The primary goals of Sugar Industry Foundation’s (SIFI) Livelihood Pillar are the development and strengthening of cooperatives & agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) organizations, while supporting sustainable enterprises through organizational and skills training, capacity building, and providing financial assistance.
The SIFI Livelihood in conjunction with Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) through its Project PEACE conducted an On-site Financial Literacy Values Education and Livelihood Policy Formulation Training-Workshop participated by leaders and members of ARB organizations in the months of July and August 2022.
Project PEACE or Partnership for Empowerment, Advancement, and Continuing Education (PEACE) of Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) is a partnership between SIFI and CHMSU.
The training-workshop was conducted by Rhoderick K. Samonte, Director for External Affairs of CHMSU, and co-lecturer Dexter Ian M. Tabujara, NSTP Director of University of St. La Salle. The activity was organized by SIFI Livelihood Officer Cristina May C. Poblador.
A total of 112 participants from Victor U. Lopez ARC, Brgy. DSB Pontevedra, Camandag Rice and Sugar Farmers Association, Brgy. Camandag, La Castellana, Balogo Farmers Association, Brgy. Concepcion, Talisay, San Antonio De Padua ARB Association, Brgy. La Granja, La Carlota participated in the event.
On a training material created by Dir. Samonte, the one-day training workshop aimed to give the participants the essential knowledge and skills that will enable them to fully participate in financial decision-making and management in their respective cooperatives, as well as develop a good business model based on sound principles and best practices in financial literacy.
The training-workshop also aims to help the participants to design policies, procedures, and standards that will guide all members in the conduct of managing their finances vis-à-vis their livelihoods.
Directors Samonte and Tabujara focused on reviewing each ARBO’s current financial practices and crafting of basic financial policy guidelines for the organization. They also discussed basic financial policy guidelines which the ARB members presented during a discussion – presentation session.
The last part of the workshop focused on identifying gaps and ways on moving forward. Directors Samonte and Tabujara concluded the training-workshop with a synthesis and evaluation of the learnings and inputs during the workshop.
SIFI’s livelihood pillar focuses on projects that can help and augment the income of the agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations and sugarcane farm workers especially during the “tiempo muerto” season.
