MIADP - RPCO 12

The Department of Agriculture - Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (DA-MIADP RPCO XII) congratulates Commissioner Nancy Alaan Catamco on her appointment as Chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

We look forward to sustaining our partnership and further strengthening collaboration with NCIP in empowering Indigenous Cultural Communities through inclusive and sustainable agri-fishery development across Region XII.

#𝐈𝐏𝐬𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 | Indigenous Peoples Harnessing Opportunities for a Progressive Economy
-MIADP12

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appoints Ethnographic Commissioner for Central Mindanao, Nancy A. Catamco, as the new Chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

Naome Calimpitan’s journey reflects the quiet yet powerful strength of Indigenous women. Once cautious after years of unfulfilled promises, she found her voice through MIADP—helping shape the future of her community in Barangay Imamaling, Magpet, Cotabato. Today, she stands as a leader, proving that women are not just participants in development but drivers of meaningful change.

“Ang pagkababaye dili usa ka limitasyon,” she shares. “Aduna mi’y ikatampo sa among komunidad.”(Being a woman is not a limitation. We have something to contribute to our community.)

This Women’s Month, we honor women like Naome—resilient, empowered, and leading change from within. 💜

Naome Calimpitan: The Inner Strength of Indigenous Woman

Naome Calimpitan’s journey reflects the quiet yet powerful strength of Indigenous women. Once cautious after years of unfulfilled promises, she found her voice through MIADP—helping shape the future of her community in Barangay Imamaling, Magpet, Cotabato. Today, she stands as a leader, proving that women are not just participants in development but drivers of meaningful change.

Through inclusive processes such as Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and community-driven planning, Naome and her fellow members of the Obo Monuvu were not just consulted—they were genuinely heard. Their shared priorities took form through the Ancestral Domain Agricultural Implementation Framework (ADAIF), transforming lived experiences into a clear and culturally grounded path for development.

With strengthened skills and growing confidence, Naome now serves as a key pillar of her organization as the secretary of the Imamaling Farmers’ Association. Through her role, she ensures transparency, continuity, and accountability—carefully documenting decisions and helping guide collective action toward real progress for her community.

“Ang pagkababaye dili usa ka limitasyon,” she shares. “Aduna mi’y ikatampo sa among komunidad.”(Being a woman is not a limitation. We have something to contribute to our community.)

This Women’s Month, we honor women like Naome—resilient, empowered, and leading change from within. 💜

Photo by: Adam Ibrahim A. Canape, MIADP RPCO XII
Story by: Atty. Pearl Joy B. Bayanon, MIADP RPCO XII

Leslie Taranza, a Manobo Dulangan leader from Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat Province, has emerged as a strong voice for her community, shaped by heritage, service, and resilience. From her early involvement with the Kulaman Manobo-Dulangan Organization (KMDO) in 2019 to becoming its president in 2024, she built trust through genuine community engagement.

Inspired by her grandfather’s legacy of leadership, she now plays a key role in advancing MIADP enterprise subprojects, supporting sustainable livelihoods and strengthening community-based enterprises.

#𝐈𝐏𝐬𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 | Indigenous Peoples Harnessing Opportunities for a Progressive Economy
-MIADP12

Leslie Taranza: Shaped by Legacy

In the quiet uplands of Barangay Kulaman in Sen. Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat, where the land stretches into ancestral memory, and the rhythm of life is guided by tradition, a woman rises as both voice and vessel of her people’s aspirations.

Leslie Taranza—known as Bai Leslie—is not just a leader; she is a reflection of her community’s strength, resilience, and enduring hope.

As a proud member of the Manobo Dulangan tribe, Leslie carries the weight of heritage with grace. Her leadership journey did not begin with a title, but with a deep-rooted sense of responsibility.

Since 2019, she has been actively involved with the Kulaman Manobo-Dulangan Organization (KMDO), learning the intricacies of community work, listening to the concerns of her fellow Indigenous Peoples (IP), and quietly building the trust that would later define her leadership. In 2024, she formally stepped into the role of presidency—an achievement not just for herself, but for the many who see their stories in hers.

