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Impact, Updates

Ready for Business

Women in Presidential Proclamation No. 1636 (PP 1636) in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range are now prepared for business funders.

Dec 19, 2023

Nine women organizations in PP 1636 have been successfully equipped with skills to create and execute their own Biodiversity Friendly Enterprises (BDFE). They are now able to present their own business plans and business proposals to funders, thanks to HARIBON’s Women Go project. This is a milestone for Year 3 of the project that is aimed at enhancing women’s role in protected area (PA) governance.

While local government units (LGUs) in Real, Infanta, and General Nakar (REINA), Quezon Province have the funds to support BDFEs, they must ensure that fund recipients are equipped with business and financial acumen. For this reason, Women Go trained the women leaders in financial planning, how to package their own business plans and proposals, and how to network and gain external support from their LGUs and other potential funding partners for their sustainable livelihood projects. With such accomplishments, the women have gained more confidence in their abilities as capable leaders in their own communities.

Protected Area Governance Biodiversity-Friendly Enterprises (PAG BDFE) Training Course
The Women Go team used the PAG BDFE Training Course to equip the women of PP 1636 in business planning. The courses have two main categories, namely:
  1. Fundamental Training Courses: Having two (2) sessions, the courses introduced the women to the basics of the BDFE process.
  2. Technology Courses: Containing three (3) to four (4) sessions, the courses grew women’s knowledge and skills in business plan creation and business project implementation.
Three focal persons from the Municipal Welfare Development Office, Municipal Gender & Development Office, and the Municipal Environment & Natural Resource Office & CENRO were also trained through a three-day training-workshop series on the following BDFEs and Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) concepts and activities:
A. Introduction to Biodiversity-Friendly Enterprises and Sustainable Livelihoods 
The introduction of BDFEs and SLs, or the Participatory BDFE Planning Training, covered the following areas:
  1. Introduction to the BDFE
  2. Resource Scanning and the BDFE Tool 
  3. Basic Project Development
With this training, the women groups were introduced to the BDFE Framework with enhanced criteria and scoring system by HARIBON and were taught basic information on BDFEs and SLs. The culmination of the training successfully encouraged the participants to engage and adopt biodiversity-friendly livelihoods using their newfound skills in crafting their very own sustainable livelihood project proposals using templates from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) project proposal template.
B. Feasibility Study
The Feasibility Study Training had four components including:
  1. Market Analysis
  2. Production Analysis 
  3. Operation & Management Analysis
  4. Financial Analysis 
One training session was held in 2022 with a total of 68 participants from the following five women groups:
  • KUMARE, with six (6) participants
  • KALIPI Real, with 19 participants
  • KALIPI Infanta, with 23 participants
  • KALIPI General Nakar, with nine (9) participants
  • KALIPI Cablao, with 11 participants
This presented the value of and basic knowledge on feasibility studies that they would need to consider relevant factors for their livelihood projects, such as: economic, technical, legal, and timeframe. Having the skills and knowledge to assess such factors capacitated them to effectively implement their chosen BDFEs.
C. Business Planning 
The third training session, which is the Business Planning, included these important aspects of an effective business plan:
  1. Concepts and Importance of a Business Plan 
  2. Developing production plan in context with protected Area Governance 
  3. Resource Mobilization 
There was one session held each for 2022 and 2023, with both garnering a total of 53 participants from five women groups:
  • KALIPI Infanta: 23 participants
  • KALIPI Cablao: Nine (9) participants
  • KALIPI General Nakar: Six (6) participants
  • KALIPI Real Federacion: Five (5) participants
  • KALIPI Cawayan: Six (6) participants
  • KALIPI Tanauan: Four (4) participants
The sessions developed women’s skills in preparing a simple business plan and enhanced their appreciation for both its importance and benefits. .
D. Partnerships Forum
Also considered as an integral part of the training-workshop series, the Partnerships Forum honed the women’s practical skills by giving them the opportunity to partner with different stakeholders and promote their livelihood projects to potential supporters. A total of 101 participants attended, 55 of which were from the nine (9) women groups, and the rest of which are from Women Go project partners and HARIBON, attended a single session in 2022. The 55 women group participants were composed of:
  • 51 participants: from KALIPI Infanta Federation, KALIPI Magsaysay, KALIPI Gumian, KALIPI Real Federation, KALIPI Tanauan, KALIPI Cawayan, KALIPI General Nakar Federation, and KALIPI Cablao
  • Four (4) participants: from KUMARE
The forum also resulted in commitments that encouraged the women organizations to pursue their projects:
  • The LGUs of three (3) REINA municipalities: Will be looking into the BDFEs’ sustainability through their policy advocacy to the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of the 3 LGUs, to the DENR and PAMB, and even to the Office of the Congressman and Office of the Governor for the enactment of Municipal Ordinances and Resolutions in mainstreaming women’s livelihood projects in the LGUs’ Executive and Legislative Agenda and their Annual Investment Plan. This is to ensure that the women’s groups have a seat in the Municipal Development Council and even in the PAMB, in giving them rights in the land covered by 1563 in planting their crops for production sustainability, and in the monitoring and provision of technical and financial support.
  • The partners from both the civil society organizations and government such as MASIPAG, QUEZELCO II, SLSU, ICDeC, IQWD, NQCI, Spirit FM, and DTI expressed their support and commitment to supporting the establishment and operationalization of the BDFEs.
  • LGU Real: Their Municipal Gender and Development (MGAD) focal person recommended and committed to lobby to the three municipalities in having a joint resolution to PAMB/DENR as their policy advocacy for the land use of the KALIPI groups in the planting of cacao, salay, luya and organic vegetables.
  • From LGU General Nakar: Their MGAD Focal Person shared their commitment in uplifting the women’s group by providing KALIPI leaders in the 19 barangays a monthly incentive of PHP 500 each and transportation allowance for each monthly meeting attendance. They also provided PHP 48,000 for KALIPI to finance their respective livelihood projects prior to HARIBON’s BDFE initiative.
  • LGUs, representatives from the private sectors and other NGAs: Expressed their commitment of support from financial, promotion and marketing, branding and packaging, and other technical needs in product development up to the sustainability aspects of their BDFEs.
  • KUMARE: One member commitment to environmental protection and confidently articulated that they will take care of the environment since their products come from the tress of santol, kamias, kundol, and other indigenous plants and trees.
  • Spirit FM: Committed to providing good discounts in promotion and marketing of the products and making the BDFE projects sustainable.
E. Other training activities to enhance technical skills to properly manage, sell, market, and improve products
The Women Go project also developed women’s technical skills in proper management, selling, marketing, and improving their products through another series of valuable sessions. This tackled:
  • Project Management
  • Good Manufacturing Practices
  • 7P’s Marketing Mix Strategy Model
These technical skills, also identified in the women’s business plans, have been the necessary competencies that allowed them to properly implement their projects. In 2022, the Women Go team held three technical skills development trainings, which were attended by 43 participants from 3 women groups, including KALIPI Cawayan, KALIPI Magsaysay, and KALIPI Reina. 
Building Capacity Above and Beyond
The PAG BDFE Training Course, that led to the development of a Feasibility Study & Business Plans, had been very successful, so much so that the organizations were featured in TV and local radio stations, as well as received additional support such as seed funds for their businesses:

