A Day at the Farm
By Maria Eleanor Valeros
The Freeman – Lifestyle
July 27, 2010
Despite the still sad state of roads leading to the interior portions of Cebu City’s mountain barangays of Sudlon II and Tabunan, the media farm tour pulled through last July 10, giving us an on-location overview of organic farming and the quality of farm produce sold at the Kumprahan SuperMerkado.
To better promote healthy living among the Cebuano populace, Kumprahan saw the need to tap the media for an effective launch of its campaign. Thus, the idea of a media farm tour was hatched in coordination with the Philippine Business for Social Progress.
Sudlon and Tabunan have always been subjects of interest in my previous road trips since 2002 because of their cutflower farms, interesting caves and that small lake in Cantipla (a sitio of Tabunan), so the weekend visit, in part, poses again the question: “Where is the promised improved road network?” Or have the farmers got some point there in their suspicion of “farm-to-pocket” moves instead of “farm-to-market” roads?
In Sudlon II, members of the PBSP-cooperative-beneficiary Sudlon Farmers Livelihood and Training Services, Foundation (responsible for bringing to the “bagsakan” 1,000 tons of produce weekly) are grateful of PBSP’s help like the introduction of vermicomposting which is integral in the shift to organically grown produce – as with the growing of tomatoes, sweet corn, eggplants, lettuce, string beans, among others. PBSP, a non-profit foundation, commits to the reduction of poverty in the country by assisting farmers through technology intervention.
However, farm leader Aladin Pagatpat of the 50-member SUFALTRAS mentioned that if only they could be provided with four-wheel tractors to aid contour farming in rolling terrains and a cold chain facility that would store lettuce, baguio beans, tomatoes and atsal (bell pepper), then that would be the next big help to look forward to in line with empowering farmers and invigorating the countryside.
“Sa handling gyod problema. If a cold storage is available, that would help prolong the shell life most especially of lettuce,” he added.
On the health side, most of us grew up with the knowledge that vegetables, in general, are good for our health. It lowers cholesterol, prevents heart diseases and helps brain development, among many other healthful benefits, but never knew a word about organic.
Organic literally means natural, but generally it refers to the growing, raising, or processing of food without pesticides, drugs, synthetic chemicals, or hormones, using methods that conserve natural resources and limit the effects on the environment.
However, Pagatpat admitted of encountering difficulty in dramatically shifting to 100-percent organic growing of vegetables because of the need to control pests with the use of commercial fertilizers. “However, we assure that farm produce are already 70 to 75 percent organically grown,” he said. And with vermiculture, or the use of earthworms to turn organic wastes into very high quality compost, at hand, the shift to 100-percent organic farming is within feasible grounds.
To cater to the need for locally grown Korean veggies, SUFALTRAS looks at the prospect of producing wombok, cucumber and radish in the 500-600 hectares cultivated land of the total 2,000 hectares of arable land in Sudlon II. “It was tested in Cebu south, pero pait man ang radish so maybe if we can facilitate a test with Sudlon soil, makita nato unsay laing factor to consider. Basin it has something to do with soil moisture or the soil component.”
Growing Korean veggies would also introduce a direct delivery system to the very doorsteps of Korean resident-consumers.
Had we only left the assembly area a bit earlier, we could have made a stop at the greenhouse in Sudlon. Meantime, that opportunity has to wait.
After Sudlon, we proceeded to Tabunan, a place I used to frequent back in the late 90s for the annual Mt. Manunggal climb. It has also been chronicled in the book of Col. Manuel F. Segura that this had been the seat of the guerrilla movement during the Japanese-American War. Decades after, it serves as home to “green revolution” with farm leaders of the Battalion Irrigators Association tilling 26 hectares of cultivated land of a total of 3,000 hectares of available agricultural land.
Farm leaders Nonencio Arcayan and Nerio Pador take pride in the disposal of 4,000 kilos a week of eggplants despite the still unfinished road concreting project there.
Because we all believe that the future is not set in stone for these farmers, we would somehow appeal for other agencies to offer a helping hand. Ironically, on the list of partners of the cooperative beneficiaries (PBSP, Department of Agriculture, Presko – Ang Sekreto sa mga Suheto, St. Vincent Neighborhood Multipurpose Coop, Coop Centrum, Carcar United Lowland Farmers Irrigators Assoc., and Bridges Town Square), the missing link is that entity responsible for road improvements.
As for Kumprahan SuperMerkado, it aims to establish itself as the only “bagsakan” for organically grown and organically raised produce in Cebu. Its Grand Farmers Day gives the farmers the opportunity to earn more and the public to buy directly from the farmers, thereby eliminating the middlemen – who control the prices – out of the picture. Due to incessant public demand, Grand Farmers Day became a Grand Farmers Weekend event at Kumprahan.
This, in effect, signifies Kumprahan’s serious intentions to become an all-organic community market, according to Kumprahan chief organizer Jon Ramos.
At Kumprahan, customers can buy their farm products at farmgate prices directly from the farmers on weekends. The Grand Farmers Weekend at Kumprahan is aimed at helping the farmers earn more through direct selling.
“We are also inviting people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and go organic,” Ramos said, referring to the healthful benefits that organic food offers.
