The Curious Mom

Limited market information and market access are two major obstacles to increased smallholder farmers’ income. According to studies, farmers in grassroots communities often lack access to profitable, value-added markets. In the absence of critical supporting functions, such as infrastructure and service provision – farmers struggle to transform their traditional subsistence farms into a feasible commercially oriented production. Buyers, on the other hand, such as wholesalers, find it difficult to get the quantity and quality of products that they need for processing on a timely basis.

Because of this challenge, SM Foundation collaborated with various government agencies and engaged various SM business units such as the SM Development Corp. (SMDC), SM Supermalls, and SM Markets to ensure that local farmers under the Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan (KSK) program have venues where they can sell their produce amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

From training KSK participants in practicing sustainable farming technologies via technology transfer and product development, SMFI, together with various SM business units used the power of collaboration to create farm-market linkage - which intends to create a powerful driver of rural poverty reduction.

The Good Guys Market is a weekend market set up in SMDC properties to connect small-scale farmers directly with consumers—condo residents. This initiative links around 26,000 small-scale farmers directly with consumers.

Together with SM Supermalls, SMFI launched the Green Lane initiative. Led by the wives of the KSK farmers, the social enterprise offers a wide variety of quality yet affordable indoor and landscape plants which cater to every enthusiast’s preference. In addition, the team also launched the KSK Farmers’ Market Day to provide farmers with market exposure in select SM Malls nationwide.

Meanwhile, SMFI also partnered with SM Markets in creating a market for onion farmers. Through the partnership, SMFI was able to establish specialized onion pop-up booths creating a stable market for small-scale onion farmers.

Millions of smallholder farmers are seeking ways to improve the productivity of their farms and to improve their market performance. Modern farming technologies, paired with market linkage, such as the SM KSK, play a vital role in improving the livelihood of small-scale farmers and their families.

SM Foundation’s Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan (KSK) is SMFI’s Social Good program on sustainable agriculture that intends to uplift the lives of Filipinos in grassroots communities through sustainable agriculture via technology transfer, product development, and farm-market linkage. To date, the program has trained more than 28,500 farmers from more than 900 cities/municipalities nationwide.

In anticipation of the 124th anniversary of Philippine Independence, SM Supermalls shares why Independence Day is a pivotal turning point in our history.

Independence Day represents the core of our beliefs and our identity as Filipinos – a strong and courageous race willing to fight for freedom’s sake. After almost 400 years of colonization, the raising of our flag and the singing of our anthem serves as more than an obligation; it commemorates the heroism embodied by every Filipino who fought for our freedom. This June 12, 2022, at 8:30 am, come in the colors of the Philippine flag and head to the SM Supermalls’ Flag Raising Ceremony as we show the love of our country and pay our respects to those who fought to protect it.

As our national hero, Jose Rizal once said, ‘He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.’ Tracing one’s roots is important to build one’s character. It is crucial to keep your feet on the ground as you reach greater heights. The same rings true for all Filipinos; we cannot truly appreciate the freedom we enjoy today without being aware of what our ancestors have fought for to gain our independence.

To celebrate Philippine Independence Day, SM Supermalls will be holding major events to commemorate this national holiday and encourage Pinoys to further embrace Filipino culture.

Show your love of your country and value the sacrifices of the Filipinos who died protecting and defending it. Come in the colors of the Philippine flag and head to SM Supermalls’ Flag Raising Ceremony on June 12, 2022 – assembly time is at 8:30am. Give it the utmost importance, as this is the thread that knits Filipinos together from one generation to the next.

 

Continued Partnership with Save Philippine Seas
The first episode of Miming and Friends supported by Mondelēz International was released on World Oceans Day on June 8, 2022, and is the first in a series of five. It talks about the importance of segregating waste at home, to ensure they don’t end up in the ocean. SPS serves as consultant and advisor to the Miming episodes on waste collection. Led by Anna Oposa, Executive Director and “Chief Mermaid,” SPS is an organization that aims to empower citizens towards environmental consciousness, leading to collective action and behavior change. In 2021, Mondelēz International and SPS released a series of infographics sharing the real reasons behind marine litter, entitled “There’s Plenty of Plastics in the Sea; How did this happen?”

Partnering with Miming and Friends
Miming and Friends, led by Cat-Fish Miming, flying lizard Buboy, and Unicorn Anacorn, join the many friends they meet along the way in learning about the world. Other video topics include values, how to count and sing, and the importance of caring for each other and the environment - all from the multilingual and multicultural perspective of the Filipino experience. The channel is the creation of Miming and Fwends Animation Studios, formed by partners Ramon and Meryll del Prado from Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, “The values we espouse through Miming and Friends very much align with the values of Mondelēz International and Save Philippine Seas. We are thrilled about this partnership as it fully synergizes with the greater goal of having responsible children as they grow up to become mindful adults.”

Everything has changed since the pandemic, the truth is we are all affected. It seems wearing masks, handwashing often, and disinfecting anything make our daily routine because we cannot see our enemy, the virus. And because we are following simple steps to make our lives safe and protected, little by little we managed the challenges that the pandemic brought to us. I remember, our family members change clothes immediately and take a bath whenever we are coming home from outside and we made sure everything is sanitized thoroughly, to be honest, we are not accepting visitors at that time because we are afraid of who might be the carrier, we don't know who will be the next and we don't want to that happen to anyone of us. 

Since the pandemic the economy, the businesses, and other individuals losses their jobs. All of us are affected, the reality is so heartbreaking because different small industries had no choice but to close their business. But, regardless of what had happened, people need to move and look forward. Because of the pandemic, there are people who found their talent, and their passion and started something to hold onto and not stop.

So many realizations from me and I think other people too, in a short period of time everything we have will be gone. People we love can leave us without a sign, we don't know until when our life is. One good thing that happened was there is still humanity people around the world are helping each other in a different ways they can.

One particular realization I thought of was to save and invest in things that will matter in the future. I need to give more importance to safety. Now, slowly our lives are going back to what it is but the world is different now and this is our new normal. many of us are adjusting.

I mentioned that I need to give more importance to safety and saving just in case of emergencies like what had happened. things will not be hard for my family that much. Anyway, so I stumbled upon this tool online that I can use for me to be able to buy the car I needed. Commuting is so hard and it's not safe especially after the pandemic most of us are still afraid of the virus. I thought it will be good for me to take a step. I am thinking of buying a brand-new or the used one what do you think's better? So I was saying, I just bookmarked this tool. Actually, it is a carpaymentcalculator.net where you can calculate how much your monthly payment is, everything I need to know is here and I can say it's accurate. Plus, the scheduling of payment is a superb feature for me, I don't wanna be late in paying. How I can I save while paying for a car, right? My computation in everything must be exact for me to be able to do that. I know, I can.

It's been a long day for me today, guess what I am now playing the car lightning race just found it today and love it. Maybe you should too, try it and let's forget about anything for just a moment. 

My kids will play too, I know for sure because they asked me what's the sound they heard. Anyway, let me know your thoughts about my post, and take care!