SM Foundation farmer’s training in Laoag: A harvest that keeps on giving

Since its inception in 2007, the SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan on Sustainable Agriculture program has been striving to help uplift farmers from vulnerable communities. The program recently celebrated the 14-week training of 100 farmers from Laoag.

The agriculture sector in the Philippines continues to demonstrate growth, according to the Department of Agriculture. As of November 2023, the sector employed around 25 percent of the country’s 49.7 million labor force. It also contributed nine percent to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the previous year.

Since its inception in 2007, the SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) on Sustainable Agriculture program has been striving to uplift farmers from vulnerable communities. The program has equipped farmers with modern farming techniques and entrepreneurial skills to boost their capabilities. 

Among the recent graduates are 100 farmers from Laoag, Ilocos Norte. After completing a 14-week training program, they are now better prepared to address challenges and seize opportunities in the agricultural sector.

Ferdinand Claro, one of the recent graduates, shared how the program has transformed their approach to farming. “Before KSK, we were simply reacting to problems as they came—no plan, no strategy. Floods and strong winds would wipe out what little we had during typhoons,” he said.

The training covered sustainable farming techniques such as organic practices, crop rotation, and climate-resilient strategies, alongside essential business skills like financial literacy, bookkeeping, and marketing.

With these new skills, farmers are scaling up operations and diversity into livestock farming. This is set to be supported by a two million seed capital, recently turned over in Laoag by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The grant, distributed collectively among the associations, will be used to build animal shelters, purchase livestock, and procure animal feed, enabling farmers to diversify their income sources.

Representatives from SM Foundation, DSWD, and the government of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte turnover the P2 million seed capital that aims to enable the new KSK farmers to diversify their agribusiness. In photo are Ilocos Norte first district representative Sandro Marcos and SM Foundation AVP for livelihood and outreach Cristie Angeles.

With the combined support, the new batches were able to establish their farmer’s associations. They are now selling fresh produce in their communities, with one association earning P8,000 from their demo farm. 

Apart from selling in local markets, they are set to supply fresh goods to the DSWD’s Zero Hunger Program in Laoag, a hunger mitigation and nutrition security initiative.

KSK farmers learned wide array of topics, from modern farming techniques to essential business skills to boost their capabilities.

Full circle: From KSK trainee to trainer 

John Lei Ganiron, the trainer of the batch, is a former KSK graduate. 

An electronics and communications engineer (ECE), he left his telecommunications career to return to his farming roots in Ilocos Norte. Motivated by his father's hard work as a farmer to support their family and his education, he chose to continue his family’s livelihood.

From KSK Trainee to KSK Trainer: Joh Lei Ganiron (third from left) joins the moving forward ceremony at the Mariano Marcos State University with SM City Laoag Assistant Mall Manager Gian Carlo Quiaoit, St. Isidore’s Program Coordinator and former KSK alumna Emma Tolentino and SM Foundation’s Angeles (first, second, and fourth from left).

"My father's sacrifices as a farmer, working hard to support our family and send me to engineering school, inspired me deeply. I wanted to honor his dedication by giving back to the farming community and sharing new knowledge with fellow farmers,” he said.

Determined to learn, he joined the KSK program in 2015. There, he discovered a broader vision of farming that combined sustainable agricultural practices, agripreneurship, ecological stewardship, and community development. 

After graduating from the program, he applied what he had learned to their family farm while establishing one of the first TESDA-accredited farm business schools in Ilocos Norte.

Now, as a KSK trainer, John Lei has come full circle, witnessing the graduation of his students–his fellow KSK farmers. 

The new KSK farmers from Laoag scale up after graduation, preparing to sell fresh produce in local markets and supply vegetables for DSWD’s Zero Hunger Program in their city.

The KSK farmers in Laoag are contributing to the SM Foundation’s mission of uplifting communities. The new batch focuses on supporting programs that address food and nutrition, while KSK alumnus John Lei shares modern farming techniques with fellow farmers, reflecting the foundation's commitment to social good.

The recent KSK is conducted in partnership with SM Supermalls, DSWD, DTI, DOST, DA, DOLE, TESDA, and the Local Government of Laoag City.