Kumprahan SuperMerkado is an innovative community store, the first community market in the Visayas and Mindanao that provides products at merkado prices and freshness, yet at the convenience of a mall supermarket. It is located in Bridges Town Square, Plaridel St., Alang-Alang, Mandaue City.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Partnerships for development
Map Insights
By Edgardo C. Amistad
BusinessWorld Online
July 26, 2010
Partnerships for development
Nation building, while government led, should be the concern of everyone. The just concluded 9th annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Expo held on July 14 and 15, with the theme "Synergizing for Change," provides a platform for every citizen to do his part for nation building, through public-private partnerships.
The engagement among the government, the private sector, civil society, academe, and grassroots organizations is indispensable. The passionate response of the members of the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) to the challenge of nation building was palpable during the conference and should bode well for the administration of President Aquino which brings with it a fresh enthusiasm for serious and genuine change for a better tomorrow.
Public-private partnerships, in the context of CSR, is unlike its traditional meaning involving a contract between the government and a private party where the latter assumes financial, technical, and operational risks in providing a public service or project, while the former provides support such as revenue subsidies or tax breaks. For the members of the LCF, partnering with government to provide a public service means formulating a sustainable project that is integrated with the member’s core business. It is by no means philanthropy since the project, by itself, should be sustainable. Responsibility for the success of the project is shared among all stakeholders including the community for which the project is set up. Each partner in the undertaking brings with him his own unique expertise, strength and resources to create synergy.
Managing a partnership, though, is easier said than done. Partnerships require commitment and a culture of innovation and learning among all stakeholders for a project to be successful. Other elements include the realization that each partner is inextricable from the other and that partners must be willing to retain an open mind and address issues amidst tensions or conflicts. They must not compete but rather complement each other. These bring about synergy -- and synergy is the force behind partnerships.
It must be emphasized, though, that the provision of a public service through strategic alliances must be done within the bounds of sustainable development, i.e., bringing about improvement in the quality of life of a community while observing proper natural resource stewardship. Promotion of the well-being of the current generation must not be done by sacrificing the welfare of the future generation. In fact, at the back of mind should be the goal of paving the way for a better future for all. The proper use of natural resources cannot be over emphasized especially with climate change currently staring us in the face.
Taking this a step further, the objective of providing a public service should be to bring the disadvantaged sector to a level where it could take off on its own toward the path of sustained development. This is the other face of sustainable development. Still another facet is that the project being undertaken must be financially self-sustaining. Neither the government nor the private sector can afford to waste resources.
The task of nation building is enormous. It is too big a task for just a single organization, or just a few. Happily, most of the members of the LCF have already embarked on partnerships to contribute to nation building. One very good example is the 57-75 Movement that aims to reverse the education crisis through focused interventions and school-community action, toward system-wide performance improvements. The partners involved are the Ateneo Center for Educational Development, the Foundation for Worldwide People Power, the LCF, Philippine Business for Education, the Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Synergeia Foundation.
The immensity of the task at hand for the Philipines is enough reason for all the members of the LCF to come together and tap their collective intelligence as they walk their talk with CSR in their hearts. While the members of the LCF may continue the various poverty reduction projects that they have already started, more alliances need to be built and deepened but in a more systematic way. The LCF can develop an inclusive development agenda, then break it down to smaller parts or specific projects which the close to 80 member foundations can choose from or adopt. These 80 member foundations, backed by their respective companies, can provide a well-spring of resources and special skills that can start the ball rolling which in turn can create a swell of efforts towards poverty reduction.
The inclusive development agenda can be based on identified needs or projects suggested by government. Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman proposed a coherent program with three legs to improve human well-being: projects for the family, the community, and sustainable livelihood. Likewise, Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that the country will need 200,000 classrooms, 7 million desks, 145,000 toilets and 126,000 teachers in the next two years. UP Economics Prof. Arsenio Balisacan suggested policy levers to promote a sustained income growth which is fundamental to poverty reduction. These are in the areas of health, education, infrastructure, land distribution, demographics and population management, strengthening of institutions, promoting geographical advantages and surmounting initial unfavorable conditions. The millennium development goals (MDGs) provide a basic framework to begin the development agenda.
Consideration should be given to the fact that the Philippines is an agricultural country and that the vast majority of our poor are in the rural areas. Focus should therefore also be given to projects in the countryside.
Indeed, a lot of work needs to be done not only for us to be able to catch up with our Asian neighbors, or to achieve the MDGs, but more importantly for our people to be able to live a life of dignity. This is a serious challenge for the LCF. Fortunately, although there may be principal companies of the LCF that are business competitors, their corporate foundations have created partnerships, cooperation, and alliances in the work against poverty.
The article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines. The author is president of UCPB-CIIF Finance and Development Corporation and chair of LCF. Feedback at map@globelines.com.ph. For previous articles, please visit.
By Edgardo C. Amistad
BusinessWorld Online
July 26, 2010
Partnerships for development
Nation building, while government led, should be the concern of everyone. The just concluded 9th annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Expo held on July 14 and 15, with the theme "Synergizing for Change," provides a platform for every citizen to do his part for nation building, through public-private partnerships.
