Project Proponent: Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA)-Mindanao

Project Title :  Enhancing Indigenous Peoples (IPs) Capacities and Promoting Sustainable Local Livelihoods in Lake Mambagongon, La Paz, Agusan del Sur

Site Location: Lake Mambagongon, La Paz, Agusan del Sur

Type/Sector: Capability Building, Livelihood, Natural Resource Management / Indigenous People

Project Duration:  3 Years

Background:

The focus area is in Lake Mambagongon located in Sitio Kiandag, Barangay Poblacion in the Municipality of La Paz, Agusan del Sur.  It can be reached by motorboat from Barangay Sabang Adgawan via Agusan River with approximate travel time of around 45 minutes to 1 hour or by walking from Sitio Kiandag for about an 1 ½  hour.  Total population of Sitio Kiandag is 83 households (510 people). However, the main target community will be the actual inhabitants in Lake Mambagongon composed of an estimated 25-30 households translated into around 112 people.  A few of the actual residents in the sitio proper , around 18 households, will also be targeted as most of them are involved in livelihood activities inside the lake. All residents in Lake Mambagongon are indigenous peoples from the Manobo ethnolinguistic group. They also have an existing registered organization, the Mambagongon Fisherfolks Association which was organized in year 2000 during the Conservation of Priority Protected Areas Project (CPPAP) under the World Bank-Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Problem to be Addressed:

The IP residents inside Lake Mambagongon suffer from extreme poverty as they only depend on their minimal fish catch sold at very low prices for their livelihood and daily subsistence.  Their average daily catch is only around 3-5 kilos sold at P15/kilo although during the high water season, they can catch as much as 6-10 kilos using a local method termed as “sahid.” During the dry months, they plant corn, cassava and vegetables. However, they are only able to plant as much as 4-6 kilos (2-3 gantas) of corn seeds per cropping because they lack financial capital plus they do not have supplemental agricultural equipments. Other residents inside the lake raise hogs and chickens all year round with the livestock placed on floating cages during the flood months. Based from the barangay profile, around 83% of Sitio Kiandag (including Lake Mambagongon) residents fall under the annual income bracket between 10,000-30,000 pesos.

Basic services such as education and health are almost nil in the area. This has contributed to their low literacy levels and poor health conditions.  While there is an existing floating school in the area, this has not been operational since 2004. This has left a number of school age children (around 29), not to mention the adults who attend the adult literacy class, out of school since the nearest school in Sitio Kiandag and Logpond 1 is quite far. Most residents also depend on rain water for drinking and the river/lake for washing and cooking. Toilets are not common in the area leading to sanitation concerns. Health services have to be availed of in the barangay center which is too far for regular check ups and other services to be maintained.

The project attempts to address three major concerns in the focused area: 1) lack of sustainable livelihood opportunities; 2) lack of community knowledge and skills in the management of sustainable livelihoods and engagement with other partners; and 3) poor awareness (and lack of community-based initiatives) in relation to natural resource management, especially as the community is located in a very critical ecosystem.