SOUTH COTABATO, PHILIPPINES – The Federation of Free Farmers South Cotabato in Surallah, South Cotabato was established in 1972, working on agrarian issues of farmers. Like many organizations, it experienced its share of struggles in keeping their organization active. They transformed themselves into a cooperative in the 1980s up to the 2000s but failed to […]
“Pangarap na talaga (namin) na lumikha ng sariling pagkain. (We have long dreamed of producing our own food.)” said Rodrigo “Digo” Belleza, leader of the Malaya Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (MFAC). Kuya Digo was referring to the small scale miners’ dream of shifting from mining to sustainable agriculture. The establishment of the MFAC and their purchase […]
The farmer leaders of Maligaya Agricultural Marketing Cooperative (MAMC) in San Miguel, Bulacan, take pride in becoming “mga siyentistang magsasaka” or farmer scientists and farmer technicians. Their journey began in 2009 when, as 33 agrarian reform beneficiaries, they established the Maligaya Farmers Association. Eventually, the Department of Agrarian Reform influenced the organization to become a […]