When small is big

Three livelihood interest groups from Apayao finally received an assistance fund worth Php. 300, 000.00 from the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP2).

The turnover of the funds was conducted in simple ceremonies in Conner and Kabugao, Apayao on January 30, 2018.

Ms. Digna Villanueva, the Provincial Coordination Officer for the province of Apayao encouraged the beneficiaries to utilize their LAF in accordance to their business plans. She added that the LAF may be small as compared to other government assistance but you are taught how to manage and run a business so there’s no reason for you to fail.

Further, Ms. Kathleen Kawi, Manager of the Conner Multipurpose Cooperative (COMPCO) that served as the community finance institution (CFI) of the group encouraged the members of the LIG to exert more effort in managing their business. She also challenged the members by stating that “I hope that one day, you will be able to put up a cooperative. It does not matter that you started small, look at us, we too started that way.”

Both Villanueva and Kawi agreed that it is not how big but how ell assistance was utilized and managed by the group that matters.

As a way of accepting the challenge, Ms. Antonina Pawangan, Tribal Association of Luttuacan Indigenous Peoples-Goat group president stated, in behalf of the group that “We promise to manage our business well so that your efforts won’t go to waste and the assistance you have given as will grow.”

The Karikitan Food Association (KIFA) of Conner is engaged in buy and sell of taro inputs, taro processing and marketing. The KIFA utilizes organic taro in the production of chips and other food products. Of their processed products, the taro chips are their best seller. According to Mr. Nicanor Gasatan, LIG president, the costumers are the ones who visit the processing site and buy the taro chips by bulk. The group also delivers the taro chips in schools and other business establishments around the area.

In an interview, Ms. Josefina Parugrug, Star Jewel Lodge manager, stated that the chips are delicious so she too orders taro chips and sell it in her business establishment.

The Tribal Association of Luttuacan Indigenous Peoples-Poultry group is into poultry and production of corn. For the Goat group of the Tribal Association of Luttuacan Indigenous Peoples, members are into goat production and buy and sell of fertilizers in support to the members’ corn production.//