ZAMBOANGA CITY (October 16) — Thirty Indigenous Peoples (IP) farmers in Basilan are learning how to get more value from coconuts grown on their ancestral lands, with the goal of turning farm skills into more reliable household income and stronger community enterprises.
The farmers, members of two IP-led cooperatives, completed a five-day training in coconut production and processing conducted last week by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MIPA-BARMM).
The training covered coconut cultivation, farm management and processing, equipping participants with practical knowledge intended to improve farm productivity and open additional livelihood opportunities.
Benito Algan Jr., chief of MIPA’s Ancestral Domain Section, said Wednesday, October 14, that technical experts from the Philippine Coconut Authority in BARMM (PCA-BARMM) facilitated the sessions.
Lemuel Soriano, a senior agriculturist at PCA-BARMM, discussed proper planting techniques, farm maintenance and sustainable cultivation practices.
Algan said building farmers’ capacities was essential to strengthening indigenous agriculture and developing community-based enterprises. He urged participants to share their new knowledge with other community members and sustain livelihood initiatives that could benefit their wider communities.
Lamitan City IP Mandatory Representative Raja Bayan Marujin supported the initiative, saying stronger agricultural capabilities could help Indigenous communities move toward greater economic self-sufficiency.
MIPA-BARMM said the training was part of its efforts to strengthen IP-led cooperatives and develop the livelihood potential of ancestral lands through sustainable agriculture and community-based enterprises.
For the participating cooperatives, the real test will be whether the skills gained can translate into products that command better prices and income that reaches more farming households. That will depend not only on improved cultivation and processing, but also on continued technical assistance, access to equipment, working capital and dependable markets.
MIPA-BARMM and its partner agencies will need to help bridge that gap between training and enterprise development if the initiative is to deliver lasting economic benefits for Indigenous communities in Basilan.
