Sarangani knocks out poverty with micro-entrepreneurship

MANILA, Philippines - The province of Sarangani is famous for being the home province of boxing champ and now congressman Manny Pacquiao. However, there is another success story that few people probably know about—that of Sarangani’s fight versus widespread poverty.

Six years ago, Sarangani was the fourth poorest province in the Philippines. About 40 percent of the population had no access to basic services such as sanitation, safe drinking water and education, had no sustainable means of livelihood and had no decent shelter or homes.

Today, the province is no longer one of the Philippines’ ten poorest provinces—partly with the help of poverty-alleviation programs that have empowered local communities through micro-finance. The turn-around of Sarangani’s fortunes came after provincial officials decided to shift gears and promote the development of local enterprises and products. Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez envisions the province to be out of the list of the 20 poorest provinces in the Philippines by 2013.

Dominguez’s poverty-alleviation strategy centers on government focusing its limited resources and funds to critical areas such as education, universal health coverage, and access to potable water to the different sitios and barangays of the province where poverty has rooted over the last 17 years. To ensure sustainable livelihood, the local government is bent on opening opportunities for public-private partnerships in building the economy of Sarangani.

 “What we advocate is that government cannot build an economy. The role of government is to open-up and provide opportunities where our people can prosper,” said Gov. Dominguez.

The Ded Libun De Lasang Association was able to increase its production and increase the number designs of its indigenous woven mats with the help of Globe cash grant.

For the past several years, various organizations and corporations have joined forces with the Sarangani local government to spur development in the province through micro-entrepreneurship. The products made by these micro-enterprises range from home-made delicacies, “geo-textile” made of coco fiber, “fossilized” flowers, bagoong, dried flying fish and bahalina wine.

Globe Telecom, for one, has been supporting four community-based micro-enterprises in Sarangani with livelihood grants through its Enterprise Development Program. Spearheaded by the company’s flagship corporate social responsibility arm, Globe Bridging Communities, the Enterprise Development Program is a three-pronged initiative—a training program, an entrepreneurship fair, and livelihood grant—that addresses the needs of struggling community-based micro-enterprises. The program has so far benefited more than 32,000 micro-entrepreneurs from thousands of barangays nationwide.

Mercy Del Rosario, president of the Kababaihang Magbubulad ng Old Poblacion (KAMOP) based in Maitum, Sarangani, shared that she and her neighbors used to live virtually from hand-to-mouth as they were dependent on whatever income their husbands would make from odd jobs. Maitum, a third-class municipality, did not have many work opportunities.

In 2009, Del Rosario and 19 of her neighbors, all housewives, applied for a livelihood grant from Globe to produce marinated bangsi, or flying fish. The group used the grant as start-up capital to procure fresh bangsi, ingredients for the marinade and other utensils needed to process the product. By word of mouth, marinated bangsi has fast become a delicacy—increasing demand for the spicy and exotic treat.

The cooperative sells a minimum of 60 kilos of marinated bangsi per day at a wholesale price of P90 per kilo. After deducting costs of the purchase of raw fish and other materials, the cooperative’s members take home 70% of the earnings, with the rest retained by KAMOP. That means that each KAMOP member takes home P94.50 per day, for just a couple of hours work per day.

“Malaking bagay na rin yun kasi nandito lang kami sa bahay, hindi naman mahirap gawin ang bangsi kasi nililinisan, binibilad tapos binababad sa suka. Wala halos pagod yun (That’s a big thing for us because for one thing, we don’t have to leave our homes and it’s not hard to do. We just clean the fish, leave these to dry under the sun then soak these in vinegar. It’s not too tiring to do),” said Del Rosario.

Another barangay in Maitum, New La Union boasts of a different kind of micro-enterprise—an adrenalin rush whitewater tubing down the Pangi River, one of the cleanest rivers in the country. Whitewater tubing actually began in 2003, with tourists sitting on old tire tubings for the 1.6-kilometer rush downriver. The whitewater tubing tours are managed by the New La Union Women’s Organization (NLUWO), a group of housewives whose goal was to find a viable source of income to augment their husband’s earnings.

At first, about 200 tourists made their way to the inland barangay every month. But because of lack of rubber tubes and safety equipment, the group could not accommodate more tourists. A P30,000 livelihood grant from Globe allowed the NLUWO to invest in ropes, tubes, boots, helmets, and life vests so that they can safely take more tourists tubing. Last year, the cooperative took over 5,000 visitors whitewater tubing.

“Bukod sa tubing, nagtanim din kami ng abaca para may kita pa rin kami maski matumal ang tubing (Aside from whitewater tubing, we also planted abaca so we have additional income especially during the lean season),” said NLUWO President Eunice Movilla.

For the Ded Libun De Lasang Association (DLDA), a group composed of 18 B’Laan women, they were able to multiply their production, improve the quality, and increase the number designs of products—indigenous mats made out of romblon and buri leaves. DLDA has helped increase tourism in the province, as the unique designs and craftsmanship of these indigenous women have spurned interest from both locals and foreigners. The group is now gearing-up to participate in trade fairs both here and abroad.

Returning to the fold of the government provided opportunities for some residents of Brgy. Datal Anggas, Alabel, Sarangani, who used to be part of rebel groups. They organized the Sitio Ihan Lumad Association (SILA) to help advocate growth and prosperity in the community. SILA received from Globe as well as other partner foundations, capacity building program to provide members skills development training in handicraft production. SILA now produces indigenous handicrafts such as baskets, plates, trays, placemats and picture frames which they bring to the market on General Santos.

“It is inspiring to know that these four micro-enterprises are able to bring their small businesses beyond their communities. Our vision for Globe BridgeCom’s enterprise development program is to nurture sustainable economic growth at the grassroots level, where ordinary Filipinos will feel a difference in their lives. We are happy that they have managed their micro-enterprises well for the welfare of their families and their community,” said Jeffrey Tarayao Head for Corporate Social Responsibility of Globe Telecom.

“With these simple gestures of support from Globe, with the training and grants for these micro-enterprises, I could really see the change in their faces, changes of hope and pride that they can success, that their simple products can be transformed into cash-cows for them,” said Gov. Dominguez.

Globe plans to continue extending support for micro-enterprises, especially as it expands its reach in the SOCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Sarangani, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat) region. With the support given to these micro-enterprises, a simple river has become a successful showcase for tourism in Sarangani, the lowly flying-fish has become a must-have delicacy, and indigenous people and former rebels now have a second chance at life.