QUEZON CITY -- The 9th Commission of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has unanimously approved a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the National Dairy Authority (NDA) and the NCIP in establishing stock farms within the
ancestral domains on January 9, 2024.

These stock farms will be dedicated to the production and breeding of dairy cattle. It will also have a processing facility. The Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) will be formalized into dairy cooperatives to qualify as recipients of dairy animals.

“Our goal of 5 percent milk sufficiency by the year 2028 requires a large volume of milk production. This program allows and welcomes participation. There is room for everyone, including our ICCs/IPs," said NDA Administrator Dr. Gabriel L. Lagamayo.

Dr. Lagamayo said the Dairy Development Project will benefit the ICCs/IPs. The project will hire IPs as part of the workforce in the farm operations. “NDA will train them in dairy farm management. They will supply animal feeds like corn silage and forage. We can provide them livelihood opportunities while furthering our goal of achieving a 5 percent increase in milk sufficiency through operational expansion,” he added.

To ensure social readiness and skills enhancement, NDA will conduct orientations and continuous training covering various agricultural techniques such as dairy production, animal health and management, Artificial Insemination, milk processing, financial literacy, business development, food safety among others. Participants will receive certificates upon completion.

The MOA contained provisions, including a dispersal program. Starting from the second year of operation, the farm will allocate ten percent of animal production annually to the ICCs/IPs.

The NDA assures that these facilities will adhere to NCIP standards. They will also respect sacred ancestral land, environmental norms, and traditional protocols cherished by the ICCs/IPs. They will be included in the developments of these facilities,” Dr. Lagamayo
added.

NCIP Chairperson Bo-i Jennifer Pia Sibug-Las expressed her support for the program.

“The Dairy Development Project poses economic advancement and the harvested milk can give nourishment to the IPs' children,” she said.

The project will undergo rigorous validation processes to uphold the best interest of ICCs/IPs. It will ensure its alignment with the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) of Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs).

This underscores the project's commitment to sustainable agricultural practices within these domains.

The members of the 9th Commission are Chairperson Bo-i Jennifer Pia Sibug-Las, and Commissioners Gaspar A. Cayat, Simplicia Hagada, Pinky Grace Pareja, and Rhodex Valenciano. (NDA)