Leslie’s leadership is shaped by legacy. She draws inspiration from her grandfather, Sultan Tagenek Dakias, whose influence instilled in her the values of courage, stewardship, and service. Like him, she leads not from a place of authority alone, but from a deep understanding of her people’s struggles and dreams.

As a focal person for KMDO, she has become a strong partner in pushing for the implementation of infrastructure subprojects under MIADP. For Leslie, these are not just projects, but more like lifelines. Roads, water systems, and agricultural support mean access, sustainability, and dignity for her people.

📸 Photo Credits to: Adam Ibrahim A. Canape, MIADP-RPCO XII Media Production Officer

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 | The Department of Agriculture - MIADP - RPCO 12 is now hiring:

(𝟏) 𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓

For interested applicants, kindly address your application letter to:

𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍 𝐁. 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐀𝐋, 𝐃𝐕𝐌
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫

Qualified applicants are advised to hand in or send through courier their documents to:

𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐎 𝐌. 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐎
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫/
𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝

𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UabRKuCjdB0e5gCiW16fIDWX_hjMabDY/edit

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

#𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 | 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐏𝐀𝐁 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 ₱𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧

The 7th Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) Meeting of the Department of Agriculture - Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (DA-MIADP RPCO XII) successfully endorsed five subprojects with a combined value of nearly ₱200 million, marking the highest number of subprojects endorsed in a single RPAB meeting to date.

Held on March 11, 2026 at Habi Hotel in Koronadal City, the RPAB meeting convened major development partners and stakeholders to review and evaluate proposed infrastructure and enterprise subprojects aimed at strengthening agricultural productivity and market access within ancestral domains across the region.

The meeting was presided over by DA-MIADP XII Deputy Project Director Abraham A. Onotan with representatives from partner agencies completing the quorum, including the Regional Agricultural and Fisheries Council (RAFC XII), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI XII), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH XII), Mindanao Development Authority (MINDA XII), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR XII), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR XII), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG XII).

The board reviewed and endorsed the following three infrastructure and two enterprise subprojects:

𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬

1. Improvement/Concreting of Brgy. Lagubang: Sitio Benibol – Sitio Paraiso Farm-to-Market Road
Proponent: LGU Senator Ninoy Aquino
Estimated Project Cost: ₱47,171,000

2. Improvement/Concreting of Brgy. Lambuling: Brgy. Hall to Sitio Datal Lebe Farm-to-Market Road
Proponent: LGU Tboli
Estimated Project Cost: ₱68,455,000

3. Improvement/Concreting of Brgy. San Roque: BRJ to Sitio Columbio Farm-to-Market Road
Proponent: LGU Malungon
Estimated Project Cost: ₱74,292,000

𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬

4. Coconut and Rubber Consolidation and Marketing
Proponent: Don Panaca Farmers Association (DPFA), Magpet
Estimated Project Cost: ₱5,013,510

5. Copra Consolidation and Marketing
Proponent: Bual Erumanen Ne Menuvu Farmers Association (BEMFA), Pigcawayan
Estimated Project Cost: ₱3,100,000

These subprojects are expected to significantly enhance market connectivity, agricultural productivity, and livelihood opportunities for Indigenous communities within their respective ancestral domains.

Mayor Rafael Flauta Jr. of LGU - Senator Ninoy Aquino, who was also in attendance, expressed his gratitude to the board, thanking the RPAB for the endorsement and affirming the LGU’s commitment to implement the subproject to the best of its financial and operational capacity for the benefit of its constituents.

The successful endorsement of five subprojects in a single RPAB meeting marks a historic first for MIADP project-wide and represents another important milestone for DA-MIADP RPCO XII in advancing inclusive and sustainable development within ancestral domains across the region.

With RPAB endorsement secured, the five subprojects are set to move forward to the Implementation Management Agreement (IMA) stage within the year.

📸✍ Adam Ibrahim A. Canape (MPO, RPCO XII)

#𝐈𝐏𝐬𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 | Indigenous Peoples Harnessing Opportunities for a Progressive Economy
-MIADP12