Convergence Initiatives for Marawi Target Food Security

In line with the government’s continuing effort to rehabilitate Marawi, Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) is closely working with government line agencies and international non-government organizations (INGOs) to provide livelihood assistance for the returning communities of the war-torn city.

Recently, the Memorandum of Understanding among partner agencies was signed for convergence initiatives. This includes the creation of Convergence Project Monitoring Team (CPMT), comprised of government line agencies and INGOs. The convergence initiatives primarily target to ensure food security to the city.

TFBM member agencies, together with INGOs the United Nations-World Food Programme (UN-WFP) and the United Nations-Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO), have strengthened and institutionalized convergence initiatives for the reconstruction, recovery, and rehabilitation of the five pilot barangays of Malimono-Dulay Agrarian Community (ARC) in Marawi City to provide assistance through agricultural programs, social services, security, business, and livelihood of the conflict-affected communities.

The convergence initiatives aim to address the food security on these areas with the strong collaboration of the TFBM member agencies and its INGO partners, as they continue to offer and provide interventions needed in the successful implementation of the program.

On Food Security for Marawi

The program aims to provide immediate help and assistance to the maximum recovery of the war-torn city. These barangays include Guimba, Dulay Proper, Dulay west, Malimono, and Cabasaran.

To describe the living situation of the Marawi locals before predicament occurred in the city, there was a beautiful countryside picture of barangays under agricultural land that provides sustainable livelihood to the people where they can generate income in a regular basis.

Brgy. Guimba is one of the communities that supply agricultural products to the city such as vegetables, fruits, and root crops.

Baicon Macaraya, national program officer of United Nations-World Food Program explained that the idea of this convergence platform is to address food security issues in Marawi.

The Marawi siege affected the availability of food for the community and even disrupted the market operation of the people.

“So at least with convergence, we will be able to allow the farmers to contribute by producing food that will be readily available for the returned families in Marawi City,” Macaraya said in an interview.

Also, the convergence was able to tap not only the agrarian reform communities that have been identified by Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Agriculture (DA), but correspondingly, farming activities through this convergence invite all other interested communities nearby the war-torn city. The program converged different line agencies in partnership with the INGOs that are providing expertise and assistance which contribute to attaining full recovery of Marawi city.

“For the people of Marawi and all the stakeholders, ‘sama-sama po tayong babangon,’ the humanitarian organizations like the World Food Program are actually with you and has been with you and trying our best to ensure that food security be restored back and even better as we returned to the communities that have been affected conflict,” Macaraya said.

Macaraya expressed the gratitude of UN-WFP as well as the UN-FAO, she added that both organizations are delighted to facilitate the convergence initiative in the five pilot barangays, “We are starting to the agricultural sector and then we move also in the ‘fisheries’ sector. And we hope to do the same approach in other areas that have been affected by the conflict.”

The five pilot barangays were initially identified considering that it is part of the agrarian community of DAR. The adjacent location of these barangays makes it strategic not only because of the needs of the community but also because of the schedule of the returning beneficiaries.

“We hope to do beyond these areas, actually ground zero can also adopt the same urban planting and farming can also be done in ground zero, even the concept alone of doing this together can readily be adopted by other areas in the returned communities in Marawi City, babangon ang Marawi,” This is Macaraya’s statement of hope that Marawi will be built again.

Government Interventions

The convergence initiative on food security is the first livelihood effort that has been done for the returning communities and it is expected to be replicated with other agricultural barangays in Marawi City.

DAR-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAR-ARMM) Agrarian Reform Officer Rocaina Mindalano ensured immediate assistance to farm-workers who are economically displaced after the siege erupted.

Since the six-month siege has erupted, the subcommittee on livelihood already delivers assistance through an immediate, medium-term and long-term responses for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the conflict.

She said that the subcommittee on livelihood program is instigating Malimono-Dulay Agrarian Rehabilitation Plan which aims to create a resilient agrarian community out of empowered agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and other farmworkers.

“Para sa ating mga beneficiaries, just hold on, we could move forward inshaallah, nandirito po kaming lahat, sama-sama para tulungan po kayo na makabangon muli because we want to rebuild your lives, we want to make you empowered despite Marawi siege, there is still life ahead,” Mindalano encourages community.

Meanwhile, the ARMM’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries conducted a series of distribution of assorted vegetable seeds for the returning communities in five pilot barangays. The agency continues to assist the farmworkers by providing the farmers’ needs and offering them agricultural and livelihood lectures.

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Agricultural Officer Abdul M. Hadji Ali urges returned individuals of agriculture community to continue farming.

“Wag silang ma-discourage, isulong nila yung pagbabago, magtulung-tulong sila, magkaisa sila tungo sa pagbabago ng Marawi na ito,” Hadji Ali’s message to the conflict-afflicted residents of Marawi.

For its part, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provides cash-for-work (CFW) program in support of farming activities of the beneficiaries.

CFW of DSWD is a way to leverage other resources that are available, not only in the government but also in other stakeholders as well. CFW is the agency’s early recovery and rehabilitation intervention for the returning populace of the war-torn city.

DSWD offers temporary employment for the residents of Marawi, wherein a certain beneficiary works in exchange for P200-worth of cash that apiece a daily community service.

A farmer-beneficiary labor for land preparation recompensed CFW amounting to P1,000 feting a five-day land preparation and receives another amount of P1,000 during the actual planting.

Farmer-beneficiaries on the go

As the government continues the rehabilitation, recovery, and restoration process for Marawi, returning individuals also revived their lost livelihoods while bringing themselves back to normalcy.

One of the farmer-beneficiaries is Mauna Macadato of Brgy. Guimba. Her family returned to their home during the third leg of Kambalingan on 09 December 2017. She shared that the moment they stepped in their home was jam-packed of emotions. They were so exultant for the homecoming, but their happiness was also hindered and they ended up being heartbroken at the same time seeing their home shattered by the fatal combat.

As tears were welling up, she shared her livelihood before the siege happened.

“Masaya ako kasi parang unti-unti nang bumabalik ang dati, mas kompartable na kami dito kaysa nung dati na nasa evacuation kami at lahat ng hirap dinanas namin. Iba talaga pag nasa sarili mong bahay ka namamalagi,” she shared.

After more than a month of return in their home, the residents of Brgy. Guimba were able to start over with farming activities and expect to produce vegetable and fruit basket for the city.

Mauna Macadato expressed his gladness that he and his family were home again after six months of staying in evacuation centers. “Masaya kaming nakabalik na kami sa pagtatanim sa at nakabalik na kami sa sariling lugar namin,” he said.

This livelihood convergence program will uplift the lives of farmer-beneficiaries and will provide immediate help and assistance for the maximum recovery of the city. (PNA)