Ilongga leaders in agriculture featured in women’s month talk shop

In celebration of National Women’s Month (NWM), two female leaders in the Province of Iloilo showcased their commitment to advancing rice farming communities during the Talk Shop organized by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas on March 21. The “Kababaihan sa Agrikultura” event provided a platform for Helen S. Bolivar of the Mina Municipal Federation of Farmers Associations (MMFFA) and Marilou V. Gonzaga of Dingle Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DMPC) to impart their expertise and strategic approaches in supporting local farmers’ development. 

In 2013, Bolivar established the MMFFA, one of the two pilot beneficiaries of the DA’s Farm Service Provider (FSP) program in the region, to address the declining number of farm laborers. Under her guidance, MMFFA effectively promoted rice mechanization in Mina and neighboring areas, enhancing the efficiency of farmers’ land preparation and harvesting processes. Her dedication to empowering farmers has positioned MMFFA as a thriving regional association and a model FSP implementer. 

“When I was appointed as the federation president, I was underestimated by some who believed that men should take the leadership role instead. I did not feel any discouragement, as I believed that women should not be treated as a second priority to men. I reached out to 22 barangays in Mina and helped barangay farmer leaders strengthen their capabilities to increase members’ awareness and access to DA programs and interventions,” she said. 

The MMFFA’s push for farm mechanization addressed the drudgery in farm activities amid climate change and paved the way for job creation.

Gonzaga has been the General Manager of DMPC since 1997. She has been instrumental in organizing training sessions for financial, business, and property management members, which helped the cooperative recover from bankruptcy. Currently, DMPC offers production loans to its members, serves as a lending conduit for loan programs, and operates as a farm service provider. Under Gonzaga’s leadership, the cooperative overcame financial challenges and evolved into a thriving entity, significantly advancing the rice value chain in the Municipality of Dingle.

“On my part, I was not underestimated, during the time when cooperative during bankruptcy, nobody dared to accept durability. Despite being hesitant at first, I accepted the role with the goal of helping communities of farmers who will rarely benefit from government projects. There is no association to lead them,” stressed Gonzaga. 

She added that DMPC membership grew from 983 in 2013 to 1,863 in 2023 because of the different loan windows from the DA-Agricultural Credit Policy Council, which provided farmers with sufficient capital for production. The DMPC supports the different processing stages of rice up to the marketing level to complete the whole value chain.  

“Women can also become leaders of their respective associations, which could help improve the economy. As we should not rely solely on the government, the DMPC, as an accredited civil society organization, is now a partner of the DA in implementing programs and contributing to the policy-making process to propel growth in the sector,” shared Gonzaga. 

DA Western Visayas’ OIC-Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations and Gender and Development (GAD) focal person, Zarlina B. Cuello, highlighted the critical roles women play in ensuring food security and mitigating the effects of climate change on the sector. 

DA Western Visayas also held the Women’s Bazaar beginning March 15 and the GAD in Advocacy for Equality, Diversion, and Inclusion training on March 19-20 in celebrating the NWM-themed “Lipunang Patas para sa Bagong Pilipinas. Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patutunayan!” ### Texts by SMHToreno and Photos by ELGregorio and VNOQuimpo/DA-RAFIS 6