GENERAL INFORMATION

Title of the Program:

Local Economic and Agricultural Development (LEAD) Program and Solid Waste
Management Program (SWMP) under the Local Governance Support Program in ARMM

Name of the LGU Implementing the Program:

Local Government of Lamitan

Population of the LGU

Based on the 2007 census of Population and Housing conducted by the National Statistics Office
(NSO) the actual total population of Lamitan had reached Eighty Two Thousand Seventy Four
(82,074).

Income Classification of the LGU

Because of the issue at hand regarding the constitutionality of Lamitan’s Conversion into a City,
it was not identified as to whether or not it belongs to a 1st Class Municipality or City Category.

Profile and Number of Beneficiaries of the Program:

24 Rubber Farmers Association with at least 30 members each and 9 Rubber Producing
Barangays for the LEAD (Local Economic and Agricultural Development) and 6 Barangays
for the SWMP (Solid Waste Management Program) as well as a number of non-government
organizations made up mostly of women and the academe.

Date of the Start of the Program – January 2008

Financial Profile of the Program in the Previous Year/s (Maximum of 3 Years)

2008 2009 2010

Source of LGU LGSPA LGU LGSPA LGU LGSPA
Funds
LEAD Technical Technical
Technical
*Expertise *Expertise
*Expertise
*Accomodation *Accomodation
*Accomodation 5.2 M 5M 5M
SWMP *Transportatio *Transportatio
*Transportation
n n
*Allowances
*Allowances *Allowances

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PROGRAM BRIEF

The Local Economic and Agricultural Development and the Solid Waste

Management Program of Lamitan was undertaken as part of the LGSPA (Local Governance and

Support Program in ARMM) of the Canadian Government.

With Lamitan’s economic strength primarily anchored on agriculture and

fisheries, the local government adopted a convergence strategy to promote the two industries by

partnering with at least 17 National and Local Government Agencies and Civil Society Groups.

This partnership has resulted in the effective delivery of appropriate support to farmers from

irrigation, road rehabilitation, needed farm inputs to technical assistance. Through LGSPA’s

support, the LGU conducted a Local Economic and Competitiveness Assessment (LECA) and

confirmed the strategic importance of rubber as a high value industry. LGU and civil society

representatives from Lamitan joined study tours supported by LGSPA to learn from the success

of other rubber plantation in the Philippines. Target beneficiaries are around 24 existing rubber

associations in Lamitan grouped into a confederation of rubber growers. The objective is to

empower them, to capacitate them through exposures and trainings.

The Solid Waste Management Program on the other hand focused on preserving

the town’s ecological balance and also creating opportunities for income generating livelihood.

The 6 Metro Barangays in Lamitan were mobilized to lead the advocacy to promote

environmental protection, waste segregation and recycling. Five of the six barangays have also

put up their respective Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) which are being managed by the

Barangay Solid Waste Management Committees.

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Positive Results and Impact

Four Demo-Farms and nurseries have been established and increase in rubber

production in the municipality has more than doubled at around 13,000 metric tons at present not

including other rubber farmer-businessmen who trade in Isabela and whose production figures

could not adequately identified. Knowledge and technology transfer has been realized with the

help of Sta. Clara Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Inc (SCARBIDC), the largest cooperative in

Region 9 and ARMM. The Cooperative allotted more than 10.5 Hectares for a rubber nursery

and it is currently developing new clones to be distributed to Lamitan Farmers.

Through the Solid Waste Management Program, groups of women, students and

residents turned plastic-based garbage into curtains, toys, photo frames, table runners and other

creative materials which have the potentials for becoming sources of livelihood. The Municipal

Solid Waste Management Board was formed and now oversees the coordinated implementation

of the town’s ecological solid waste management initiative. Indicator of its success is the

Gubawan River which used to be murky with all sorts of garbage floating but is now clean.

Residents now practice environment friendly methods of disposing their garbage.

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Promotion of People’s Participation and Empowerment

Rubber farmers were included in the planning, implementation, monitoring and

improvement processes of the project. They are the ultimate recipients of the benefits of the

Local Economic and Agricultural Development (LEAD) Project. The project has benefitted

thousands of farmers because of they were tapped through the cooperatives in which majority of

them are members as well. They were informed, trained and capacitated to implement the project

sustainably.

In the Solid Waste Management Program (SWMP), women and children, who are the

ones mostly doing the household chore of disposing the household garbage were informed,

educated and trained through the academe and the Barangay Women’s Organizations’.

Campaigns were undertaken with their participation and support to ensure accountability.

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Transparency and Accountability

Formulation and implementation of a Comprehensive Development Plan-

Executive and Legislative Agenda aided the Local Chief Executives, Local Officials and

community stakeholders in formulating their development framework which reflected not only

the two programs mentioned here, but included other programs with social and economic impact

as well. The CDP-ELA was developed with the participation of different sectors at various

levels of governance including the barangay. With this innovation, the LGU made sure that

voices from the margins were heard. Sangguniang Bayan sessions also are regularly conducted at

the village levels by cluster barangays and local consultations are practiced regularly to make the

people part of decision making. Barangays are being assisted in crafting their budgets and project

implementation plans to ensure synergy with the budget and thrusts of the LGU and also to

ensure transparency and accountability in their level. Financial books are made open to the

public for inquiries and checking. Local executives could be easily reached through their

cellphone numbers for people to be able to make their voice heard.

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Innovation

Program results were integrated into am information management system which is

being used for decision-making and policy design. Monitoring and improvements are based on

this information system which not only processes information gathered on the results of the two

projects but also information from all other aspects of local government operations and

management.

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Transferability and Sustainability

Because of the grassroots approach employed by the program and the

involvement of the people in its planning, implementation and monitoring, the people who are

the target beneficiaries have been capacitated to continue the operations of the said projects on

their own even after support from funding agencies end. Trainings, information and education

campaigns made sure that these innovations can be passed-on to the future managers of the

project or any other similar project in this thrust.

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Gender Responsiveness

Gender considerations have been integrated in the project which was the reason

why most of the beneficiaries are at the grassroots especially women in the villages and children

from schools. This is to give them opportunities to have other sources of income and most

importantly be involved in decision making and in the implementation of the programs and

activities designed and lined-up for the said project. They were the ones most involved in the

SWMP of the LGU making them the most effective implementers.

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 We certify that to the best of our knowledge, all of the information

contained in this Application Form and annexes are true and accurate.

Program Managers

Bitoy

Bing Ablao

Local Chief Executive

HON. RODERICK H. FURIGAY

Mayor
Municipality of Lamitan
Rizal Avenue, Lamitan, Basilan
elgulamitan@yahoo.com
09177232888