Publication staff of Japan-based Newspaper Company named NIKKEI and of the MUNDI, official magazine of Japan International Cooperative Agency (JICA) recently visited project sites of Community Development in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (CD-CAAM)on October 8, 2014 in Sultan Mastura in Maguindanao.

The project is implemented by Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) in partnership with JICA and ICNet Limited.

Purpose of the visit is for the coverage of the site for publication.

The team from Mundi was composed of Tomoko Takahashi, Head Writer and Mr. Masataka Otsuka, Photographer. Coming from NikkeiNewspaper were Minuro Satake and Mr. Ken Kobayashi. Joining them were JICA consultant Ms. Tomoko (Yasunaga) Nakamura, JICA Cotabato Chief Adviser Mr. Shinichi Masuda and IMT Official Mr. Takayuki Nakagawa.

The team visited the demo farm in Brgy. Macabiso, fish pond in Brgy. Tambu, fish cage in Brgy. Solon and the road maintenance and rehabilitation in Brgy. Tariken and Brgy. Namuken all in Sultan Mastura.

During the visit, the team took photos and videos of beneficiaries doing their field activities such as harvesting vegetables, feeding tilapia, and construction of roads in the areas. Also they have interviewed some of the beneficiaries who successfully replicated the technology they learned from Project to their own lands.

Stories, photos and videos gathered from the visit will be featured in the next issue of the said publication companies. All these will feature the impact of the project as peace dividend for the people in Mindanao that can further contribute to promote resilience within conflict-affected communities.

The demonstration farm and demonstration pond of CD-CAAM have already gained recognition from various organizations both local and international and local government units. It became target sites for Exchange Visits of People’s Organizations of MTF-RDP- also implemented by BDA; visited by Municipal Agricultural Officers from municipalities in Maguindanao; Kadtuntaya Foundation Inc. (KFI) - a local non-government organization based in Cotabato City; Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations (UN-FAO), RAF Foundation from Qatar and IHH from Turkey.

CD-CAAM) Project shown significant success implementation and this was commended by partners during the Meeting of the Technical Working Group of CD-CAAM Project last July 2, 2014 in Davao City.

“We did have challenges at the start of the project and it is good to note that for the livelihood project, we see benefits already growing to the communities that also brought impressive results. For OPAPP, what we see at this stage, this is an opportune time for government as well as LGU, to stick our partners to BDA and to look how to take the learnings of the CD-CAAM forward” said Howard Cafugauan, Assistant Secretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser On the Peace Process (OPAPP).

Ms. Yuko Tanaka, Chief, Mindanao Section of JICA Philippines said “This is very good opportunity to review our pilot project performance and I am very happy that Income Generation really have an impact for the beneficiaries”.