CEBU, Philippines - Not only have they contributed to the empowerment of poor communities but also farmers’ organizations across Central Visayas have mutually benefited from their collaboration with the private sector-led project particularly in terms of increased monthly income, improved market access and technical and financial assistance for farmers.
Felix Calabria, technical officer of the Carmen Multipurpose Cooperative, shared that the Bohol peanut production project they started through the Strategic Corporate-Community Partnership (SCOPE) since 2011 has significantly contributed to address the needs of farmers to augment their monthly income.
SCOPE is an innovative approach to core business aligned corporate social responsibility that is mutually beneficial and sustainable.
It supports Philippine-based companies to identify, plan and implement strategies that empower Filipinos to become reliable economic players while achieving their business goals at the same time.
The SCOPE services are offered by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).
The Carmen Multipurpose Cooperative has established a long-time partnership with PBSP since 1993.
Calabria cited that their previous earnings of P3,500 every month has increased to an average monthly income of P5,000 to P7,000.
He added that the increased amount of income has helped fund the basic needs of the farmers and their families such as food, shelter and health.
He further noted that the SCOPE project is able to resolve the challenges that hampered the lives of farmers in Bohol which include the low prices of peanuts, poor quality of seeds and products, and weak market access.
He said that other services they have availed from the project include material inputs for farming such as peanut seedlings, organic fertilizer, and P1,000 cash for land preparation for each farmer, trainings for small farmers on peanut production technology, technical assistance and credit services.
The cooperative that mainly focuses peanut production as the primary source of income of the 10 municipalities in Bohol currently has 2,650 members of which only 18 farmers are involved in the SCOPE project.
Calabria said that they aim to increase awareness among members by conducting meetings and assembles to encourage them to participate in the mutually-beneficial project.
Meanwhile, Nestor Quijano who owns the EG Agro Eco Ventures in Negros Oriental attributed the 100 percent increase in sales and production of his organic bangus and brown rice to the SCOPE strategies that he implemented in his company.
He started to put up his own business in 2010 and began his partnership with SCOPE last year in order to get involved with poor communities and avail of the technical trainings and financial assistance at the same time.
To date, his manpower grew to 20 fish pond operators for bangus, 20 vegetable farmers and 75 rice farmers. Quijano is also engaged in coffee production.
Quijano pointed out during the break-out session in agriculture held last July 31 at the Casino Español de Cebu that the government has to initiate the development and implementation of projects related to food production to further help the grassroots level.
He clarified that such initiative should not be restricted to sugar canes and farms in Negros Oriental but also to other agricultural crops and farm areas in the Philippines.
“No other crops are financed by banks but only sugar cane. There are also lots of areas in our country that could be developed, not only Negros Oriental. Similar with the SCOPE strategies, the government could partner with poor communities and develop more agricultural products,†he stated. /JOB (FREEMAN)