MONDAY, MAY 30, 2016
ARMM pushes for sustainable agribusiness devt approach by Bureau of Public Information Office
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is pushing for sustainable agribusiness development through an environment-friendly land use planning approach.
The ARMM, together with the International Finance Corp. of the World Bank and the Hineleban Foundation, launched the High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA) for the region’s major agribusiness projects on May 25, 2016. Lawyer Ishak Mastura, chairman of the ARMM’s Regional Board of Investment (RBOI) and head of the Regional Cabinet Cluster on Economic Growth, said the HCSA is an approach that would “protect the environment” in large-scale agricultural investments that use vast agricultural lands. “The High Carbon Stock Approach is about protecting the environment when you invest. You see to it that the environment is not destroyed when you put in big investments like banana plantation, palm oil, cacao plantation, all kinds of agricultural investments,” Mastura said. The HCSA is part of the Bangsamoro Sustainable Framework that aims at promoting sustainable agricultural investments in ARMM. In the first quarter of 2016, RBOI-ARMM registered a P1.3billion project of Gintong Agri Corp., a company engaged in oil palm plantation development. The region already exceeded its target of P900million worth of investments for that period. In 2015, the agency registered a total of P6.5 billion, the biggest in the history of the ARMM. The RBOI-ARMM approved eight major investment projects in 2015 led by Al-Sahar Agri Ventures
Inc., a Cavendish banana plantation in Maguindanao with a P3.7 billion project. It was the largest single investment in the history of the ARMM. Investors, Mastura said, continue to put money in the region because of their trust in the good governance initiatives of the present ARMM administration. Dr. Urooj Malik, Hineleban Foundation chair, said his group is keen in partnering with ARMM’s agencies, the Philippine Business for Social Progress, and other local and international nongovernmental organizations, among others, in the implementation of the HCSA at ‘landscape scale’ for the Bangsamoro region. “This landscape level strategy will be implemented via use of the HCSA, a methodology that distinguishes forest areas for protection from degraded lands with low carbon and biodiversity values that may be developed,” Malik said. “The methodology aims at ensuring a practical, transparent, robust, and scientifically credible approach that is widely accepted to implement commitments to halt deforestation while securing the rights and livelihood of the Bangsamoro people,” Malik added. Mastura said investors will have clearly defined guidelines for sustainable and responsible agribusiness investment. Re-elected ARMM Governor Mujiv
Hataman is supportive of the project noting it is a welcome development making sure that agribusiness investments in the region will help propel economic growth as well as
ensure that there will be enough resources and opportunities for the Bangsamoro people now and in the future.
Local govt-run dairy farm boosts nutrition program CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Some 3000 liters of fresh milk harvest backs up the daily nutritional needs of priority children in Camiguin. The local government units (LGU) have tapped the provincial dairy farm in supplying milk daily to all identified undernourished children around the province. Extra harvests are likewise made available to the locals through the Provincial Veterinary office, now sold at P50/liter.
Kids enrolled for the LGU sponsored “summer kiddie camp” are likewise getting their own share milk daily. Currently, there are about 83 cows now housed inside the farm, from the original 40 heads loaned from National Dairy Authority (NDA). (NDA)
Tribal leaders condemn NPA for killing ‘Datus’ by Ara Arian A. Amar
TUBOD, Lanao del Norte – Nine Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) groups took part in a simple Bookkeeping Seminar in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, May 20.
Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) of the department, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) conducted the seminar and participated by the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from the different barangays of Tubod and Lala municipalities. Ma. Lourdes S. Tiongco, officerin-charge of DTI-Tubod, Lanao del Norte Office, said participants need not to worry because the department does not expect them to be experts in bookkeeping but to be familiar with the process that they be able to read and understand their financial statements (FS) and monitor their profit and expenses. While Fatma U. Kisol, Trade and Industry Development Specialist (TIDS), DTI- Tubod, Lanao del Norte, shared her expertise as a certified
public accountant. She started the seminar with an overview and definition of terms, and application of the terms in a short exercise. Kisol also looked into the financial statements of some of the participants who brought along a copy of their FS. Some inquired on how to handle doubtful accounts, which has been in their FS, which the speaker then provided an appropriate suggestion on the matter. Further, she said that DTI trainings and other interventions can only do so much, depending on the hard work and initiative of the MSME to determine the success of their business. Participants were provided a copy of the presentation as a review material and serves as their guide.