SIMILAR projects in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) such as the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resources Management Project2 (Charmp2) is hoped to be duplicated by the national government in 47 villages susceptible to communist aggression.
Department of Agriculture-CAR director Cameron Odsey said the national government should consider similar projects such as Charmp2, saying it is not enough to cover all barangays in the region.
“We really hope that similar projects would be implemented in our region but if we look at the 47, this is very small and we have around 1,000 rural barangays and we have covered 188 barangays and out of 47, 23 were covered by Charmp,” Odsey said.
The P601 million worth Charmp2 project is benefitting about 2,665 households spread over 18 villages in the six provinces of CAR.
The project was implemented in 2018 with a two-year implementation period with all major projects undergoing a foreign funding support.
The project has four main components, namely social mobilization and participatory investment planning, agri–forestry, agriculture, agri-business and income generating activities, and rural infrastructure development (RID).
“No less than our Secretary William Dar who is also our Cordillera Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security said the route of insurgency is poverty. If we do not solve poverty, then insurgency will be there. We are not doing the adjustments to expand to the poorest barangays in the Cordillera,” Odsey added.
Mayor Manny Fermin of the Municipality of Kapangan in Benguet Province said he is hopeful that with possible expansion of the CHARMP2 until year 2020, allege marijuana farmers may soon take advantage of the project and return to the traditional farming of vegetables.
“We hope with those who have positively benefitted from the Charmp2 project in our municipality, those who may be involved in the planting of marijuana will consider to go back to traditional vegetable farming and benefit from the CHARMP2 project of the D.A. who will give them the necessary assistance to better their farming potentials,” Fermin added.
Kapangan is one area in the region were series of marijuana eradication are continuously conducted by the Police Regional Office Cordillera and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.