MILF returnees get aggie aid

Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Mon—temayor recently met some 669 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) surrenderers and their commanders at the Bureau of Plant Industry’s model Socio Economic Enhancement and Development (SEED) farm in Marawi City.

This was in line with President Arroyo’s program of providing immediate assistance to MILF surrenderers through the setting up of model SEED farms in all nine municipalities where they live.

During the launching, Montemayor said the project envisions to make productive thousands of hectares of idle and under-utilized land in Muslim areas to increase the income of marginalized farmers through the multi-storey cropping system.

This technology will boost farm productivity per unit area and thus, provide food for the returnees and their families.

The MILF surrenderers were given a livelihood and rehabilitation program which will be coordinated by Bureau of Plant Industry director Blo Umpar Adiong.

This would mean technical and maintenance assistance in the production of fruits and vegetables. Added to this are short-term courses on food processing, mushroom culture, herb and medicinal production and cutflower production.

Montemayor has instructed Adiong, who hails from Marawi City, to coordinate with the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the Bureau of Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to include goat-raising and fish-farming in the module.

To demonstrate the sincerity of the Arroyo administration in helping the Muslim brothers, Montemayor signed a memorandum of agreement with the MILF commanders.

The nine municipalities covered by the program are Marogong, Sultan Gumander, Calanogas, Balabagan, Kapatagan, Pagayawan, Bumbaran, Masiu and Marantao. Each town will receive P1.5 million, mostly in kind, to develop their SEED farms.

Under the program, farmers in areas where SEED farms are located — Marawi City and Wao in Lanao del Sur; Talakag in Bukidnon and Marilog in Davao City — are being taught innovative farming and home gardening, a gigantic leap in transforming Mindanao into a land of bountiful and lush farms.