The engagement among the government, the private sector, civil society, academe, and grassroots organizations is indispensable. The passionate response of the members of the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) to the challenge of nation building was palpable during the conference and should bode well for the administration of President Aquino which brings with it a fresh enthusiasm for serious and genuine change for a better tomorrow.
Public-private partnerships, in the context of CSR, is unlike its traditional meaning involving a contract between the government and a private party where the latter assumes financial, technical, and operational risks in providing a public service or project, while the former provides support such as revenue subsidies or tax breaks. For the members of the LCF, partnering with government to provide a public service means formulating a sustainable project that is integrated with the member’s core business. It is by no means philanthropy since the project, by itself, should be sustainable. Responsibility for the success of the project is shared among all stakeholders including the community for which the project is set up. Each partner in the undertaking brings with him his own unique expertise, strength and resources to create synergy.
Managing a partnership, though, is easier said than done. Partnerships require commitment and a culture of innovation and learning among all stakeholders for a project to be successful. Other elements include the realization that each partner is inextricable from the other and that partners must be willing to retain an open mind and address issues amidst tensions or conflicts. They must not compete but rather complement each other. These bring about synergy -- and synergy is the force behind partnerships.
It must be emphasized, though, that the provision of a public service through strategic alliances must be done within the bounds of sustainable development, i.e., bringing about improvement in the quality of life of a community while observing proper natural resource stewardship. Promotion of the well-being of the current generation must not be done by sacrificing the welfare of the future generation. In fact, at the back of mind should be the goal of paving the way for a better future for all. The proper use of natural resources cannot be over emphasized especially with climate change currently staring us in the face.
Taking this a step further, the objective of providing a public service should be to bring the disadvantaged sector to a level where it could take off on its own toward the path of sustained development. This is the other face of sustainable development. Still another facet is that the project being undertaken must be financially self-sustaining. Neither the government nor the private sector can afford to waste resources.
The task of nation building is enormous. It is too big a task for just a single organization, or just a few. Happily, most of the members of the LCF have already embarked on partnerships to contribute to nation building. One very good example is the 57-75 Movement that aims to reverse the education crisis through focused interventions and school-community action, toward system-wide performance improvements. The partners involved are the Ateneo Center for Educational Development, the Foundation for Worldwide People Power, the LCF, Philippine Business for Education, the Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Synergeia Foundation.
The immensity of the task at hand for the Philipines is enough reason for all the members of the LCF to come together and tap their collective intelligence as they walk their talk with CSR in their hearts. While the members of the LCF may continue the various poverty reduction projects that they have already started, more alliances need to be built and deepened but in a more systematic way. The LCF can develop an inclusive development agenda, then break it down to smaller parts or specific projects which the close to 80 member foundations can choose from or adopt. These 80 member foundations, backed by their respective companies, can provide a well-spring of resources and special skills that can start the ball rolling which in turn can create a swell of efforts towards poverty reduction.
The inclusive development agenda can be based on identified needs or projects suggested by government. Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman proposed a coherent program with three legs to improve human well-being: projects for the family, the community, and sustainable livelihood. Likewise, Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that the country will need 200,000 classrooms, 7 million desks, 145,000 toilets and 126,000 teachers in the next two years. UP Economics Prof. Arsenio Balisacan suggested policy levers to promote a sustained income growth which is fundamental to poverty reduction. These are in the areas of health, education, infrastructure, land distribution, demographics and population management, strengthening of institutions, promoting geographical advantages and surmounting initial unfavorable conditions. The millennium development goals (MDGs) provide a basic framework to begin the development agenda.
Consideration should be given to the fact that the Philippines is an agricultural country and that the vast majority of our poor are in the rural areas. Focus should therefore also be given to projects in the countryside.
Indeed, a lot of work needs to be done not only for us to be able to catch up with our Asian neighbors, or to achieve the MDGs, but more importantly for our people to be able to live a life of dignity. This is a serious challenge for the LCF. Fortunately, although there may be principal companies of the LCF that are business competitors, their corporate foundations have created partnerships, cooperation, and alliances in the work against poverty.
The article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines. The author is president of UCPB-CIIF Finance and Development Corporation and chair of LCF. Feedback at map@globelines.com.ph. For previous articles, please visit
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Feeding our future
Feeding our future
Cebu Daily News, Editorial
July 14, 2010
“With enough and the right kind of food, a baby’s normal weight is ensured,” reads the theme of Nutrition Month this July 2010.
In these parts—where Fire Prevention Month (March) sees a spike in fires and Environment Month (June) reminds people that it’s again payback time to a degraded ecology—that aphorism prescribes rather than describes.
Emma Gaviola, assistant nutrition coordinator, revealed early this month that malnutrition continues to hound Cebu City’s children.
The city’s child malnutrition rate has gone down to 4.32 percent this year from 5.60 percent last year.
That still translates to 35,739 malnourished kids.
Ermita, a depressed barangay in the north district posted 2010’s highest malnutrition prevalence among 130,383 city children below the age of six.
Child malnutrition also plagues barangays Mambaling, Buot Taup, Inayawan, Duljo-Fatima, Sapangdaku, Pamutan, Agsungot, Pahina San-Nicolas and Punta Princesa.
