Backed by the local government and private institutions, with topography and climate suitable for cultivating coffee, the farmers of Soccsksargen, which comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City, continue to produce the highest volume of coffee in the country. And now, it is looking to stake its claim […]
When the supertyphoon Odette hit the town of Malimono in Surigao del Norte in December 2021, the damage was devastating: 5,856 families were affected, and 2,686 houses were destroyed, not to mention millions of pesos worth of damage to infrastructure and agriculture. “Odette caused severe damage to our area,” Malimono councilor Marianne Marina Escaño said. […]
For her family’s daily water supply, Melba Acotanza, a resident of barangay Concepcion in Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay, relied on the existing water system in their area for years. But water tanks are sometimes empty, which means they have to buy gallons of water from private suppliers. “Kapag walang ulan ng isang linggo, nawawalan ng tubig. […]
In an endless expanse of gold and green along the plains of Guimba, rice farmers are working double time work on the fields. To them, the exposure to the sizzling summer heat is just a small price to pay for their long-awaited fruits of labor. This cycle’s harvest is pivotal for the farmers: the current […]
On its 21st founding anniversary on November 29, 2022, the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) awarded the Marissa Camacho Legacy Fund (MCLF) to Kabuhayan sa Ganap na Kasarinlan Credit and Savings Cooperative (KCOOP). The Marissa Camacho Legacy Fund is a Php22 million fund for advancing women entrepreneurship and supporting social enterprise innovation, youth leadership, and […]
In an endless expanse of gold and green along the plains of Guimba, rice farmers are getting ready for the harvest. To them, the exposure to the sizzling summer heat is just a small price to pay for long-awaited fruits of their labor. The harvest season may have been a festival of sorts as imagined […]
Sitio “Bagong Buhay” is the name of the village where Flushiela Mae Hupayan, 22, resides. Located in the upland area of Pangantucan, Bukidnon, the sitio is home to a sizable population of indigenous people’s (IP) community, including the Manobo tribe, where she belongs. Most of the households are engaged in farming, with coffee, abaca, and […]
From his house in an upland neighborhood high above the mountains, Carlo Casenillas, 23, traveled by foot to his school in Pangantucan Bukidnon Community College. It is a 1.5-kilometer trek that takes about an hour. That was months ago, as he finally graduated in June 2022. As a member of the Manobo tribe, one of […]
Because of its vibrant coffee industry, Sultan Kudarat is dubbed as the “Robusta Capital of the Philippines.” While coffee farming in the province is powered by farmers who have been planting coffee trees for decades, a new generation of coffee growers are emerging to take the reins. One of them is the leader of an […]