To ensure that no one gets left behind, the Department of Agriculture (DA) – Caraga has taken upon its arm to include the Indigenous Peoples in its quest for agricultural development through the 4Ks program.

The Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo or 4 Ks is a new special project of the DA in partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). Generally, it aims to develop the Ancestral Domains, of the ICCs/IPs in order to improve its productivity by developing sustainable agricultural enterprises and profitability by increasing their income in consideration of their customs, traditions, values, beliefs, and interests.

The program provides assistance to the Indigenous Cultural Communities / Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) in the form of agricultural and fishery-related livelihood opportunities, investments, and various support services through targeted Community Needs Assessments (CNA).

On March 23 – 25, the DA 4Ks facilitated the conduct of a Cultural Sensitivity Training and Technical Briefing for DA personnel involved in the Program implementation.

DA – Caraga 4Ks Focal Person Edelmira R. Luminarias emphasized the significance of being aware of the IPs’ culture and rights. “It is important that we know about their culture and rights to have a better understanding of their needs and be able to provide the appropriate interventions,” she said.

On the other hand, Girlie E. Patagan of the NCIP – Provincial Office of Surigao del Norte (SDN) said that cultural sensitivity begins with recognizing cultural differences between people.

Atty. Victor Marc Bernal, the Legal Officer of the NCIP Provincial Office of SDN stressed that along with cultural sensitivity, it is important to conduct the Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) before implementing a project in a certain ancestral domain to ensure that the community is aware and in agreement with the said project. “This way, the agency is secure and the IPs are also protected,” he said.

In Caraga, there are currently 26 approved Certificate of Ancestral Domains Title (CADT) that spans 639,000 hectares. This year, there are eight proposed projects which include Corn, Rice, Vegetable, Abaca, and Banana Production, as well Chicken Multiplier Project and Goat Multiplier Project. (Vanessa P. Sanchez/DA 13 – RAFIS)