BONGABON, Nueva Ecija – Some 73 farmers from two barangays of this town graduated from 14-week long agri-training program that taught them basic and advanced organic farming techniques and agripreneurship under the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) of the SM Foundation, Inc. (SMFI) on March 11.

Cristie Angeles, assistant vice president of SMFI, said the program doesn’t end on their graduation, rather it’s just the start for their continuous support: “Gusto naming kayong makitang magtagumpay at ito ang inyong simula”. ("We want to see you succeed and this is your beginning".)
Angeles said, to further boost this multi-stakeholder approach, SMFI strengthened its partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in 2019 to provide scholarship grants focusing on Organic Agriculture Production NCII and Agricultural Crop Production NCII to almost 1,500 KSK beneficiaries nationwide.
Ian Ezekiel Balao, SM Regional Operations Manager, said that SM will also be 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 farmers’ 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,” Balao said.