With the large number of conglomerates in the country, there are no shortage of philanthropic activities that give back to their communities. Yet unlike most, the Aboitiz Group takes its company-wide transformation from conglomerate to “techglomerate” to heart. This Great Transformation to integrate technology to provide for the Filipino people in sustainable, efficient, and economically viable ways is implemented in every subsidiary of the company, especially its most critical one, the Aboitiz Foundation.
The Aboitiz Foundation has been committed to its mission of helping people help themselves and pursuing its vision to be the neighbor of choice. It focuses its CSR efforts on education, enterprise development, and the environment with the goal of co-creating safe, empowered, and sustainable communities. Its initiatives have evolved from CSR 1.0, which involves simple philanthropic activities, to CSR 2.0, which implements projects that are more sustainable for its beneficiaries and at the same time aligned to its businesses. This renewed focus calls on the Group to scale up CSR strategies beyond doing good to building good communities together. As part of Aboitiz Foundation’s drive to integrate technology just like its parent company, it hopes to pay it forward in a meaningful way, providing its beneficiaries with the educational training to digitize and expand their businesses.
Digitizing farmers’ businesses through e-commerce
One such example is through its Byaheng Digiskarte initiative. ‘Digiskarte’, a portmanteau of the words ‘digital’ and ‘diskarte’, which means adjusting business strategies using digital tools and innovation. in order to ably respond to changes and challenges. The idea echoes Aboitiz Group’s Great Transformation journey which harnesses the power of innovation and technology to help individuals and businesses adapt to a tech-centered future.
Conceived for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) drastically affected by the pandemic, the mentoring program helps farmers by giving them the means and know-how to market their goods online.
Through the collaboration of Aboitiz Foundation Inc., AboitizPower subsidiary Hedcor Inc., UnionBank, Session Groceries, One Concord Food Solutions, and SG Farmers Association, Inc., ‘Byaheng Digiskarte’ made its way to Benguet to offer resilient enterprises to small time business owners. Among the mentoring sessions and capacity building training are courses such as digital marketing techniques and how to build a digital presence so they can expand their business online.
Girlie Sahoy, a farmer from Benguet and president of SG Farmers Association, Inc., was among those who benefits from Aboitiz Foundation Inc.’s ‘Byaheng Digiskarte’ mentoring program. She invested in a 30 sq.m. farmland in Balili, La Trinidad and sold their produce in the market nearby, just before the pandemic hit. The program became a silver lining for Girlie and her fellow farmers, opening many livelihood opportunities and helping them become successful online agri-preneurs.
“As a farmer po, hindi kami natuto sa online at technology kaya nung sumali kami sa Session Groceries, tinuruan nila kami na gumamit ng mga gadgets katulad ng cellphone… na hindi namin ginagamit as our transaction for our business. (At first it was difficult to transact orders online because we didn’t know how. As a farmer, we didn’t learn online and technology so when we joined Session Groceries, they taught us how to use gadgets such as cell phones, which we initially didn’t use as a mode of transaction for our business.),” said Girlie.
Through the mentoring program, Girlie was able to sell farm products both face-to-face and online, and find a way to expand her business amid the challenges brought by the pandemic. She, along with her siblings, are now able to start acquiring land in Tublay, Benguet where they hope to expand their agri-business.
“We came up with the project ‘Byaheng Digiskarte’ because we want to help agri and non-agri MSMEs and Cooperatives overcome their daily challenges by using mobile phones, internet, social media, and e-commerce platforms. We believe that the disruptions in all industries happened in the digital space. Therefore, to adjust the strategies and tactics to optimize the digital platforms and spaces is our way forward, our ‘diskarte.’ Digiskarte is using digital tools, approaches and innovations in doing business,” said Aboitiz Foundation President and COO Maribeth L. Marasigan.
Adding value and expanding capability
Byaheng Digiskarte isn’t simply for marketing products. The program also includes mentoring courses on how to expand one’s products or further processing them to make higher value goods. It uses technology to capacitate and empower farmers to manage their own agri-businesses.
One such beneficiary was Emilia Kio-an, a member of SG farmers Association and owner of Alredo’s Farm in Benguet. As one of the project’s beneficiaries, the association was provided with a food processing facility and its members also received training courses, starter kits and equipment. Through the project, Emilia was able to expand her line of products beyond fresh farm produce and optimize her income.
After a series of training sessions under the program, Emilia began developing and selling ampalaya tea and ampalaya pickles, in addition to farm products like ampalaya, french beans, lemon grass, turmeric and pandan leaves.To reduce food waste and extend the life of their farm produce, Emilia and fellow farmers made processed products such as ampalaya tea and ampalaya pickles from their harvests.
“Nung nag-training kami imbes na itapon, kinuha namin yung mga ‘patapon’ at yun yung pino-proseso namin kaya walang nasasayang. Imbes na masayang, nadagdagan ang produkto naming. (When we were training, instead of throwing away, we got what was to be discarded and processed it so nothing went to waste. Instead of having waste, we now have more products),” she said.
Through the project, Emilia and fellow agri-preneurs were also able to go beyond local market stalls and serve a broader range of customers by opening their own online shops through Session Groceries, an e-commerce platform which connects farmers to sellers and delivers products to clients’ doorsteps.
Orders are made through the platform and farmers are immediately prompted for new orders. They then harvest the crops and arrange delivery to the doorsteps of customers from Benguet, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Metro Manila.
Encouraging banking literacy
Another first which Byaheng Digiskarte provided for the agri-preneurs was how to open their very first bank accounts through UnionBank that allow seamless online transactions with customers and help them manage their finances. The new bank accounts allowed for easier, contactless payment transactions, and more ways to manage their finances.
With a physical and online market, new food processing facilities, and an online bank account, the agri-preneurs are able to grow their business and are now more equipped to adapt to changing times, ready for an emerging digital future.
Indeed there are many philantrophic activities out there that generously provide. But perhaps the best contribution a company can make is to empower a community’s means livelihood, making it not only a viable source of income, but one resilient enough to withstand any challenges in the future.
‘Byaheng Digiskarte’ is a flagship project of the Enterprise Development Program of Aboitiz Foundation. The cooperative mentoring program, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Department of Agriculture (DA) and various mentor partners now has over 85 partner farmer-MSMEs in Benguet under the SG Farmers Association, Inc. Its partners include AboitizPower subsidiary Hedcor Inc., UnionBank, Session Groceries, One Concord Food Solutions, and SG Farmers Association, Inc.