In my genuine desire to provide the Indigenous People and their children a better life, I have designed the Cotabato Bamboo Farming Program in their vast Ancestral Domains which I hope to implement if by God’s grace, I will be back as Governor of my province.
The program aims to establish Giant Bamboo Production in 10,000 hectares of Tribal Ancestral Lands to address poverty in IP communities, protect the rivers and water sources and provide jobs while earning revenues for the provincial government under an Economic Enterprise Program.
The North Cotabato model will involve Ancestral Domain stakeholders who will receive financial incentives for every 5 hectares of Bamboo Farm that they will manage over a period of 5 years.
The stakeholders will receive free planting materials from the Provincial Government.
When the harvest of the Bamboo starts, the Provincial Economic Enterprise Office which will establish an Engineered Bamboo Processing Facility, will buy the poles.
All expenses incurred, including the financial incentives given the period before harvest will be deducted.
With an estimated gross income of no less than P500,000 per hectare, the Bamboo Farming Program in Ancestral Domains will surely Lift IP families from poverty.
This will be a fulfilment and realization of my dream to give the Tribal People and their children a better life.
