SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Batch 216 held its Harvest Festival at St. Isidore “The Farmer” Learning Center, Inc. in Sta. Ana, Pampanga Last December 17, 2019 with the graduation ceremony occurring at SM City Pampanga in San Fernando City. Among the graduates are indigenous people from the Aeta community of Sitio Pidpid and Barangay Sapang-uwak in Porac, Pampanga.
Launched at St. Isidore “The Farmer” Learning Center, Inc. in Sta. Ana, Pampanga, this KSK batch is a collaborative program of SM Foundation, together with Region III’s Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU), St. Isidore “The Farmer” Learning Center Inc., SM Supermalls, and SM Markets.
Unlike previous KSK farmers’ training programs, Batch 216 consisted of different groups who underwent training in TESDA sites. A group of 70 participants took the regular KSK 12 week-long training program in San Isidro, Sta. Ana, Pampanga.
Other trainees took the Organic Agriculture Production NC II in other KSK TESDA sites: 20 in Sto. Rosario, Sta. Ana, Pampanga; 25 in Sitio Pidpid and 25 in Barangay Sapang-Uwak, Porac; and 25 in Barangay Anon, Floridablanca. In Bamban, Tarlac, 58 took the Agri-crop Production NC III.
TESDA accredited learning centers/farm schools St. Isidore “The Farmer” learning Center, Inc. and Mills Farm trained the participants for TESDA Organic Agriculture Production NC II.
Meanwhile, Castro Agritechture Farm School trained those in Bamban, Tarlac for TESDA Agri-crop Production NC III.
Through the training, participants learn capacity building, business values, simple accounting and post-harvesting handling. Possible markets for the farmers’ produce are identified and tapped by project partners for better livelihood opportunities.
