Displaced Mindoro miners get training on farming

CALAPAN CITY, Philippines – The provincial government of Oriental Mindoro and Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI) is helping displaced small-scale miners by giving them free training on organic farming.

Ted Bolivar, program manager of MFI, said the training, dubbed as Integrated Farming Bio-System (IFBS), is part of their sustainable development program in the province and an alternative livelihood program for its stakeholders.

IFBS helps farmers engaged in vegetable and palay farming and introduces new techniques in animal husbandry, upland farming and farm entrepreneurship, Bolivar said.

Felix Dalangin, a resident of Barangay Dulangan and one of the IFBS participants, was very thankful for the initiative.

Gemma Domingo, another IFBS trainee, said lectures give emphasis on farm methods using indigenous materials found in their barangay.

Manuel Lopez, 46, a gold small-scale miner for more than 20 years, said that the introduction of IFBS in their barangay was a timely anti-poverty intervention.