In mid-May, reports of food shortages, especially rice, in many areas of Asia intensified. At the same time, the Peace Process in Mindanao, one of the potentially most productive farming areas in the region, began to unravel because of issues involving land ownership between Muslims and Christians. Asia America Initiative Director Albert Santoli traveled to Sulu and to the Lake Lanao farming areas in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to help get the peace process back on track through increasing livelihood capabilities of local farmers. As a result, AAI is working with local governments and community leaders in three key provinces to find solutions.

The expansion of AAI’s Development for Peace Program to the Lake Lanao area, located on the big island of Mindanao, around 400 miles north of Sulu, incorporates the hallmark of DPIS: a community-based approach to building peace through the integration of health, education and related livelihood activities – especially farming. The ability of a community to become self-sufficient is the basis for human dignity necessary for conflict resolution and building a culture of peace.

	AAI’s Albert Santoli and Rohaniza Sumndad met with farmers to plan expedited rice production on large cooperatives near Lake Lanao in areas of conflict in Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
	The rice fields of Lanao Sur Province are capable of 50,000 hectares or 100,000 acres of rice. Yet because of armed conflict, government mismanagement, corruption and rampant loan sharks who penalize farmers, only 10 percent of the land is in agricultural production.
	The Hon. Asgar Sani, Sultan of Marawi, has designated 15 hectares of his land to rice production; In order to set an example for the Maranao Moro tribal people who live around Lake Lanao, one of the most fertile farming areas in Southeast Asia.
	The repairing of irrigation systems that are fed by mountain streams is a prerequisite for rebuilding the local farming system in Lanao Del Sur.
	The artificially high cost of fertilizer and pesticides that is arbitrarily priced beyond most farmers' budgets causes the loss of substantial quantity and qualities of rice each season.
	The lack of adequate harvesting and drying facilities can cause the loss of up to 30 percent of a farmer’s crops. “Solar dryers” is another term for drying rice in open air on the side of the road.
	AAI Director Santoli signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Lanao del Sur Governor Adiong to assist the province to expedite their rice production capabilities.
	Director Santoli and Ms. Sumndad with Maranao farming women in Lanao del Sur.
	A young Maranao boy plays with farming tools at a Lanao del Sur cooperative.
	The Hadji Butu Vocational High School in Jolo, Sulu on registration day. The school has more than 3,000 registered students, but the drastic shortage of classroom chairs, books, and vocational materials has caused the rejection of 1,000 freshmen students this school term.
	Students at Jolo National High School sit on the floors of overcrowded classrooms because of the lack of chairs and other basic educational necessities.
	Woodworking saws and other vocational tools at the Hadji Butu School of Arts and Trades in Jolo dates back to pre-World War II. AAI is seeking to revitalize the High School as a regional livelihood development center.
	Hard wooden benches are the only place to sit in most classrooms at Hadji Butu High School of Arts and Trades.
	A wooden “pump boat” for seaweed farming constructed by the faculty and “community service” scholarship students at the College of Fisheries and Mindanao State University in Jolo.
	Al Santoli meets with the Grand Mufti of Jolo, who is the senior Muslim religious leader, to discuss community needs and the interaction between East and West.
	AAI delivering donated medicines to Jolo’s Integrated Provincial Hospital where basic medical supplies for the province’s 800,000 people are usually in short supply.
	A child, whose life was saved by local doctors and 10 cents worth of intravenous tube provided by AAI is cared for outside of the crowded Pediatric Ward inside the Jolo Integrated Provincial Hospital.
	Environmental protection and public health awareness in action at the Zamboanga airport.
	Discussing the AAI’s Development for Peace in Sulu program with Philippines Armed Forces commander in Sulu, General Sabban.
	AAI is expediting efforts to find assistance for Moro farmers throughout bountiful Mindanao during the June-July rice planting season. If the residents can take the first step to becoming food self-sufficient that would avoid a debilitating national and regional food shortage in the coming months.