Farmers, fishermen set up national organization

A new national organization of farmers, fishers and small entrepreneurs named TODOPINOY has been established by the delegates and participants to the first National Convention of Self-Reliant teams held recently in Quezon City.

Coming from 14 regional centers and 52 provincial/district areas, the participants, all beneficiaries and team leaders under Quedancor’s self-reliant team (SRT) financing model, drafted and ratified their by-laws and articles of incorporation and elected 21 members of their National Board of Directors.

From the national board, 10 were elected national officers. Agriculture Secretary and Quedancor chairman Luis Lorenzo Jr., who was convention speaker, led the officers in taking their oath.

The TODOPINOY organization boasts of a 380,000-strong membership nationwide composed primarily of farmers, fishers, commodity and crop producers, market retailers, agripreneurs and the urban and rural poor engaged in livelihood activities.

TODOPINOY’s objective is to promote self-sufficiency, and self-reliance to attain a decent and dignified life through socio-economic development.

In his speech, Lorenzo congratulated the new organization and counted its members as new partners of government in nation-building. For his part, Quedancor president and CEO Nelson C. Buenaflor, designer of the SRT model, said that TODOPINOY is the epitome of what self-reliance is all about as the farmers and fishers decided to pursue their welfare and interest by relying on themselves and on the Filipino values of bayanihan and self-help.

The national officers of TODOPINOY are: Manuel Boniao of Cagayan de Oro (president); Emmanuel Pilapil of Bicol (VP for Luzon); Leopoldo Maputi Jr. of Dumaguete (VP for Visayas); William Lestano, Davao del Sur (VP for Mindanao); Excel Salazar, Iloilo (secretary general); Paul Bosleng, Benguet (asst. sec. gen); Nelly Ilas, Cavite (treasurer); Teresita Safari, NCR (asst. treasurer); Miguel Candelario, Cavite (PRO); and Romeo Alvarez, NCR (auditor).