MinDA proposes kibbutz-type resettlement for 'Balik Probinsya'

Manila, May 12 -- The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has proposed the establishment of an Israeli kibbutz-type rural resettlement community for the returning urban informal settlers under the "Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program" (BP2) of the Duterte administration.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said he presented a 3D model of the proposed kibbutz-type (communal settlement in Israel) resettlements for the first eight provinces in Mindanao which will participate in the program.

For the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Lanao del Norte, MinDA proposed that each community would undertake a common activity with a complete value chain.

"In the case of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, where Mayor Rommel Arnado has offered a five-hectare area as resettlement, the proposal is for the 200 returning families to be trained on organic broiler chicken and organic vegetable production," he said.

Kauswagan is one of the few municipalities in the Philippines which has totally embraced organic farming.

"A 3D model which I presented during the Zoom conference yesterday shows an area allocated for housing units while at the far end of the five-hectare settlement are the broiler chicken houses," Pinol said.

He added that in between the chicken houses and the housing units are vegetable gardens which will utilize the wastes from organic broiler chicken production, the feed mill, and processing facilities, including cold storage.

"A Solar-Powered Potable Water and Irrigation System will also be set up with the solar panels mounted on top of the chicken houses to save on space," he added.

The MinDA chief also said that farmers outside of the rural resettlements will be contracted to produce the raw material requirements of the feed mill and other operations.

"To complete the value chain, an off-taker will be involved to purchase the organic chicken and vegetable produced by the BP2 rural resettlement community," Pinol said.

He also said that in the coming week, MinDA will meet with the heads of the 21 agencies which belong to the "Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program" Council in Regions 9 and 10 to finalize the plan for the implementation of the program.

"With the needed funding and support in place, actual groundwork could start by the end of May and the first resettlement area would be ready by September this year," he said.