Development in Upland Communities
Development in upland communities progresses in stages; each stage building on the preceding stage.
The Dansolihon experience suggests that there is logical sequence in pursuing development in upland communities. The first stage deals with facilitating access to land, the main source of their livelihood. This is the survival stage where food insecurity is high, manifested by hunger and poor health. The primary concern is attaining land tenure that ensures livelihood security and stability. Provision of basic services such as potable water and health are also necessary.
Once access to land is secured, the subsequent preoccupation is enhancing productivity and stability of the land. Some interventions at this stage include technology improvement, farming systems development and effective resource management. The primary objective is to satisfy food needs of the family at all times. Stability is equally emphasized at this stage as the farm and the farming household is vulnerable to external shocks and calamities.
The third stage comes when the farm produces enough to satisfy the food needs of the family with surpluses to sell in the market. From the sole purpose of producing for one's needs, it adds on the market dimension as a major concern. The demands of the market are now considered in its production system. This is the growth stage when the household hopefully graduates from poverty.
As major stakeholders in the area, the upland farmers play a key role in determining the direction of development of their communities. And yet, after years of neglect and deprivation, their capacities are diminished and resources depleted. It is therefore necessary to enhance their capacities for them to effectively participate in the development processes. Such an investment ensures community ownership of the project and lays down the foundation for a continuing development even after the project.
Organizations were also established as a venue for them to learn, to articulate their plans and do collective actions. It is through these organizations that they learn to appreciate their rights as members of the community, including the corresponding responsibilities that go with these rights. These organizations become the vehicle to link up with other groups and other institutions. By binding together, they also become aware that government agencies start to listen and respond to their demands.
For in the end, development is not only a question of how much service the government can provide to these communities. It is also a question of how these communities are able to assert their rights and in turn become productive to contribute to the greater good of the society.
Facilitating Access to Land
A legal framework for the use and ownership of productive resource that is consistent with existing cultural practices is essential towards its sustainable utilization.
It must be recognized that given the scarcity of lands and the lack of opportunities in the urban centers, millions of farmers have begun to occupy and cultivate forest lands. And without a clear legal framework on land utilization, the tendency is for forest occupants to misuse or abuse the lands which may have detrimental consequences on the environment.
The Community Based Forest Management Program of the Philippine Government is an attempt to respond to this situation. It offers a stewardship contract with the farmers for them to till the land on the condition that they protect the resource base. The agreement is for 25 years renewable for another 25 years. It is envisioned that by providing the legal framework, the farmers would conserve the forest while satisfying their food and other basic needs thereby enhancing the stability of the upland ecosystem.
The stewardship arrangement works well with Higaonons as it is akin to their concept of land use and ownership. For the Higaonons, dominions over a territory give them the right to usufruct but not absolute ownership of the property. The value orientation [of the Higaonons] when dealing with property seems to be leaning towards “community good” rather than individual rights (Ruiz, 1996). But this tenurial arrangement is now being put to a test as more investors take interest in the land. There are now talks of leasing the land for cultivation of plantation crops where the farmers will be hired as workers of the plantation.
Agriculture in marginal lands
Agriculture in upland marginal lands performs a dual function in providing livelihood to farmers and in preserving the agricultural resource base.
The upland area surrounding Cagayan de Oro is critical in maintaining the ecological balance of the city. It provides the necessary watershed that ensures steady flow of water supply, prevents siltation of the river system, and minimize occurrence of floods. Unfortunately, it has been logged three times over and most of the lands are now under cultivation.
The situation calls for a form of agriculture that can produce the food needs of the farming household while enhancing the fertility of the soil. At the community level, it demands a comprehensive land use plan that balances both the need for food production and conservation. This is a critical balance where overemphasis of one function can be destructive to both functions. It is like walking on a tightrope, the greater the level of poverty and resource degradation, the more critical the need for balancing.
For marginal lands, equal emphasis should be given to stability and sustainability aside from productivity.