  • PHP 50,000 worth of materials from Quezon II Electric Cooperative Inc. to KALIPI Gumian’s coco jam business
  • PHP 80,000 worth of sewing machines & sewing materials from LGU of Infanta given to KALIPI Infanta
  • PHP 25,000 worth of sewing materials from QUEZELCO awarded to KALIPI Infanta
  • PHP 350,000 worth additional sewing machines from DOST for KALIPI Infanta’s approved proposal
  • PHP 800,000 worth of equipment for salay processing from Real LGU for KALIPI Cawayan
  • Access to funds of REINA LGUs for additional financial management training, with some special monthly meetings sponsored by these LGUs.
  • KALIPI Cablao received funding for both venue and food for their Product Enhancement Training from General Nakar LGU
  • KALIPI Infanta’s Stress Management Training and Basic Computer Skills Training was funded by Infant LGU 
Through the Women Go project, the women of PP 1636 have upskilled and have successfully showcased their enhanced abilities in creating and handling their own sustainable, ecosystem-friendly businesses. While the training involves a meticulous process that the women organizations had to undergo, such well thought-out plans and approaches are crucial to empowering women leaders for protected area governance.

With these considerations, we are one step closer to ensuring that the forests of Sierra Madre are constantly safeguarded.

The Women Go project is made possible by the European Union in the Philippines, with the support of the Municipality of Real, Municipality of Infanta, Municipality of General Nakar, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Community Environment & Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) Real.

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