SM Foundation offers training program to GenSan farmers

Manila, Philippines -  SM Foundation launched its 43rd Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan farmers’ training program in Barangay Ligaya, General Santos City even as the following week, farmer-beneficiaries who comprised the 40th batch of KSK trainees finished their training in barangay Gordon Heights, Olongapo City.

Present during the program launch in General Santos City were Merlinda Donasco, city agriculturist; Jocelyn Misteryo from the Department of Agriculture - Regional Field Unit XII; Romy Pagaduan, chairperson of Brgy. Ligaya; Eduardo Leyson IV, city councilor; Debby Go, AVP for operations (Mindanao); Cristie Angeles, AVP for livelihood and outreach program of SM Foundation, and Arsenio Barcelona, president of Harbest Agribusiness Corp.

Meanwhile the 40th KSK farmer-beneficiaries, residents of barangays Gordon Heights, Baretto and Sta. Rita in Olongapo had their graduation with Marven Paul Mecate, project officer of SM Foundation; Arsenio Barcelona, president of Harbest Agribusiness, Corp.; Nyneth Mortel, P.R. officer of SM City Olongapo; Cristie Angeles, AVP of SM Foundation; Theresa Pereyra, branch manager of SM Supermarket Olongapo gracing the occasion. 

A harvest festival was also held with a one-day sale of harvested crops at the SM City Olongapo. The crops included fruits such as honeydew and watermelon; and vegetables like bitter gourd, sponge gourd, common gourd, eggplant, string beans and tomatoes.

KSK General Santos

Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan farmers training program is one of the livelihood programs of SM Foundation. It was launched by SM Foundation in 2007 in Bacolod City to provide farmers with the training and technology to maximize production and improve the quality of their harvests.

Since then several training programs have been conducted nationwide. Farmer participants are taught the dual-tech approach by KSK trainors.

Aside from teaching the farmer-participants the rudiments of vegetable farming like land and crop selection, seed sowing, plant nutrition, pest control and farm management, trainees are also taught accounting principles in farming, the importance of records keeping, financial reports, credit facilities available to farmers and marketing their farm produce.