2 Minglanilla barangays picked as pilot areas for permaculture

CEBU, Philippines - Two barangays in Minglanilla were chosen as pilot areas for the program that will aid farmers in increasing production capacity through permaculture.

The Rotary Club of Cebu, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Cebu-Minglanilla, the municipality of Minglanilla, the Church, and a farmers’ group in barangays Cadulawan and Vito yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement to put up a permaculture demo farm. 

Permaculture, which is a portmanteau of permanent agriculture, is a sustainable land use design that is based on ecological and biological principles that aims to create a stable and productive systems that will provide for human needs and harmoniously integrating the land with its inhabitants.

Roy Lotzof, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Cebu, believes that the key principles of permaculture would be a harmonious model to effectively implement the projects of Mega Cebu that aims to redesign Cebu to become more livable and sustainable. 

Lotzof is also a member of the Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board that is currently working on the masterplan of the project.

In partnership with the Permaculture Action Asia, Pag-asa sa Paglaya, and Philippine Permaculture Network, the Rotary Club of Cebu is organizing a sequence of training programs on permaculture as part of a matching grant.

RCC president Jonathan Gesalem has received a matching grant of $25,000 from the Rotary International and Rotary Club Kulai, Malaysia for the promotion and implementation of permaculture in Cebu.

Gesalem said the grant covers the various permaculture training and the development of permaculture demonstration not only in Minglanilla but the other barangays. 

RCC Minglanilla president Filomena Cañedo said that the demo farm in barangay Cadulawan will compensate the theory about Permaculture-inspired of farming system the farmers have learned from their training. 

Under the MOA, the Rotary Club of Cebu will provide seminars, lectures, and other inputs to the farmers such as seeds, livestock, farm implements before May 31 while the RCC-Minglanilla will identify and recommend farmer-participants and provide replacement, if need be.

The RCC-Minglanilla will also supervise implementation of the permaculture design. 

On the part of Minglanilla, they will ensure that the rights of the farmers are protected as well as they will be assisting the RCC-Minglanilla in the supervision during the implementation of the permaculture design. 

The office of first district Congressman Eduardo Gullas will also assure the sustainability of the permaculture project.

Congressional aspirant Gerald Anthony Gullas has assured financial and other assistance once he goes to congress.

Members of the Progressive Farmers Association of Cadulawan and Vito beneficiaries of the land distribution program of the government through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform program. 

The farmers have committed to the permaculture project for at least 15 years and not to dispose, lease, assign their lots in any way.

The farmers must also commit to use the lots solely for permaculture.  (FREEMAN)