PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN – DSWD MIMAROPA joins in the launching of the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan on Sustainable Agriculture Program (KSK-SAP), today July 19, 2024 at SM Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
The partnership is made possible by SM Foundation, Inc., together with the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Local Government Unit of Puerto Princesa, Moca Family Farm RLearning Center, Inc., SM Markets and SM City Puerto Princesa.
This initiative aims to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to become successful farmer-entrepreneurs, contributing to the sustainability of agriculture and ensuring food security.
The identified KSK farmer beneficiaries will undergo a two-phased program spearheaded by its partner school, Moca Family Farm RLearning Center, Inc.
Present during the launching is DSWD MIMAROPA Regional Director Leonardo C. Reynoso, together with Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) officers from the Regional Program Management Office (RPMO) and Provincial Office, and representatives from each partner agency in the government and private sectors.
A day before the launch, representatives from SLP, SM Foundation, Inc., and the City Agriculture Office (CAO) conducted site visits in Brgy Kamuning and Inagawagan to verify if the identified training sites provided by the barangay government unit qualify for the requirements – at least 400 – 500 sqm and have a water source and lecture area.
Site visits to Brgy. Manalo and Maoyan are to be scheduled.
The SM’s KSK-SAP, benefitting 100 SLP participants (local farmers) from the said four barangays of the city, kicks off with an immersive 14-week training program from July to October, designed to empower and equip farmer’s agricultural practices and explore avenues for sustainable growth. The modular training curriculum covers topics on the latest agri-technology updates, capacity building, values formation, business values, financial literacy, product marketing and development, market linkages, and agriprenuership.
After the training, the DSWD MIMAROPA, through the Sustainable Livelihood Program will provide seed capital funds to the farmer-beneficiaries intended for the procurement of raw materials, agricultural tools, and service facilities necessary for establishing each micro-enterprise. The SLP will also organize the farmers into associations, conduct capacity building, social entrepreneurial skills workshop, and business plan proposal-making, provide livelihood intervention following the program’s guidelines, and assist in monitoring the progress of the project.
