BOAC, MARINDUQUE – The DSWD Field Office MIMAROPA showcased and promoted the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) products made solely by the program participants in the biggest annual exposition of the province, Marinduque Expo 2024: An Agri-Tourism Trade Fair at Moriones Arena, San Miguel, Boac, Marinduque last March 18-31.
The trade exposition is part of the celebration of the Moriones Lenten Rites which started in 1998 and is held yearly during Holy Week. Participated by 80 local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and beneficiaries of various government agencies, it aims to showcase and promote the products and services of the MSMEs in the province and provides an avenue for the local government to support and help them in vending their services and locally produced products to attain sustainability.
Nagkakaisang Mamamayan SLP Association, Baliis Farmers Agriculture Cooperative, and 19 individual program participants represented the SLP booth where it displayed dried fish products, pasalubong goodies such as arrowroot cookies, peanut butter, buko pie and juice, ginger tea, yema, bukayo, taro and banana chips, handicrafts such as buri basket and hat, buntal bags, tote bags, lampshade, curtains, bedsheets and many others. The booth earned a total sales of Php 14,804.00.
Simultaneously, the first quarterly consultation dialogue with partners – Agricultural Communities International Foundation Inc. (AGREA), Marinduque Council for Environmental Concern (MACEC), and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) was also transpired last March 26-27. This initiative aims to collate engagement with partner stakeholders, manage and sustain partnership activities, and develop collaborative interventions that will positively contribute to the program implementation.
The activity was attended by Jullie Kaye F. Diamante, Regional Partnership Officer, Francisco R. Porlay Jr., Regional Training Officer, Adonis T. Analista, SLP Provincial Coordinator, and the partner stakeholders – Agricultural Communities International Foundation Inc. (AGREA), Marinduque Council for Environmental Concern (MACEC), and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
As an agreement, the AGREA offered their current programs and services in providing hard and soft capability-building activities through their farm schools/learning sites. They also committed to assist in establishing product promotion and linkages to the market, link qualified beneficiaries to other vocational and technical institutions for employable skills and employment opportunities, provide logistical support, and conduct joint monitoring and assessment of the SLP projects.
Thereafter, the PCIC opened their programs and services to be availed by the SLP participants through the provision of capability-building activities related to their programs and insurance protection for their agricultural assets.
Further, the MACEC also committed to provide related capability seminars and training, assistance in the facilitation of the formation of identified core groups for livelihood interventions, and logistical support for program activities.
In conclusion, DSWD MIMAROPA together with the partner stakeholders agreed to enter a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to formalize partnership engagements which will be finalized through a follow-up meeting.
Contributor: Arjay Historillo, SLP Provincial Partnership Officer
