|
2.
The
participation and collaboration of stakeholders involving
local governments, line agencies, business, youth and
religious ensure that support is generated at various levels.
3.
Eco-sanitation provides ready and
cheap fertilizer for farmers at the same time containing the
spread of diseases carried by wayward excreta.
It also weaned farmers from the
dependence on chemical fertilizer and generates much needed
savings.
4.
The promotion of ASEAN’s most
important species such as durian, lanzones and rambutan help
ensure that this specie will not be lost forever and instead
will help improve biodiversity.
5.
The creation of community
farmers’ groupings and a federation help ensure localization
and sustainability of the practices and integrate it into the
cultural fabric of the community.
Sustainability and Scaling-up
a. The land redemption capital fund is
going on and on as money from original beneficiaries are
repaid and used to free other lands.
b. The draft animals provide multiple
incomes to the beneficiaries and offspring repayment are
released to other waitlisted beneficiaries thereby continuing
the process on and on.
c. The fruit trees
provides year-round income to farmers at year 4 (grafted
trees) and onwards and for timber trees at year 7.
Further the trees planted will
control soil erosion and run-off and improve biodiversity.
d. The local associations
organized and capacitated act as local catalyst and management
group. They are responsible for the collection and management
of the water-user fees, payment from seedling released during
tree planting and the monies received from these constitute
the “rural loan fund” of the project thereby continuing flow
of economic resources and benefits derived.
In terms of replication, the
following are highlighted;
a. The
situation in most countryside in the
Philippines is very similar (lack of
water, poverty, severe erosion, lack of organized inhabitants)
and the concept can be easily replicated in most part of the
country.
Community organizing and
participation of multiple stakeholders contribute to a solid
foundation of local empowerment.
b. The
idea of strengthening existing community-based associations is
also very much replicable given that these are usually present
in most areas in the country and in varying strength and
capability therefore the need to strengthen them.
The approach of building-up
community fund from water user fees and from harvests of
fruit/trees is entirely replicable and acceptable.
c. The approach of
tapping local government units and line agencies as service
providers is also replicable given that most of government
agencies have the personnel but lack the budget and programs
for field operations and most of the time they stay in their
respective offices.
|