Gaviola attributed the poor nourishment of children not to scarce food but to congestion (Ermita is a magnet for indigents seeking a better life in the city), lack of sanitation and neglectful parenting—many parents, Gaviola says, are engaged in tong-its, mahjong and other forms of gambling.
It’s not entirely innacurate to count these conditions as easy excuses for the city government’s failure to stamp out malnutrition.
After all, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama promised to raise the allotment for nutrition in his planned request for a P200-million supplemental budget only after learning that the city placed fifth in a National Nutrition Council ranking of Central Visayas cities with high malnutrition.
But Gaviola is also on point when she said that fathers and mothers should not consign child-rearing to the government.
With Joelito Baclayon, city agriculturist, seeing a bumper harvest from the hillylands in October, groups like the Philippine Business for Social Progress transferring organic farming technology to food producers and more barangay composting facilities a potential source of nutrients to replenish our eroded farmland topsoil, there’s just no reason able-bodied parents can’t work to earn sufficient, nutritious daily bread.
This is where the government can step creatively in its parens patria role to care for children.
The new program to encourage indigents to clean their surroundings in exchange for food may be a good start. Aside from reducing the probability of floods, it would shelter children from dirt-borne diseases that trump healthful nutrition.
But with Gaviola’s report, gambling turns out to be also a formidable front in the fight against hunger and poor nutrition.
Newly appointed Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo launched a probe against big-time jueteng.
Local government should also crack down on gambling that siphons away families’ food budget.
Persistent childhood malnutrition and hunger in general makes the late national artist for film Fernando Poe Jr. sound prophetic when he said: “The problem of the Filipino is breakfast, lunch and supper.”
Cebu Daily News, Editorial
July 14, 2010
“With enough and the right kind of food, a baby’s normal weight is ensured,” reads the theme of Nutrition Month this July 2010.
In these parts—where Fire Prevention Month (March) sees a spike in fires and Environment Month (June) reminds people that it’s again payback time to a degraded ecology—that aphorism prescribes rather than describes.
Emma Gaviola, assistant nutrition coordinator, revealed early this month that malnutrition continues to hound Cebu City’s children.
The city’s child malnutrition rate has gone down to 4.32 percent this year from 5.60 percent last year.
That still translates to 35,739 malnourished kids.
Ermita, a depressed barangay in the north district posted 2010’s highest malnutrition prevalence among 130,383 city children below the age of six.
Child malnutrition also plagues barangays Mambaling, Buot Taup, Inayawan, Duljo-Fatima, Sapangdaku, Pamutan, Agsungot, Pahina San-Nicolas and Punta Princesa.
Gaviola attributed the poor nourishment of children not to scarce food but to congestion (Ermita is a magnet for indigents seeking a better life in the city), lack of sanitation and neglectful parenting—many parents, Gaviola says, are engaged in tong-its, mahjong and other forms of gambling.
It’s not entirely innacurate to count these conditions as easy excuses for the city government’s failure to stamp out malnutrition.
After all, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama promised to raise the allotment for nutrition in his planned request for a P200-million supplemental budget only after learning that the city placed fifth in a National Nutrition Council ranking of Central Visayas cities with high malnutrition.
But Gaviola is also on point when she said that fathers and mothers should not consign child-rearing to the government.
With Joelito Baclayon, city agriculturist, seeing a bumper harvest from the hillylands in October, groups like the Philippine Business for Social Progress transferring organic farming technology to food producers and more barangay composting facilities a potential source of nutrients to replenish our eroded farmland topsoil, there’s just no reason able-bodied parents can’t work to earn sufficient, nutritious daily bread.
This is where the government can step creatively in its parens patria role to care for children.
The new program to encourage indigents to clean their surroundings in exchange for food may be a good start. Aside from reducing the probability of floods, it would shelter children from dirt-borne diseases that trump healthful nutrition.
But with Gaviola’s report, gambling turns out to be also a formidable front in the fight against hunger and poor nutrition.
Newly appointed Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo launched a probe against big-time jueteng.
Local government should also crack down on gambling that siphons away families’ food budget.
Persistent childhood malnutrition and hunger in general makes the late national artist for film Fernando Poe Jr. sound prophetic when he said: “The problem of the Filipino is breakfast, lunch and supper.”
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Organic farmers eye Korean market in Cebu
Organic farmers eye Korean market in Cebu
By Aileen Garcia-Yap
Cebu Daily News – Enterprise
July 13, 2010
Organic farmers in Cebu City's hillylands plan to tap the growing market of Koreans in Cebu who number almost 50,000.
While local farmers look for ways to do this, they need the help of market operators and the government for linkages and farm equipment.
“We know that there are many Koreans here and most of them eat vegetables. We just need help, said farmer Aladin Pagatpat of barangay Sudlon, in Cebuano.
For now, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a corporate-led foundation, is teaching barangay farmers how to use natural fertilizers.
“But we also need help in selling our produce straight to the Koreans,” said Pagatpat, one of the farmer beneficiaries of PBSP.
The group known as Sufaltas or Sudlon Farmers Livelihood Training and Services Foundation, are in charge of 600 hectares of land and produce organically grown egglants, tomatoes and chili.
Pagatpat uses natural methods of fertilizing his one-hectare farm, like vermicast or worm waste.
