The Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) of the Caraga region has given the go signal for the implementation of the region’s first enterprise subproject under the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP).

The Department of Agriculture in the Caraga Region (DA-13) said in a statement Thursday that the approval was made during a board meeting on Wednesday in Butuan City.

The project, titled Palay Production, Consolidation, and Marketing, was proposed by the Bunawan Manobo Ancestral Domain Management Council Inc. (BMADMCI) of Agusan del Sur with a total worth of PHP14.5 million.

“The project seeks to strengthen Bunawan’s rice industry by providing sustained support to its expansive rice commodity, while at the same time empowering Indigenous Peoples (IP) farmers and creating greater opportunities for their long-term growth and development,” the DA-13 said.

The project’s approval was led by DA-13 Regional Executive Director Arlan Mangelen, who also serves as the project coordinator of MIADP in the Caraga Region.

In the same statement, BMADMCI Tribal Adviser Bae Mahubay Elvira Catuburan thanked the members of the board.

“We are confident that this project will serve as a catalyst for the Manobo community in Bunawan toward future growth and development,” Catuburan said.

The MIADP, spearheaded by the DA in partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, continues to pursue its mission of reducing poverty and advancing food security in indigenous communities across Mindanao. (PNA)