The Government has always argued that the problem of food insecurity in the country is a problem of low productivity. This argument is true but inadequate. Vulnerability to external shocks has played a critical role in the annual volume of food supply. In rice, for example, the Philippines have met the demand for only 5 years since 1980. All these five years have been associated with good weather.
The case of Higaonons in Dansolihon presents a case of a vulnerable farming system where a narrow focus on productivity may not be sustainable or can even become counter productive. In tilling marginal lands that are prone to erosion, farmers recognize the importance of productivity but equally give a premium on stability and sustainability.
Many of the poor farmers in the Philippines are in a similar situation with the Higaonons. If these farming systems are stabilized then perhaps the government may be nearer its goal of ensuring food security. It is therefore recommended that in designing an agricultural intervention for poverty reduction in marginal lands, a balance of productivity, stability and sustainability should be considered as indicators of success.
Resource conservation work of upland farmers through the utilization of sustainable farming practices benefits all and therefore deserves public incentive.
Farming practices of upland farmers have consequences on other sectors and stakeholders in the community. They could contribute to the continued supply of water even during dry season or they could bring flash floods during wet season. While it can be argued that sustainable farming practices can achieve the twin goal of increasing productivity and resource conservation, the reality is that there are situations when farmers have to choose one over the other. And based on the Dansolihon experience, personal needs come first as in instances when farmers have to cut the trees to survive.
Adopting sustainable farming practices for resource conservation requires investment in time and resources. Given the poverty level in upland communities, it may require external interventions especially at the initial stage of development. Along this line, it is recommended that the government shares in these investments by providing public incentives to farmers practicing sustainable farming technologies.
Participation in the Market
The sustainability of the upland production system is not compatible with the demands of the market.
When the farmers where producing some surpluses, they expressed the need to establish market linkages to sell their products. But, as the experience of the farmers suggests, participation in the market requires different parameters. Volume, product quality and regularity of supply are some of the market requirements before a product is accepted in the market.
The current production system of upland farmers does not fit well with these market requirements as it favors diversity of products following the natural seasonal cycle. The products sold are very diverse ranging from three to as many as eight different products per farmer. The quantity of various products, however, is not enough to consistently supply the volume needed by consumers. The volume and frequency of the harvest is such that it has over supply during the rainy season but not enough during the dry season.
Given the fragility of the land and the lack of resources to establish an irrigation system, the farmers have very limited choices in modifying their production system. What could have been done, but which the Project did not have the time to accomplish, is to coordinate with other groups in the area to consolidate their surplus products. This will give them the needed volume. The timing and product quality can then be managed. But this requires a certain level of organization both at the production and marketing phases.
Enhancing Multi-stakeholder Participation
The multi-stakeholder approach provides a collaborative framework that facilitates project implementation.
Prior to the actual implementation of the project, a number of consultations were conducted involving key stakeholders: government agencies, LGUs, NGOs, academe and the beneficiaries themselves (see Annex 1). With these consultations, ANGOC was able to convey the purpose of the Project and clarify areas for possible collaboration with the other stakeholders.
Although the project beneficiaries warmly accepted ANGOC, there was resistance from a number of stakeholders. Government staff at the local level is not as receptive as they viewed NGOs in general as anti-government. Some community members involved in illegal logging showed aggressive resistance to the Project. Similarly, illegal claimants of the land who may be dispossessed because of the new program of the government to give stewardship to the community are also not pleased with the Project entry.
By treating them as part of the stakeholders, the Project was able to win them over to support the Project or at least lessen the resistance. The first step was to know and understand the reasons for their resistance. For some, it was only a matter of recognizing and involving them in the development processes in the community. The next step was to involve them in all project activities whenever possible. By recognizing that they are stakeholders and therefore part-owners of the Project, their resistance was minimized. Finally, transparency in Project operation helps build trust and confidence necessary to push some of the objectives of the Project.
