Northern Mindanao’s biggest business organization is looking to promote the concept of “Inclusive growth through Inclusive Business” in partnerships with like-minded organizations in Northern Mindanao.
Inclusive Business, defined as “Engaging the Base of the Pyramid (i.e. Marginalized) in the “Core Business of Business”, is the proven strategy to minimize poverty worldwide.
MOA Signing between the Bukidnon-Taguluanen Tribe and Kennermer Foods International at the Manila Yacht Club, Roxas Blvd., Malate. Metro Manila
The Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. Program Management Office (PMO) recently sat down with the Federation of Peoples’ Sustainable Development Cooperatives (FPSDC) to develop complementary roles for the two Organizations to attain their respective objectives.
“We are looking at having our beneficiaries supply raw materials for the markets FPSDC has access to. At the same time, further strengthen FPSDC logistics by consolidating their material base,” said Roberto W. Ansaldo, Inclusive Business Program Director.
A former Agriculture Undersecretary under the administration of President Corazon C. Aquino, Ansaldo conceptualized the program entitled Inclusive Agri Business Development Center for Northern Mindanao(IABDC4NM) which was extended USD 194,000 assistance by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Philippine-American Fund Economic Growth Grant dubbed “Program Support for the Chamber’s Promotion of Inclusive Growth through Inclusive Business”.
The Bukidnon-Tagulanen Tribe of Malaybalay City, Bukidnon
Conceived as a vehicle to popularize the Concept, the Program seeks to benefit Marginalized Sectors like Bukidnon’s indigenous peoples’ (IPs) communities, as well as Agrarian Reform beneficiaries in Northern Mindanao – who have Land Rights to thousands of under-cultivated lands but have none of the Financial, Markets, or Management Resources to develop that land and uplift their standard of living and contribute to the country’s food sufficiency.
The IB Program seeks to link up with FPSDC, a federation of Cooperatives that provide financial and non-financial services to empower marginalized sectors and encourage members to support advocacies on sustainable agriculture that follow the 4Ps of sustainable development (People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace).
“This entails ensuring the development of stakeholders (people) and the preservation of the environment (planet), while ensuring economic viability and equitable growth (prosperity), in the hope of promoting harmonious coexistence within and among communities (peace),” explains FPSDC General Manager Christie Rowena Plantilla.
Oro Chamber Program Director Bobby Ansaldo chats with FPSDC Gen Manager Tetay Plantilla during a recent visit to Coopville, a resettlment area for TS Sendong survivors in Bgy. Lumbia (RMB,NPN)
Following on the successful Proof of Concept with the Chamber’s first two Cooperatives, plans are underway to elevate the initiative from the initial program to the Inclusive Agri-Business Development Center for Northern Mindanao (IABDC4NM). Ansaldo cited its three main functions and the rationale for each:
Education and Extension
The IB Center needs to spread the “gospel” of Inclusive Business since many people are still unable to tell the difference in philosophy between Inclusive Business and Philanthropy.
Bobby Ansaldo presents Oro Chamber’s Inclusive Business program to USAID’s Melissa Kennison & Robert Barton with the Oro Chamber & USAID-SURGE Core Team last March 2017. (photo courtesy of Irene Floro)
“The Inclusive Business message needs to get out to Government, Business and Civil Society- which in the Philippines is strongly influenced by the Catholic Church,” Ansaldo noted.
“Government provides the supportive policies, financial resources, and linkages to LGUs we will work with on the ground; Business will provide planting materials, technology transfer, management know-how, purchase agreements and transparent pricing; while Civil Society (through the Catholic Church dioceses Social Action Centers(SACs) would provide mediation services when conflicts of interest arise, (as they inevitably will) and help in the education and extension of Inclusive Business to dioceses outside Northern Mindanao – assisting interested Dioceses establish their own Inclusive Business Development Centers.
Applications
These Centers would cultivate crops chosen by the concerned communities that its members have experience growing. It would also seek out reputable companies and match them with cooperatives in IB Models where the Corporations provide the Cooperatives the planting materials, techno-transfer, management know-how, purchase agreements and transparent pricing systems.
Mediation Services
The relationship between cooperatives growing crops and the company buying it from them will always be a changing, dynamic and on-going process of conflict management and resolution.
Thus, Ansaldo envisions Inclusive Business pilot centers in Dioceses which have established chapters of the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference (BBC), to work closely with the diocesan SACs in promoting a climate conducive to business and stakeholders within the diocese.
The Ancestral Domain of the Bukidnon-Taguluanen Tribe near Malabalay City, Bukidnon
In this manner, the local community can serve as ambassadors-at- large for conflict resolution to arrive at Win-Win Remedies which are acceptable and beneficial to all parties.
The Education (Advocacy) thrust, covers spreading the gospel of Inclusive Business which we now want to do with a secondary level Cooperative (FPSDC) who is also in Northern Mindanao.
“The Application thrust involves expanding to other communities other than IPs, such as disaster victims of Tropical Storm Sendong and adding another Crop (Ube) suggested by FPSDC, which is needed by a huge Market that FPSDC already has.”
-30-