Member farmers avoid using synthetic or chemical fertilizers and genetically modified organisms to influence the growth of crops.
However, their produce is “70 per cent organic” and not 100 per cent because some vegetables like lettuce still use inorganic fertilizers such as potassium fertilizers right before harvest to prevent pest attacks.
Vermicast - the waste of nightcrawler worms tended in the farm - is usually applied during the early stages of growth.
Farmers also scatter reject vegetables like tomatoes on the ground to provide additional nutrients to the soil.
The group is tapping the Korean Association of Groceries in Cebu which sells vegetables important to kimchi-loving Koreans like radish and Chinese pechay.
Aside from the Koreans, Pagatpat said farmers see a potential large demand for organic produce from establishments like hotels and restaurants in Cebu.
“There is a big demand but we haven’t really sat down to discuss this with them,” Pagatpat said.
He said farmers hope the new Agriculture Secretary would give attention to farmers like them who need three things from the new administration: assistance in farm equipment, capital support and market access.
“We need the farm equipment to help us handle our produce. If they can arrange to let us loan the equipment, similar to how it was done in the cold storage project, that would be good. Most of us don't have any capital. We hope the government can give us access to loans,” he said.
For market access, he suggested a similar setup as the Kumprahan Supermerkado in Mandaue City where farmers can sell their produce directly in a well-planned market without have to to deal with middlemen.
This empowers farmers to have control over how they price their produce.
Nonencio Arcayan of Batallion Irrigators, a farmers group in barangay Tabunan, said infrastructure support is also needed like roads to ease delivery of the farm products.
Jon Ramos, chief organizer of Kumprahan Supermerkado, told Pagatpat that he is leaving for Manila soon because Department of Agriculture executives want to talk to him about the business model of the Kumprahan Supermerkado.
“They want this concept to be duplicated in other areas. I think they're already seeing this as a way to help farmers like you,” Ramos said.
By Aileen Garcia-Yap
Cebu Daily News – Enterprise
July 13, 2010
Organic farmers in Cebu City's hillylands plan to tap the growing market of Koreans in Cebu who number almost 50,000.
While local farmers look for ways to do this, they need the help of market operators and the government for linkages and farm equipment.
“We know that there are many Koreans here and most of them eat vegetables. We just need help, said farmer Aladin Pagatpat of barangay Sudlon, in Cebuano.
For now, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a corporate-led foundation, is teaching barangay farmers how to use natural fertilizers.
“But we also need help in selling our produce straight to the Koreans,” said Pagatpat, one of the farmer beneficiaries of PBSP.
The group known as Sufaltas or Sudlon Farmers Livelihood Training and Services Foundation, are in charge of 600 hectares of land and produce organically grown egglants, tomatoes and chili.
Pagatpat uses natural methods of fertilizing his one-hectare farm, like vermicast or worm waste.
Member farmers avoid using synthetic or chemical fertilizers and genetically modified organisms to influence the growth of crops.
However, their produce is “70 per cent organic” and not 100 per cent because some vegetables like lettuce still use inorganic fertilizers such as potassium fertilizers right before harvest to prevent pest attacks.
Vermicast - the waste of nightcrawler worms tended in the farm - is usually applied during the early stages of growth.
Farmers also scatter reject vegetables like tomatoes on the ground to provide additional nutrients to the soil.
The group is tapping the Korean Association of Groceries in Cebu which sells vegetables important to kimchi-loving Koreans like radish and Chinese pechay.
Aside from the Koreans, Pagatpat said farmers see a potential large demand for organic produce from establishments like hotels and restaurants in Cebu.
“There is a big demand but we haven’t really sat down to discuss this with them,” Pagatpat said.
He said farmers hope the new Agriculture Secretary would give attention to farmers like them who need three things from the new administration: assistance in farm equipment, capital support and market access.
“We need the farm equipment to help us handle our produce. If they can arrange to let us loan the equipment, similar to how it was done in the cold storage project, that would be good. Most of us don't have any capital. We hope the government can give us access to loans,” he said.
For market access, he suggested a similar setup as the Kumprahan Supermerkado in Mandaue City where farmers can sell their produce directly in a well-planned market without have to to deal with middlemen.
This empowers farmers to have control over how they price their produce.
Nonencio Arcayan of Batallion Irrigators, a farmers group in barangay Tabunan, said infrastructure support is also needed like roads to ease delivery of the farm products.
Jon Ramos, chief organizer of Kumprahan Supermerkado, told Pagatpat that he is leaving for Manila soon because Department of Agriculture executives want to talk to him about the business model of the Kumprahan Supermerkado.
“They want this concept to be duplicated in other areas. I think they're already seeing this as a way to help farmers like you,” Ramos said.
Organic farmers earn more, but still seek help
Organic farmers earn more, but still seek help
By Katlene O. Cacho
Sun.Star Cebu – Business
July 13, 2010
Increases in farm output and income are among the benefits the farmers of Sudlon II and Tabunan have been enjoying since they gradually shifted from the inorganic to the organic type of farming.
This has also opened the way for both barangays to become vegetable suppliers of Kumprahan Supermerkado, an innovative community store that provides products at market prices art Bridges Town Square in Mandaue City.
