1. Fishery Sector Program-Panguil Bay Ecological Development Project, February 1997-March 1998.
The project rapidly built the capabilities of fishermen eking out an existence in the Panguil Bay area. The Lanao Foundation initiative involved preliminary start-up activities such as ecological and socioeconomic profiling, analysis of local associations established, determining the carrying capacity of the Bay and the conduct of problem identification and prioritization activities. All of the processes involved community participation by the application of tools and techniques such as rapid rural appraisal and opportunity scanning.
2. Service Contract to Appraise the Liangan Watershed, Munai, Lanao del Norte-April 1998 to December 1998.
The Liangan Watershed represents a major watershed in Lanao del Norte with headwaters located in the municipality of Munai, Lanao del Norte. The watershed is affecting other downstream municipalities. It is the main source of the proposed Lanao del Norte mini hydroelectric project. Because of the critical nature of the watershed the Philippine government has initiated the conservation and development of what is left of the forest resources located in the area. The Lanao Foundation, Inc. has been provided a contract to start the development process by the conduct of a through appraisal involving local communities and inform the communities of the critical nature of the watershed. Ninety eight percent of the residents in the area are Muslims.
3. Technical assistance to LGUs on Local Governance.
Technical assistance includes the conduct of consensus-building sessions, rapid rural appraisal and problem prioritization and implementation of doable initiatives. To date assistance is being provided to several municipalities in Lanao del Norte with the municipalities implementing various projects like solid waste management, agro-forestry, commercial cash crop production, and coastal resources management. Our main approach is what we call Technology of Participation (ToP) wherein key stakeholders through a process of dialogue decide on specific key actions to implement. Linamon, one of the municipalities we had been assisting is a Galing Pook Awardee on solid waste management.
4. Sustainable Community Development Program - Funded by the German Doctors for Developing Countries.
The project aimed to improve the overall quality of life of small holder farmers and their families by assisting them in the establishment of agro-forestry systems in 25% of their farm, provision of seminars in community awareness/ group formation, values education, peace and development, project management and sustainable agriculture and conducting community organizing activities. Our linkage with the German Doctors has already spanned a period of nine (9) years, with them providing for the expansion to additional municipalities of Lanao del Norte.
5. Nursery Production in Support to the Special Zone of Peace and Development (SZOPAD).
The project raised high quality seedlings in Lanao del Norte. To date the project has raised and dispersed to farmers in Balo-i, Salvador, Kapatagan and Lala 18,000 seedlings of durian, rambutan, gmelina, mahogany and acacia mangium.
6. River Rehabilitation Project funded by Catholic Relief Service of United States of America (USA).
The river rehabilitation project seeks to improve the ecological integrity of the river systems in Lanao del Norte damaged by flash floods and erosion in the watersheds. The improvement measures are multi- pronged involving community mobilization, bioengineering and livelihood development.
7. Ceramic Enterprise Development.
The whole municipality of Baroy, Lanao del Norte has a very rich clay resource comparable to first class clay material in the Philippines. The Lanao Foundation in cooperation with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) seeks to develop the ceramic industry by supporting a common service facility started by the Lanao del Norte Provincial Government, improving product designs and opening up market opportunities for small-scale ceramic-based entrepreneurs. The initiative has won a national best practice award for community-based enterprise awarded by the national government: "Ceramic-based Enterprise Development for Convergent Entrepreneurial Families Project in Lanao del Norte"
8. Enterprise Development Training for Ex-Rebels, Special Zone of Peace and Development (SZOPAD) Social Fund.
The project trained Ex-Muslim rebels and their families on enterprise development so that they will be productive economically. The training method used is what is called “Competency-based Economies Formation of Entrepreneurs” or CEFE. CEFE extensively used participatory and evocative approaches by adopting structured learning exercises (SLE’s). The trainees come from the municipalities of Kolambugan, Tangkal and Munai.
9. Peace and Reconciliation Training and Capability Building for Both Christian and Muslim Grassroots Leaders in Lanao del Norte, the Philippines. Peacefund Canada
The project focused on promoting a Culture of Peace in Lanao del Norte by theconduct of a series of culture of peace workshops in the hinterlands of Kauswagan,Linamon and Bacolod, Lanao del Norte. The workshops used the culture of peace design and methodology of the Bishops-Ulama Forum and follows two main themes; a. understanding the Mindanao situation, and, b. approaches to peace and conflict resolution.
10. Relief and Humanitarian Operations in Support of the Returnees, Displaced by the Insurgency in the Province of Lanao del Norte. European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO)/MOVIMONDO-Italy. May 1-October 31, 2001 then 2 more relief and rehabilitation project with Movimondo and ECHO in 2003 to 2004.
The overall project objective is to guarantee minimal living conditions to the returnees displaced by the MLF Insurgency in Lanao del Norte. The project provided the following interventions:
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Water & sanitation basic support to returned evacuees.
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Livelihood support such as vegetable seed packets, corn mills, farm tractors and agricultural tools (plow, harrow, pick, sprayers).
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Constructing, refurbishing and improving conditions of damage schools, health centers and farm to market roads in the municipalities of Munai, Tangkal, Bacolod and Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.
11. Institutional Strengthening of ARC’s under the Support to Agrarian Reform-Central Mindanao (STAR-CM) Project of the Department of Agrarian Reform.
We are covering 3 ARC’s namely; Munai, Baloi and Tangkal. We have fielded a total of 6 community organizers and 2 field supervisors for this project. Socioeconomic activities include; seedling production, small infrastructure such as roads, bridges and farm to market roads, animal dispersal, among others. The STAR-CM heavily utilized participatory approaches in community appraisal, identification of community projects, procurement of goods and engineering works.
12. Other Initiatives
Other initiatives geared towards rural empowerment and in support of the socio-economic and peace and development thrusts of the national government include: a. Development of the Provincial Dairy Industry, b. GMA Farmers’ Village, and, c. Establishment of 2 Farmers Field Schools.
