Seeding prosperity in the ARMM

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 90 participants from 10 participating farmers’ groups joined the farming and business management trainings organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The trainings served to enhance and diversify their skills, as well as widen their knowledge on managing enterprises.

Acknowledging that agriculture is pivotal in the economic development of the country, DSWD responds to this by empowering farmers to attain self-sufficiency and recognize their role in food security.

“They must be empowered to recognize that farming is an enterprise and an important industry that provides food, not only for their families, but for many other families in the country,” DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman said.

In May this year, a total of 50 select representatives from the ten farmers’ groups participated in a five-day training on palm oil, rubber and high-value crop planting.

The local government expressed its intent on shifting from traditional coconut and corn planting to palm oil, rubber and other high value crops.

SLP officer Baby Zainab Penit shares, “The graduates of the training can (eventually) serve as resident consultants or technicians for their fellow planters in Maguindanao.”

The local government expects the shift in crops to increase the income of the farmers, as there are already identified markets locally and in Malaysia.

Aside from their skills training, each of the ten participating farmers’ groups sent its chairman, treasurer and two other members to a seven-day basic business management workshop facilitated by the SLP in the municipal training center in this town.

In partnership with the local government, trainings focused on basic bookkeeping, accounting, organizational management and preparing livelihood project proposals.

Mayor Datu Shameem Mastura believes that this is important “in order to ensure the capability of the PO (people’s organization) and the sustainability of the livelihood assistance.”

The DSWD tapped Maguindanao-based business and agriculture experts to conduct the trainings as resource speakers.

DSWD provides a seed capital assistance of P10,000 to each member to augment their capital for their enterprises. However, what is more crucial and sustainable is to instill skills and build the capabilities of these farmers so that they become self-sufficient.

Penit adds that this will also promote the groups’ “track record of programs and services as well as its capability and integrity in partnering with other funding providers and any government financing institutions in the future.”

Through the SLP, the DSWD aims to seed prosperity among communities by capitalizing on their assets.

The program supports community-based enterprises and employment opportunities for community members by facilitating skills trainings, providing starter kits, linking to partner institutions and assisting with seed capital.

Soliman hopes that ultimately, the people will bring about their own development. The role of government is to ensure that resources can be allocated appropriately in order to stimulate the development.

Soliman hopes that in the near future, the beneficiaries will be able to say, “Kaya ko ang pagbabago dahil sa sarili kong negosyo (I can change for the better through my own business).”