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Members of the Kawas Fisherfolk Association and Farmers’ Association, comprised of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) former combatants living in Kawas, Sarangani Province, show off the bangus they cultured in Sarangani Bay. USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, through its Targeted Commodity Expansion Project (TCEP), trained the members of the cooperative in the fundamentals of prawn and milkfish production. GEM also provided the group with inputs and materials to expand their production area and establish relationships with buyers in neighboring markets. The association’s success in aquaculture has allowed its members to send their children to school, improve their homes and enjoy modern-day comforts—a turn-around from the lives they once led as former combatants. Since 2002, more than 11,000 ex-fighters and family members have been assisted by GEM to produce higher-value fruits, vegetables and aquaculture products such as grouper and abalone. GEM
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Nestled in five hectares of lush, rolling terrain, Dakak Park Beach Resort features a secluded beach with powdery white sand, and footpaths that wind their way past rushing streams, cascades, and tranquil pools. The resort is just a few hours by boat from Cebu and Dumaguete, and is situated in Barangay Taguilon, Dapitan City, a short drive from the historical shrine to national hero Jose Rizal. Dapitan is one of the key tourism destinations featured in the Mindanao Tourism Map being developed by the Mindanao Tourism Council, with technical support from USAID's Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, under the oversight of the Mindanao Economic Development Council.
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Members of the Manisan Multi-Purpose Cooperative, headed by its chairman Mendato Abol (far left), show off the sweet chili peppers grown at the cooperative’s demonstration farm in Brgy. Polonuling, Tupi, South Cotabato. The group, composed of former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) combatants and their families, was trained by USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program through its Targeted Commodity Expansion Project (TCEP), in vegetable, catfish and tilapia production. GEM also provided the cooperative with a facility that allows its farmer-members to consolidate their harvests and negotiate for higher farm-gate prices. Since 2002, more than 11,000 ex-fighters and their family members have been assisted by GEM to produce higher-value fruits, vegetables and aquaculture products. GEM is being implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Economic Development Council.
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| Fantasyland: Mindanao's First Theme Park
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Written by USAID
Tuesday, 05 January 2010 11:09 |
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A mother and her kids enjoy a ride at Fantasyland, in the 25-hectare Gloria de Dapitan commercial and entertainment complex in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte. Fantasyland theme park is considered the biggest outside Metro Manila. It features 35 rides, including ferris wheels, bumper boats, a safari adventure, and a house of horror.
Dapitan City, which is already known for its world-class Dakak Park Beach Resort and the historical shrine of national hero Jose Rizal, is only minutes from the Dipolog airport, which has direct daily flights to Manila. It has numerous daily boat trip to Dumaguete and Cebu. Dapitan is a key stop on the Mindanao Tourism Map being developed by the Mindanao Tourism Council with technical assistance from USAID's Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, under the oversight of the Mindanao Economic Development Council.
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