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John Unson - Philstar.com
July 12, 2025 | 5:01pm
Many of the farmers who received free corn and rice seeds from the Cotabato provincial government during its outreach activities this week are Moro villagers in Pikit, Cotabato.
Philstar.com / John Unson
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Hundreds of marginalized farmers, including former supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) who have pledged allegiance to the government, received agricultural assistance from the provincial government of Cotabato.
Provincial officials said Saturday, July 12, that the distribution of rice and corn seeds, along with durian seedlings, was part of a humanitarian intervention program under Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza. The initiative aims to improve the productivity of both Muslim and Christian farmers across towns under her jurisdiction.
According to senior personnel from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg), a total of 474 farmers from Barangay Pangao-an in Magpet and Barangay Dalingaoen in Pikit benefited from the outreach conducted from July 10 to 11. Each of the identified beneficiaries received either rice and corn seeds or 25 durian seedlings.
Many of the farmer-beneficiaries belong to highland indigenous groups, including those from areas once considered strongholds of the NPA and BIFF.
Magpet and the predominantly Moro town of Pikit were previously seen as insurgent hotspots but have since been declared "peace zones" following the surrender of hundreds of combatants and supporters in recent years.
These surrenders were facilitated by local government units in coordination with the Armed Forces and Philippine National Police.
Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, commander of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade tasked with securing Pikit, said the agricultural dispersal complements ongoing peace and development efforts in the area.
“These interventions support our goal of strengthening peace and stability while promoting socio-economic growth in communities that used to be affected by armed conflict,” Bunayog said.
