For 65-year-old Francisca "Nanay Fran" Somejo Rimalos, learning never ends. A dedicated farmer since her teenage years, Nanay Fran understands the vital role farming plays in ensuring local and regional food security and uplifting communities.
Nanay Fran is one of the 32 women corn farmers who recently completed the GrowHer Training of Trainers by the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA). This training is a key part of the ASEAN Green Recovery through Equity and Empowerment (AGREE) Project, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and implemented by Grow Asia through its Country Chapters in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam.
Despite her 50 years of farming experience, Nanay Fran found the training to be an empowering experience, opening her eyes to new techniques and technologies that could enhance her farm's productivity and sustainability.
“I was already practicing some of the methods on my farm, but during the training, I realized there were still things that I didn't know. We gained new ideas that can help us in farming. We learned not just one, two, three, or five new skills but received holistic training that can really help us,” said Nanay Fran.
EMPOWERING WOMEN TO LEAD
In 2022, PPSA conducted a Gender and Climate Study to take a closer look at the corn fields in Mindanao. The study showed that empowering women farmers as climate champions and decision makers drives growth in the agriculture sector and helps communities thrive. Building on these insights, PPSA piloted an initiative that will enable women farmers to become climate champions.
“As women farmers, we play a role in informing the farmers in our communities. It’s a big thing for farmers when we are able to provide them vital information and knowledge that will help them understand and prepare for the challenges of El Niño,” said 69-year old Evangeline ‘Nanay Vangie’ Frasco, one of the GrowHer Trainees and a farmer leader from Mantibugao, Bukidnon.
Nanay Vangie highlighted that because of climate change, farmers struggle to predict the weather and plan their planting schedules. She is grateful that PPSA and the GrowHer Training of Trainers gave them a new vision on their role as women farmers and shared new technologies and information that can help them understand climate change and address its challenges.
The training equipped them with knowledge and skills on farm and production planning, intercropping, Integrated Nutrient Management, Integrated Pest Management, Water Management, digital tools for agripreneurship, and the impacts of climate change on agricultural production. The training was supported by IDRC and PPSA’s members and partners Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), Cargill Philippines, Corteva Agriscience, Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Credit Policy Council (DA-ACPC), East-West Seed Foundation Philippines, Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, Isabela State University, Nestlé Philippines, and PLDT & Smart Communications, Inc.
“The training has a profound impact for us personally, both as farmer leaders and women farmers. When we share information with our fellow women farmers, they not only apply it on their own farms but also pass on the knowledge to their husbands. As women farmer leaders, it is important for us to implement these practices in our own farms, demonstrating their effectiveness and encouraging others to do the same,” said Nanay Vangie.
The women farmers also received a technology and connectivity package from PLDT and Smart which included a smartphone, a Smart Bro Pocket WiFi device, and Smart Prepaid load cards to provide access to digital technologies, build digital capabilities, and boost their livelihood.
"Empowering women farmers with the tools and knowledge to become climate champions is essential for the sustainability and resilience of our agriculture sector. Through the GrowHer Training of Trainers, we are witnessing firsthand how education and technology can transform these women farmers into leaders who drive climate-smart practices and innovation,” said PPSA Programs Manager Monica Milano.
A CLIMATE-RESILIENT FUTURE
After their training, the women farmers went back to their communities to apply these practices in their own farms and pass on their knowledge and skills to their peers, effectively multiplying the impact of the training they received.
One of the GrowHer Trainees, Maureen Ann ‘Ate Mau’ Gervacio Blancad is a farmer-influencer from Tuguegarao, Cagayan. Through her vlogs and livestreams, Ate Mau shared her learnings to other farmers.
“I shared it through my Facebook page, so that what we learned from the training can also be shared with other farmers. I have many followers who are farmers from different places. They also expressed their gratitude because they have learned something from the GrowHer training,” shared Ate Mau.
Ate Mau also shared that limited access to water is one of the main problems in their area. Through the training, she learned about drip irrigation and mulching which can help manage water efficiently and help retain moisture in the soil. Ate Mau is grateful for opportunities like the GrowHer Training of Trainers that empower them to improve their farming practices and their resilience to climate change. She dreams of one day transforming her farm into an integrated farm school that will showcase sustainable farming practices to other farmers.
“There are many challenges for women farmers like me, such as climate change. I hope we continue to persevere. In our time, agriculture is not just for men but for women as well. I hope we can also cultivate love for farming in our children. Agriculture is extremely important in people's lives,” said Ate Mau.
Empowered women farmers like Nanay Fran, Nanay Vangie, and Ate Mau are not just cultivating crops—they are sowing the seeds of a sustainable future for generations to come. As we look to the future, the hope is that these women will continue to lead the charge in creating resilient and thriving agriculture communities. Their leadership is crucial in facing the challenges of climate change, ensuring food security, and fostering an inclusive and sustainable agriculture sector.
The AGREE Project, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), is implemented by Grow Asia through its Country Chapters in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. Learn more about the project here.
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