Bongabon, Nueva Ecija – “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” This is what SM Foundation (SMFI) believes in as it touches the lives of farmers across the country through its Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) on sustainable agriculture program.
On Friday (March 11), 73 locals from Brgy. Peza and Brgy. Ariendo in Bongabon graduated from 14-week long agri-training program that taught them basic and advanced organic farming techniques and agripreneurship.
SMFI AVP Cristie Angeles said that the program doesn’t end on their graduation, rather it’s just a start for their continuous support: “Gusto naming kayong makitang magtagumpay at ito ang inyong simula”.
Ian Ezekiel Balao SM Regional Operations Manager said that SM will also giving more opportunities to KSK graduates through the upcoming KSK Pop-up Booth wherein farmers can sell their produce.
“We are opening our doors to ensure the productivity and sustainability to support in uplifting our farmer’s way of living through this KSK Pop-Up Booth. This program component did not only ensure food security of SM customers but it also provided economic opportunities during this challenging time” said Balao.
To further boost this multi-stakeholder approach, SMFI strengthened its partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in 2019 – which provided scholarship grants focusing on Organic Agriculture Production NCII and Agricultural Crop Production NCII to almost 1,500 KSK beneficiaries nationwide. Sheen Eugenio/SM-PR