Aladin Pagatpat, 34, a farmer of Barangay Sudlon II, said organic farming has allowed him to reduce production costs and increase income at the same time.
“I normally spent P2,000 for the production and earned a net income P4,000. But when I shifted to organic farming, my production cost went down to P900 and I earned a net income of P4,100 every harvest,” said Pagatpat during the Organic Farm Tour last Saturday.
Demand
This increased income was due in part to increased demand for organic products, as well as the elimination of the middlemen in the selling process.
Pagatpat is a member of the Sudlon Farmers Livelihood and Training Services Association (Sufaltras). He owns a hectare of land planted with high-value crops like lettuce, beans and tomatoes, among others. He said his vegetables are 70 percent organic and 30 percent inorganic.
Capt. Pricillo Alborez of Sudlon II said Sudlon farmers have slowly shifted to organic farming because of the growing demand for a healthy lifestyle among consumers.
He said the technology intervention of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) has helped farmers improve the quality of their vegetables, which they supply to the market. Sudlon II has about 2,000 residents whose primary source of living is farming.
PBSP, Alborez said, introduced vermicomposting, a process of producing
organic fertilizer (vermicompost) from biodegradable materials with the help of earthworms.
PBSP is the largest corporate-led social development foundation in the Philippines. It is the first of its kind in Asia, leading the promotion and practice of corporate social responsibility.
Loans
Despite the benefits of organic farming, farmers of both areas still need full support from the government in terms of the supply of farm equipment, loans and market access.
“We hope the Aquino administration will extend its full support to the farmers, especially in helping us market our products directly to companies or restaurants without having to course these through the middlemen,” said Alborez.
The farmer-members of the Battalion Irrigators Association of Tabunan have likewise asked for support infrastructure like road improvements to help them transport their goods to the market.
Tabunan is estimated to be more than 30 kilometers away from JY Square in the city proper.
By Katlene O. Cacho
Sun.Star Cebu – Business
July 13, 2010
Increases in farm output and income are among the benefits the farmers of Sudlon II and Tabunan have been enjoying since they gradually shifted from the inorganic to the organic type of farming.
This has also opened the way for both barangays to become vegetable suppliers of Kumprahan Supermerkado, an innovative community store that provides products at market prices art Bridges Town Square in Mandaue City.
Aladin Pagatpat, 34, a farmer of Barangay Sudlon II, said organic farming has allowed him to reduce production costs and increase income at the same time.
“I normally spent P2,000 for the production and earned a net income P4,000. But when I shifted to organic farming, my production cost went down to P900 and I earned a net income of P4,100 every harvest,” said Pagatpat during the Organic Farm Tour last Saturday.
Demand
This increased income was due in part to increased demand for organic products, as well as the elimination of the middlemen in the selling process.
Pagatpat is a member of the Sudlon Farmers Livelihood and Training Services Association (Sufaltras). He owns a hectare of land planted with high-value crops like lettuce, beans and tomatoes, among others. He said his vegetables are 70 percent organic and 30 percent inorganic.
Capt. Pricillo Alborez of Sudlon II said Sudlon farmers have slowly shifted to organic farming because of the growing demand for a healthy lifestyle among consumers.
He said the technology intervention of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) has helped farmers improve the quality of their vegetables, which they supply to the market. Sudlon II has about 2,000 residents whose primary source of living is farming.
PBSP, Alborez said, introduced vermicomposting, a process of producing
organic fertilizer (vermicompost) from biodegradable materials with the help of earthworms.
PBSP is the largest corporate-led social development foundation in the Philippines. It is the first of its kind in Asia, leading the promotion and practice of corporate social responsibility.
Loans
Despite the benefits of organic farming, farmers of both areas still need full support from the government in terms of the supply of farm equipment, loans and market access.
“We hope the Aquino administration will extend its full support to the farmers, especially in helping us market our products directly to companies or restaurants without having to course these through the middlemen,” said Alborez.
The farmer-members of the Battalion Irrigators Association of Tabunan have likewise asked for support infrastructure like road improvements to help them transport their goods to the market.
Tabunan is estimated to be more than 30 kilometers away from JY Square in the city proper.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
'Bagsakan' opens in Mandaue
'Bagsakan' opens in Mandaue
By Rebelander S. Basilan
Sun.Star Cebu
July 11, 2010
THE desire to promote a healthy lifestyle among Cebuanos and uplift the lives of local farmers has led a young investor to organize an innovative community store in Mandaue City.
Jon Ramos opened last May what he claimed to be the “first community market in the Visayas and Mindanao that provides products at `merkado’ prices and freshness.”
The Kumprahan SuperMerkado at the Bridges Town Square in Barangay Alang-Alang seeks to offer local farmers the opportunity to enjoy higher profit and the public the opportunity to “buy directly from farmers.”
Ramos said the store will be a place where consumers can buy organic fruits and vegetables.
Going organic
“We are inviting people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and go organic,” he said.
“Kumprahan SuperMerkado is a community market or a ‘bagsakan’ for organically-grown produce in Cebu. Our profit here is only incidental. We want this to spur economic development in the province,” he said.
The store also offers consumers a community membership card, so they can enjoy discounts.
Ramos said he aims to provide a 200-square meter area, or equivalent to 10 stalls, in the store where farmers can directly sell their products to buyers.
