The Mindanao Rural Development Program has expanded its core of advocates to carry out advocacy and communication campaigns in six sites under the second year of implementation of the program’s Natural Resources Management (NRM) component. NRM is one of the components of the second phase MRDP along with Rural Infrastructure, Community Fund for Agricultural Development and Investment for Governance Reform. The component aims to conserve and protect the natural resources from upland, lowland to coastal areas. In a recent training-workshop on advocacy and communication strategies last November in Davao City, the MRDP convened the information and planning officers from the towns of Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay; Sugbongcogon, Misamis Oriental; San Isidro, Davao Oriental; Malapatan, Sarangani; Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte, and Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur to come-up with information and advocacy strategies that will help in addressing various environmental issues in their localities. Issues identified during the training-workshop included illegal and over fishing, mangrove destruction, indiscriminate cutting of trees, and lack of knowledge on environmental conservation among the local residents. To address these concerns, community-based advocacy and social mobilization activities to be implemented will cover promotion of the importance of agro-forestry management, mangrove rehabilitation, establishment of fish sanctuaries, including public consultation and capability building. Better policies will be crafted to protect Mindanao’s rich but highly threatened natural resources, along with intensified education and communication activities to help draw up support from communities covered by the NRM program. MRDP program director Lealyn Ramos said, “It is imperative that we conserve, protect, and rehabilitate whatever natural resources we have because Mindanao is a big growth area for the agriculture and fisheries sectors.”
