Into the 4th week of the Covid-19 community quarantine, Jojo Mosquera peddled the day’s catch: 2 strings of fish and a medium-size octopus. For the Calamian Tagbanwa folks, fish catch has dwindled over the years because of commercial fishing boats encroaching into their ancestral waters. Jojo’s home is in Gina Island, part of the Calamian Tagbanwa ancestral domain of Tara, Pali/ Buenavista and Malawig (TPM) in Coron, Palawan. They applied for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) more than 20 years ago, but have yet to receive the title.

His goods fetched around P105 (or $2), which he bartered for 2 kilos rice, half-kilo sugar, and 25 grams of coffee, to be shared by three families. The government gave 2-kilos rice assistance per family, which did not suffice for the last 3 weeks. It is a vicious daily cycle of catch-some-fish-to-buy-some-rice. The food shortage or loss of access to food resulting from the lockdown will be another big setback for the Tagbanwa communities struggling to make ends meet. 

Jojo paddled back home to Gina Island about one and half hours away, tussling with the waves brought by the northeast wind. Jojo was uncertain how he can feed his family in the next three days, when rough waters mean a difficult time for fishing; what more with the extension of the lockdown? The same thought most likely runs on the minds of the other 15 families at Gina Island, and 246 families in barangay Buenavista, and the other 850 families in the TPM ancestral domain. ###

Samdhana Appeal

A donation of one thousand pesos (P1000) will provide food for one family for two weeks and allow for delivery to isolated and predominantly indigenous communities that are already calling out to be supplemented for their basic needs, as they are unable to earn daily wage and provide for their families in the coming days of the extended community quarantine. We appeal to your kind and generous hearts at this time of crisis to provide food for survival of Bukidnon families in Brgy. Maluko.

Our full letter of appeal can be read here: https://www.samdhana.org/stories/finding-resilience-time-crisis or https://www.facebook.com/samdhana.institute/posts/652360695329573?__tn__=K-R 

Responses to frequently asked questions: 

How will we get the food supplies? 

The supply of rice, sugar and coffee will be purchased from traders in within the town or nearby cities in Bukidnon. Samdhana Institute will assist to directly secure the supply, and will work with the local partner.

How will we get the food to the communities? 

Samdhana Institute will arrange for transport for the goods from supplier to receiving community.  This will be arranged directly and coordinated with the respective local governments and other kindhearted transport owners. It is important that this reaches the communities in need at the soonest possible time. 

How will we ensure that these food items reach those who most need it? 

Beneficiary selection and goods distribution will be managed by the partner Indigenous Communities through their leadership structure and the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR). They shall closely coordinate with the respective municipal and barangay government units. The Indigenous youth and women will be the responsible individuals in the frontline during beneficiary validation and actual distribution. They will be provided with face masks and disinfecting solutions and social distancing will be practiced during the distribution.  Goods will be delivered to each household or the nearest point of convergence per purok, zone of sitio, where physical distancing can be practiced during the distribution process. 

Tracking and reporting?

Acknowledgement receipt per beneficiary will be filled up and signed. Photo documentation and video documentation will be assigned to the youth.  We will provide donors with copies of these and a full report.

Who is Samdhana Institute? 

Samdhana operates across South east Asia.  In the Philippines, it has an office in Cagayan de Oro City in Northern Mindanao and in Coron in Palawan.  Samdhana Institute supports indigenous peoples and local communities to secure their rights to their territories and their wellbeing.   Our work is mainly supporting and facilitating Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), and civil society organizations working with them, developing their capacities;  institutional mechanisms and next generation leaders, and supporting communities develop local innovations for community resilience. But the struggle for tenure security and resiliency is not a short-term task.  We also provide urgent support for indigenous and local communities in far flung areas during critical times such as during disasters and this current COVID 19 crisis.  Samdhana Institute was registered in 2003 and 2005 as a not-for profit organization in the Philippines and Indonesia, respectively.  For more information, visit our website in www.samdhana.org  

Do let us know if you have any questions or concerns. You may also want to contact Erwin (erwin@samdhana.org) or Joan (joan@samdhana.org) directly for more details.

The Samdhana bank account for your information is BPI Cogon CDO Branch Acct. No. 9321-0045-36. Please send through email confirmation of sending the donation to bunny@samdhana.org. We will send you your acknowledgement receipt through email. 

The following are the contact details of Joan, Erwin or Cane.  SMS or WA message to Joan (09258668477) or Erwin 09175853817 or Cane 09175300255 or via messenger : Joan Auj (Joan); Er Kyu (Erwin) and Aim Sylph (Cane).

Maraming salamat po!

#resilienceinthetimeofcovid19
#weareinthistogether
#COVID-19