Better Enterprise Management for Smallholder Farmers in Brgy. Tigbalabag
September 2019
Monci Hinay, WWF-Philippines’ Project Manager for The Sustainable Farm to Table Programme, giving a project introduction and explaining how the trainings conducted will contribute to better production and yield for smallholder farmers. Photograph © Christian Val Daquipil / WWF-Philippines
The fast-changing dynamics of the local market, coupled with the demands of modern consumers, has made it more vital for Filipino farmers to be equipped with skills beyond how they till their lands. Nowadays, they also need to know more about how they can market their produce and manage their agri-based livelihoods better.
Last September 4 to 5, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), in partnership with the Federation of Multi-Sectoral Alliance for Development - Negros (MUAD-Negros), visited Brgy. Tigbalabag in Zamboanga City to train a group of small-holder farmers on Basic Entrepreneurship, Business Management, and Business Planning. This initiative is part of the activities of the Sustainable Farm to Table Programme.
Around 30 smallholder farmers attended the two-day training session in Brgy. Tigbalabag, Zamboanga City, as conducted by The Sustainable Farm to Table Programme. Photograph © Christian Val Daquipil / WWF-Philippines
The Sustainable Farm to Table Programme, or Linang, is a collaboration between WWF-Philippines and NGCP. The program aims to empower rural smallholder farmers by providing capacity development interventions not only on production and yield improvement, but also on agro-enterprise development and organizational management.
The activity conducted in Brgy. Tigbalabag is just one of the trainings in the pipeline that’s going to be provided to groups of farmers for this year’s implementation of Linang. Under the project component on Organizational Management and Enterprise Development, Brgy. Tigbalabag is one of the six sites that will be further trained on how to properly manage agro-enterprises and local associations.
“Linang wants to empower our Filipino smallholder farmers in ways where we can deliver the most impact. Training them to create business plans, like what they did today, is just one of the ways we can develop their entrepreneurial skills, self-reliance, and sustainability,” said Michael Sabejon, NGCP’s Lead Specialist. “It is high time that we invest on smallholder farmers, especially now that the demand for high value vegetables, or HVGs, in the market are increasing exponentially.”
Managing 20 project sites nationwide, Linang hones NGCP’s host communities, aiding their associations by equipping them with skills on production, capital management, organizational management, and enterprise development. The project promotes sustainable cultivation of HVGs in rural farming communities, not only to ensure that there will be food on the table, but to also give these farmers an advantage due to the recent increase in price and demand for these vegetables.
Reynic Alo, MUAD-Negros’ Executive Director, explaining the importance of creating business plans for agri-businesses, the same way you would for other types of businesses. Photograph © Christian Val Daquipil / WWF-Philippines
Reynic Alo, MUAD-Negros’ Executive Director, leads the capacity development session on Basic Entrepreneurship, Business Management, and Business Planning. He has high hopes for the potential of our farmers, that with patience and continued support, they will be able to sustain their businesses on their own. He also emphasizes the need to instill in them the importance of hard work and proactive participation in actualizing the plans that they have made.
Recognizing the potential of Brgy. Tigbalabag’s farmers, Lourdes Cuadra, President of the Association of Tigbalabag Sustainable Agripreneurs’ Livelihood (ATSAL), said, “We are happy that we are seeing the potential of the livelihood program that we are starting. We are expecting everyone in our association to participate in order for our agro-business to continue flourishing.”
Aside from training the smallholder farmers, the project assists these groups in registering their associations under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Once these groups become formal associations, they will become eligible for various government aids and grants.
Lourdes Cuadra, President of the Association of Tigbalabag Sustainable Agripreneurs’ Livelihood (ATSAL), presenting her team’s proposed business plan, rating its viability in front of the rest of the participants. Photograph © Christian Val Daquipil / WWF-Philippines
Monci Hinay, The Sustainable Farm to Table Programme’s Project Manager, said that the best way to ensure the sustainability of the enterprises is to empower our farmers. “The Organizational Management and Enterprise Development training is something similar to a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree, but generally quicker to achieve. Linang wants for farmers to realize that they are not just farmers - they are also business managers and entrepreneurs. They need these skills to ensure the sustainability and profitability of their agro-enterprises.”
All across its 20 sites in the country, The Sustainable Farm to Table Programme continues to implement its different components and activities. Empowering farmers one by one, the program ensures food security from one table to another, for both Filipino producers and consumers.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Muneer Hinay
Project Manager, Sustainable Farm to Table
mhinay@wwf.org.ph
For media arrangements, please contact:
Ms. Pam Luber
Integrated Communications Manager
pluber@wwf.org.ph