He said he is working on a partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Tourism to promote the One Town One Product program.
Ramos and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a non-profit foundation, toured the media yesterday to the farms in Sudlon II and Tabunan, Cebu City.
Complaint
Nonencio Arcayan, who grows eggplants and flowers in Tabunan, lamented they don’t make enough profit selling in Carbon because of middlemen.
Ramos said the community market seeks to eliminate middlemen, who control the prices for the farmers’ produce.
Reggie Marie Barrientos, PBSP communications officer, said the foundation is committed to uplift the lives of farmers.
By Rebelander S. Basilan
Sun.Star Cebu
July 11, 2010
THE desire to promote a healthy lifestyle among Cebuanos and uplift the lives of local farmers has led a young investor to organize an innovative community store in Mandaue City.
Jon Ramos opened last May what he claimed to be the “first community market in the Visayas and Mindanao that provides products at `merkado’ prices and freshness.”
The Kumprahan SuperMerkado at the Bridges Town Square in Barangay Alang-Alang seeks to offer local farmers the opportunity to enjoy higher profit and the public the opportunity to “buy directly from farmers.”
Ramos said the store will be a place where consumers can buy organic fruits and vegetables.
Going organic
“We are inviting people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and go organic,” he said.
“Kumprahan SuperMerkado is a community market or a ‘bagsakan’ for organically-grown produce in Cebu. Our profit here is only incidental. We want this to spur economic development in the province,” he said.
The store also offers consumers a community membership card, so they can enjoy discounts.
Ramos said he aims to provide a 200-square meter area, or equivalent to 10 stalls, in the store where farmers can directly sell their products to buyers.
He said he is working on a partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Tourism to promote the One Town One Product program.
Ramos and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a non-profit foundation, toured the media yesterday to the farms in Sudlon II and Tabunan, Cebu City.
Complaint
Nonencio Arcayan, who grows eggplants and flowers in Tabunan, lamented they don’t make enough profit selling in Carbon because of middlemen.
Ramos said the community market seeks to eliminate middlemen, who control the prices for the farmers’ produce.
Reggie Marie Barrientos, PBSP communications officer, said the foundation is committed to uplift the lives of farmers.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Lady jeweler shines in Netherlands tilt
Lady jeweler shines in Netherlands tilt
By Juan Escandor Jr.
Inquirer Southern Luzon
July 3, 2010
NAGA CITY – A plan of a costume jewelry business here to expand and systematize direct selling through the e-commerce and local networking recently won an international competition.
Marianne Olaño, owner and designer of Baycrafts Jewelry, dislodged four other finalists in the category retail business for women coming from the so-called emerging markets, in the Women in Business Retail Prize during the international Business in Development Challenge (BiD) held in The Netherlands from May 28 to June 5.
Her proposed budget is 18,000 euros (P1.45 million).
This year’s competition included another finalist from the Philippines, one from Colombia and two from India.
For winning the top prize in the BiD’s international event, Olaño received a certificate and 10,000 euros (P570,000) which will be used to implement the business plan she developed to improve the sales of the microbusiness and help women in the locality earn additional income.
In an article written by Susan Randall for www.bidnetwork.org, she noted the Philippines as a role model in empowering women in business, saying that “several women from the Philippines attending the session found it hard to relate to some of the obstacles faced by women elsewhere. They said that in their country, women commonly held strong positions of leadership in companies, and didn’t face such high obstacles when starting their own business.”
Randall continued: “In fact, the Philippines has been consistently ranked in the top 10 of the Gender Gap Index over the last four years (6 of the top 10 ranked countries located in northern Europe), and is also the highest ranking in Asian country.
This index, which is published every year by the World Economic Forum, quantifies the efforts of countries in narrowing and eradication the gap between men and women, based on data measuring Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. Last year, the Philippines was one of only two countries in Asia (along with Mongolia) to have closed the gender gap on both health and education.”
Olaño, who arrived Sunday from Europe, was sponsored by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the BiD in The Netherlands.
“The BiD Challenge is an online business plan competition among enterprising ideas that combine profit with the improvement of living standards in a country,” according to an official release from the organizers.
Olaño says the main competition was the “pitch session” with three-member jury who grilled finalists for 30 minutes with their practical queries that tended to shoot the plan presented after a two-minute pitch.
She says she presented her two-minute pitch with her experience in putting up the Baycrafts Jewelry to the present selling strategy through e-commerce, trade fairs and direct selling.
Olaño explains her plan to harness the Internet through formalization of terms between direct sellers and the Baycrafts Jewelry regarding the products it sells, starting with website application where terms and conditions are stipulated for signing in to access other services like catalogues of products with brand and prices.
The information for members included other information like FAQ (frequently asked question) and other references, she adds.
Olaño estimates she still needs at least 8,000 euros (P456,000) to fully put her business plan in operation.
The plan includes expenses in updating and producing downloadable soft copy of the catalogue, ordering brand tags of the Baycrafts Jewelry, packaging materials and establishment of a center where she could conduct direct selling orientation for prospective women sellers.
She targets to provide incentives of 30-35 percent earnings to direct sellers of Baycrafts Jewelry products from the present earning incentive of 20 percent.
