The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has provided financial support to the Liton, Kibales, Magatos Irrigators Association (LKM-IA) through funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The communities, located near Kabacan in central Mindanao island, have a history of separatist violence and are now moving towards greater self-rule by the Muslim majority. In anticipation of the annual International Day of Cooperatives on July 1st, UN News’s Daniel Dickinson visited Kabacan and spoke with two members of LKM-IA, Treasurer Marcializa Calud and auditor Mona Usman, who represent both the Christian and Muslim faiths.
Marcializa Calud: The association was established in 2015 with only 250 pesos ($4) and last year we earned 1.65 million pesos ($28,000). Our careful planning and management, along with support from KOICA and FAO in the form of seeds, fertilizers, and machinery, have contributed to our growth.
Mona Usman: The association received a set of machines for each stage of the rice growing and harvesting process, including a rotavator for plowing, a combine harvester for harvesting, and a milling machine for processing.
Marcializa Calud: The machines, which are rented to our members, have significantly increased productivity. It used to take a whole day to plow a one-hectare field with a water buffalo, but now it only takes one hour with the rotavator. Similarly, harvesting by hand used to take two days, but now it only takes one to two hours with the combine harvester. As a result, my income from rice cultivation has increased from 20,000 pesos ($340) to 24,000 pesos ($410).
Mona Usman: Before the cooperative was established, we had to borrow a combine harvester from a private lender who would take 10% of our crop’s value as payment, leaving us with only 90%. But now, with our own harvester, only 9% goes to the association, and each farmer receives 91%. This may seem like a small difference, but it makes a big impact. Additionally, with the association’s contribution, we can afford to pay for irrigation, which is crucial as our crops are not rain-fed.
Marcializa Calud: Our main concern is access to water, as we are downstream from other communities. During the recent El Niño event, when water was scarce, we had to negotiate with our upstream neighbors to release enough for our needs. Thankfully, we have a good relationship with them, but climate change remains a concern for all rice growers, as the crop requires water in paddy fields.
Mona Usman: Our association represents both Muslim and Christian members. My grandfather was a Muhajadeen who fought for our land, but later became a religious man and welcomed Christian settlers to Bangsamoro, the predominantly Muslim part of southwestern Mindanao island. This historical connection has fostered trust and respect between our communities.
Marcializa Calud: We rarely think about our association as being Christian or Muslim. Our ancestors were respectful of each other’s religion and culture, and we have never had any conflicts. Today, my children play with Mona’s children like they are siblings.
Mona Usman: The belief that Christians and Muslims cannot coexist is false. We have mutual respect and have passed down this legacy to our children and their classmates.
Marcializa Calud: There is a saying among farmers here that when harvest comes, we speak English. We say, “short, failure, overdraft.” Short, because after paying expenses, we are short on money; failure, because the harvest did not bring in enough income; and overdraft, because we need to borrow money to survive. However, with the new machinery, this is no longer the case, and we are making a profit.
Mona Usman: We are making progress in our community, but it is still difficult to make ends meet. We want to ensure that everyone has access to healthcare, education, and enough food to eat. Above all, we want peace.