights as a tourist to conduct volunteer work.

“The [military] has taken a week from me be-cause I could not enter the area. [T]hey do not know enough about visas.”

During the dialogue held at the municipal hall, vice mayor Jun Lala told Sohie that he “had no rights just like we Filipinos.” Even the local government units have no respect for human rights. Lala later apologized. Magbanua condemned the military for harassing Sohie.

“This is the second time that one of our [foreign visitors] has been harassed.”

PNFSP and its member organizations uphold indigenous people’s rights. It continues to support ALCADEV and its food security programs. n

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