Olaño is the sole proprietor of Baycrafts Jewelry which she started four years ago after she quit her work in a department store in Manila and a media network.
She graduated cum laude in AB Development Communication at the Ateneo de Naga University in 1997 with a perspective to make it big in the media industry until she decided to shift career from news hen to an entrepreneur of custom-made jewelry using indigenous and synthetic materials such as pearls, wood, fiber, seeds, glass and crystals.
“We make one-of-a-kind fashion jewelry by buying beads from different sources and assembling them in our factory in Naga City. We also make our own components by mixing media such as seeds, textiles, fabric and etc.,” she reveals.
Olaño says her product market are women 30 years old and above who feel the need to become fashionable without busting their budget by the offer of the Baycrafts Jewelry’s one-of-a-kind accessories which are affordable and wearable.
At present, Baycrafts Jewelry has resellers in Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Baguio, Pangasinan, Leyte, Legazpi City and Iriga City as well as distributors in US, Canada and UK.
Olaño says with the business plan that won her the top prize in Women in Business Retail she hopes to grow from micro to medium enterprise by selling earrings, bracelets, necklaces, hair ornaments, rings and feet accessories.
By Juan Escandor Jr.
Inquirer Southern Luzon
July 3, 2010
NAGA CITY – A plan of a costume jewelry business here to expand and systematize direct selling through the e-commerce and local networking recently won an international competition.
Marianne Olaño, owner and designer of Baycrafts Jewelry, dislodged four other finalists in the category retail business for women coming from the so-called emerging markets, in the Women in Business Retail Prize during the international Business in Development Challenge (BiD) held in The Netherlands from May 28 to June 5.
Her proposed budget is 18,000 euros (P1.45 million).
This year’s competition included another finalist from the Philippines, one from Colombia and two from India.
For winning the top prize in the BiD’s international event, Olaño received a certificate and 10,000 euros (P570,000) which will be used to implement the business plan she developed to improve the sales of the microbusiness and help women in the locality earn additional income.
In an article written by Susan Randall for www.bidnetwork.org, she noted the Philippines as a role model in empowering women in business, saying that “several women from the Philippines attending the session found it hard to relate to some of the obstacles faced by women elsewhere. They said that in their country, women commonly held strong positions of leadership in companies, and didn’t face such high obstacles when starting their own business.”
Randall continued: “In fact, the Philippines has been consistently ranked in the top 10 of the Gender Gap Index over the last four years (6 of the top 10 ranked countries located in northern Europe), and is also the highest ranking in Asian country.
This index, which is published every year by the World Economic Forum, quantifies the efforts of countries in narrowing and eradication the gap between men and women, based on data measuring Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. Last year, the Philippines was one of only two countries in Asia (along with Mongolia) to have closed the gender gap on both health and education.”
Olaño, who arrived Sunday from Europe, was sponsored by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the BiD in The Netherlands.
“The BiD Challenge is an online business plan competition among enterprising ideas that combine profit with the improvement of living standards in a country,” according to an official release from the organizers.
Olaño says the main competition was the “pitch session” with three-member jury who grilled finalists for 30 minutes with their practical queries that tended to shoot the plan presented after a two-minute pitch.
She says she presented her two-minute pitch with her experience in putting up the Baycrafts Jewelry to the present selling strategy through e-commerce, trade fairs and direct selling.
Olaño explains her plan to harness the Internet through formalization of terms between direct sellers and the Baycrafts Jewelry regarding the products it sells, starting with website application where terms and conditions are stipulated for signing in to access other services like catalogues of products with brand and prices.
The information for members included other information like FAQ (frequently asked question) and other references, she adds.
Olaño estimates she still needs at least 8,000 euros (P456,000) to fully put her business plan in operation.
The plan includes expenses in updating and producing downloadable soft copy of the catalogue, ordering brand tags of the Baycrafts Jewelry, packaging materials and establishment of a center where she could conduct direct selling orientation for prospective women sellers.
She targets to provide incentives of 30-35 percent earnings to direct sellers of Baycrafts Jewelry products from the present earning incentive of 20 percent.
Olaño is the sole proprietor of Baycrafts Jewelry which she started four years ago after she quit her work in a department store in Manila and a media network.
She graduated cum laude in AB Development Communication at the Ateneo de Naga University in 1997 with a perspective to make it big in the media industry until she decided to shift career from news hen to an entrepreneur of custom-made jewelry using indigenous and synthetic materials such as pearls, wood, fiber, seeds, glass and crystals.
“We make one-of-a-kind fashion jewelry by buying beads from different sources and assembling them in our factory in Naga City. We also make our own components by mixing media such as seeds, textiles, fabric and etc.,” she reveals.
Olaño says her product market are women 30 years old and above who feel the need to become fashionable without busting their budget by the offer of the Baycrafts Jewelry’s one-of-a-kind accessories which are affordable and wearable.
At present, Baycrafts Jewelry has resellers in Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Baguio, Pangasinan, Leyte, Legazpi City and Iriga City as well as distributors in US, Canada and UK.
Olaño says with the business plan that won her the top prize in Women in Business Retail she hopes to grow from micro to medium enterprise by selling earrings, bracelets, necklaces, hair ornaments, rings and feet accessories.
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