DAVAO CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is slated to launch on November 9 its $6.3 million conservation project to prioritize the island’s biodiversity.

The project, which will be launched in Pagadian City, is part of the second phase of the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP2) with funds coming from the World Bank’s Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The budget, which translates to more than R300 million, was approved by the World Bank in September.
In a statement released by MRDP2, 11 sites in Region 9, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Caraga Region are said to benefit from the program.

Of the 11 sites, seven are in Region 9 – the towns of Olutanga, Mabuhay, and Talusan in Zamboanga Sibugay; Vencinzo Sagun and Margosatubig in Zamboanga del Sur; and Sibutad and Rizal in Zamboanga del Norte.

In Caraga Region, two sites are identified – Marihatag and San Agustin, both in Surigao del Sur.

While two towns were also identified in the ARMM – Lamitan in Basilan; and Datu Blah in Maguindanao.

“Environmental risks like climate change are weighing down heavily on natural ecosystems in Mindanao, on which many local communities depend for their livelihood and food,” Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said.

The WB has recently identified one-third of the country as economically poor, while the health of the island’s seas and forests is critical to their livelihood.

“To help realize its goal of a better natural resource management and to help the government improve the lives of the people, we put into action our commitment by approving the grant,” WB Country Director Bert Hof Man said.

The selection of the sites were based on the independence and interconnectivity of the upland, the lowland and the coastal areas, presence of globally significant species like dugong, marine turtles, manta rays, giant clams, whale sharks, sea cucumber, and other unique important organisms and social inclusion such as poverty incidence and presence of indigenous peoples.

MRDP2 is a poverty alleviation initiative implemented through the DA which covers Mindanao’s 26 provinces and 225 municipalities.