The Aboitiz Group, through its corporate social responsibility arm Aboitiz Foundation and food unit Pilmico, committed to sustain farm livelihood projects for farmers and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in Iligan, a move that will be supported through close coordination with local government unit (LGU).
In a statement, Aboitiz Group said it has been assisting farmers in Iligan to be efficient agriculture entrepreneurs and create a more sustainable livelihood.
To be specific, the group is assisting Marawi Baloi Farmers Association and Hindang Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC) through the Inclusive Agribusiness Project (IAP).
“Through this inclusive agri-business project, the Aboitiz Foundation is committed to further help Marawi Baloi Farmers Association and Hindang MPC to attain organizational sustainability and scale up their production, taking advantage of the significant demand for yellow corn,” said Aboitiz Foundation President and COO Maribeth Marasigan said.
“Most importantly, together with our partners Pilmico Foods Corporation and Go Negosyo, we intend to contribute to achieving sustained income for their members, which will lead to an improvement in their quality of life and well-being,” she added.
To ensure the sustainability of IAP, Aboitiz Group partnered with the City Agriculture Office of Iligan City to provide skills training and updates on farming technologies.
The company is also closely working with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) to monitor the organizational performance of the cooperative.
Through the IAP, the Foundation and Pilmico donated farm equipment to Hindang Farmers to help increase their production volume and meet market demands.
The Aboitiz Foundation also donated a corn sheller for the Marawi-Baloi farmers in Nangka, Baloi, Lanao del Norte under the ‘Angat Lahat sa Agribusiness’ or ALAB.
Pilmico is one of the institutional markets that purchase yellow corn produce directly from the Hindang Banana Farmers MPC, which received a corn sheller, a moisture checker, PVC tarps, a weighing scale, and other farm inputs that the farmers can use in their crop production.
It was in 2018 when Aboitiz Foundation, together with Go Negosyo, Pilmico, and the Department of Agriculture, started ALAB, a livelihood development project for Marawi’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
ALAB is a business incubation program that identifies and directly addresses the needs of selected cooperatives and associations, while also providing them the support needed in order for them to scale up.
At the end of the ALAB program, the cooperatives and associations will be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and tools to become successful agripreneurs, creating a positive change in the Philippine agriculture sector.
The enterprise development program of Aboitiz Foundation supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth as it continues to empower cooperative members with effective organizational management and technical skills, financial and infrastructure support, and access to markets to help grow and expand their businesses.
Since 2016, the Aboitiz Foundation has extended over P90 million in enterprise development assistance to its beneficiaries nationwide.