Fruits of labor
Credit to Author: MASATO KUBOTA| Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2019 06:02:24 +0000
SM Foundation continues to advocate sustainability as it holds the Harvest Festival of batch 188
FOR the past 12 years, SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of the SM Group, has been helping the lives of thousands of Filipinos in different communities through its Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Farmers’ Training Program (KSK-FTP), launched in 2007.
Initially intended for rural communities, it aims to bring back hope in farming, farmers are taught with updated agricultural knowledge, effective backyard planting and small-scale farming techniques for high value crops fruits and vegetables.
In turn, it improves the quality and quantity of crops that farmers can use to provide for their family, while the company links farm cooperatives with local markets and SM suppliers for a more stable source of income.
In its continued mission to bring back hope in farming, 195 farmer-trainees of the foundation’s KSK-FTP batch 188 reaped the fruits of their labor as it held its Harvest Festival on April 12.
In cooperation with the local government unit (LGU) of Calamba City, the festival was held in its laboratory farm site at Brgy. Sampiruan, Calamba, Laguna, the 188th batch had finished their 12-week training with SM Foundation, which was launched on January 16.
“We call this our laboratory wherein the farmers will come over for 12 weeks, once a week, to learn techniques that they can apply in their own homes,” said Cristina Angeles, SM Foundation’s assistant vice president for Livelihood and Outreach Program.
At the farm site, which sits at a 5,000 square meters of land, farmers were able to plant and harvest vegetables and crops such as zucchini, bitter gourd (ampalaya), chili, upland kangkong, tomatoes, cabbage, patola and watermelon, among other produce.
For 12 weeks, farmer-trainees from nearby villages (barangay) were taught of farm education from land preparation to cultivation by SM Malls. Moreover, the KSK training also taught business values and financial literacy on savings and simple bookkeeping, with the latter being taught by SM’s banking arm, Banco de Oro Foundation.
Further, batch 188 became the pioneer batch of farmer-trainees who were taught of the 14 life principles of SM Founder Henry Sy Sr., who was fondly called “Tatang” (father).
“We brought down the business values and the 14 principles of Mr. Henry Sy Sr. for them to revisit these values and look up to Mr. Sy’s life story for inspiration,” Angeles said.
“Actually, Tatang really wanted his life principles to be taught,” added Earth Olazo, SM City Calamba’s assistant mall manager. “He wanted his ideas, vision, objectives in life be the same objectives of ordinary farmers such as those who will graduate tomorrow.”
The 195 farmers of KSK-FTP batch 188 not only harvested their hard-earned crops, but also graduated the program the following day, April 13.
Partnering with stakeholders
As it continues to uphold sustainability throughout its established farms, SM Foundation has partnered with various agencies as stakeholders of the KSK program to help uplift the livelihood of its graduated farmers.
“The highlight of the program is the Sustainability Stakeholders Forum,” Angeles said. “Here we have the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), cooperatives, Department of Agriculture and SM Markets.”
The foundation has also partnered with Harbest Agribusiness as the rural training program’s service provider, while the program is also conducted in cooperation with local government units.
Since 2013, various field and regional offices of DSWD has been in partnership with SM Foundation by providing agricultural farm technology on high-value crops for bountiful harvests to benefit its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
On the other hand, DA has always been a partner from the start. It renewed its commitment with SMFI last year to provide intensified training to farmers to ensure better crop production.
Formalized by Agricultural Secretary Emmanuel Piñol and SMFI Executive Director Deborah Sy, DA’s High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) will be responsible for identifying possible locations that will serve as training farm sites.
For its part, Harbest Agribusiness provided the training plan and course outline on vegetable planting while SMFI did the comprehensive project plan along with the calendar of activities.
Meanwhile, the local government unit of Calamba can also benefit the program through the city’s Agricultural Services Department that provides subsidized inputs, transfer of technology and establishment of trials, therefor encouraging farmers cooperatives/organizations and regular extension of technical assistance.
SM Markets, on the other hand, through its concessionaires, will be eyeing potential harvest produce which will eventually be sold to SM Supermarkets.
Put together, these stakeholders will be extending aid to the farmers’ sustainability plan.
The sustainability plan was drafted by each group of farmers, which will be then presented at their graduation.
“The DA, city agri office and DSWD clustered the farmers according to their proximity to form an association,” Angeles explained. “This allows the DA to know who plants what crops, when will they harvest it and how many produces can they harvest, at least two weeks before its target harvest season.”
Right now, we have four sustainability plans made by the farmers, Angeles said.
“In the process of training from day one, we aim to create a very very strong public-private partnership so that the program will not stop at being a training service,” she added.
PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
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