The programs seeks to plant the seeds of food security and economic prosperity to firmly secure the gains of the peace process
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Maguindanao del Sur is pioneering an ambitious program that seeks to transform former battlegrounds into high-value food production zones with decommissioned combatants at the core of its economic strategy.
The province is rolling out an Integrated Farming System (IFS), with the production of halal wagyu beef and manok (chicken) Pinoy as its flagship program.
The initiative has garnered high-level support, positioning agriculture as the ultimate engine for peace, according to former agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol during a consultation visit by some Bangsamoro officials in his farm in Kidapawan City.
‘Arms to farms’ doctrine
Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., a staunch IFS supporter, met recently with Piñol to finalize the halal wagyu blueprint.
Central to the strategy is the inclusion of the former base commands of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and strongholds of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
“It will be a major success in the peace process if we succeed in transforming former rebel camps into food production zones where former combatants will join us in the fight against hunger,” said Galvez, who stressed that peace begins when a family has food on the table three times a day.
The IFS is has two key phases, beginning with the foundation of the program and feedstock. Starting October, pilot areas for sorghum, soybeans, and corn will be established, according to Piñol.
“These crops are the primary raw materials crucial for a robust, integrated system that feeds the poultry, small ruminants (like goats), and cattle,” Pinol said.
An assured market will guarantee that participating farmers can generate income within the first six months.
The second phase is high-value halal production. This stage will scale up free-range chicken farming and establish facilities for raising small ruminants and the cattle necessary for the production of premium halal wagyu beef. Galvez’s vision is to turn former rebels and their families into cattle farmers to supply the high demand for halal beef in the Bangsamoro region.
Tapping the marshland
To aid in the strategy’s success, Maguindanao del Sur Representative Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu is pushing for a resource-based approach, leveraging the region’s vast land and shallow water table, particularly in the Liguasan Marsh area.
Mangudadatu, a farmer himself, advocates sustainable livelihood over perpetual aid, urging a focus on aquaculture and poultry for former MILF combatants.
A business model, assisted by government initiative and funding scheme is designed for the project designed for combatants where he will be working with BARMM government.
This features a closed-loop system where catfish and tilapia are raised, with the catfish fed with by-products from poultry, creating a sustainable, waste-reducing cycle.
Mangudadatu assured the farmers that on the “buy-back” of the fish harvest, to be processed into vacuum-packed fish fillets for premium markets. The fish heads and bones will be converted into halal-certified poultry feeds.
The “scale and tech program” design plans to equip each family of former combatants who are interested in the venture with a 1,600-head cage-type poultry farm (estimated at P626,000 to P666,000) and a hatchery capable of producing up to 100,000 chicks weekly, ensuring continuous supply and production.
Tech boost: NIA’s solar promise
Support for the ambitious farming system is quickly mobilizing, according to Piñol.
National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Eddie Guillen has pledged to install solar-powered water systems (SPWS) across Maguindanao del Sur.
The SPWS, which Datu Anggal Mayor Nathaniel Midtimbang has been pushing for, will provide both irrigation for agriculture — critical for the halal wagyu program — and potable water for the Teduray and former combatant communities.
The combined approach — leveraging high-value halal commodities, integrated ecology, guaranteed market support, and modern solar technology — marks a paradigm shift: planting the seeds of food security and economic prosperity to firmly secure the gains of the peace process. – Rappler.com