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Buliluyan poor farmers get seedlings as livelihood assistance

Three thousand vegetable seedlings have been distributed to the indigent farmers group in Barangay Buliluyan, Bataraza, Palawan, as livelihood source of the community.

Community organizer Melissa Didik said that the association of farmers now counts 40 families, up from the initial membership of 25.

The vegetables seedlings distributed to the indigenous people (IP) in the community is part of the livelihood support from the Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) of Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTNMC).

“Initiative ito ng community, sila kasi kung ano yong nakasanayan nilang hanapbuhay, iyon na lang din ang pini-present nila sa amin na ganito ang gusto nila kasi ganito yong mapapakinabangan nila at saka madali sila magbenta,” she said.

The community relations team of RTNMC started meetings with the community in July and the complete turn over of seedlings, some kilos of peanuts and bananas was on August 17.

According to Didik, IPs usually plant corn, peanut, and banana. However, the corn was planted late from its timeline so they have to substitute it with vegetables.

She said that the peanuts could be harvested by the last week of September or first week of October as it grows fast.

“Policy namin na kunyare nagtanim sila mani, doon din sila kukuha ng seeds nila para sa susunod,” she said.

She said that the plantation area is one hectare for vegetables, bananas, and peanuts. The IPs have already planted 250 bananas, 80 kilos of peanuts and seedlings of vegetables around the tribal hall of Buliluyan.

It is expected that the current members would increase on the next years as the community sees the benefits of the program.

This could also serve as additional income for farmers in upland farming who wait for their harvest season, Didik explained.

“Dati kasi yong iba parang walang pakialam, nakikita naman nila na ito ay lumalaki na, ang sisipag na ng mga tao, usually yong mga nagkakaaway-away, nagtatampuhan, lumalapit na gusto rin maghanapbuhay, nagkakaroon sila ng relationship na dapat tulong-tulong,” she said.

The program has an allotted budget of 46,000 pesos for the year 2019 distributed for the plantation of corn, vegetable and bananas from SDMP.

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