Cassava-techno demo training years ago gives birth to a flourishing women’s group in Siquijor

Created on Wednesday, 29 June 2022

A cassava techno-demo project of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 7 conducted in 2016, gave birth to a flourishing Rural Improvement Club (RIC) in Maria, Siquijor.

An RIC is a non-government organization composed of 20-30 women-volunteers who are mobilized for socio-economic projects. The group is overseen by the Agricultural Training Institute Center.

The Waling-waling RIC was formed after 26 women attended the cassava techno demo. The demonstration project convinced them to grow cassava as a group.

According to Marivic Langgam, president of Bonga, Waling-waling RIC, the organization was created because of a common interest to plant the cassava stalks given by the DA-RFO7 after the training. The members’ interest was sustained with other equipment granted to them such as the cassava chippers and graters.

According to Langgam, what strengthened and motivated them to unite is the additional assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment which included hand tractor, fertilizer and water drum.

According to Jennie Balongag, business manager, in five years the organization earned P116,270 of which 20 percent was retained for the organization’s capital build-up. To grow the organization, the members borrow from the fund at a meager interest.

The grants were instrumental in reducing production cost and increasing the income of the association. Attributing to the solidarity of the group is the composition of the organization which included barangay officials, and health workers aside from the housewives.

The group currently supports the community by cleaning, giving assistance to the community through their feeding program by supplying vegetables and assisting in cooking, Langgam added.

The RIC’s aspiration is to start a cassava processing entrepreneurship in ten years. Currently, the members are motivating the youth to join them in achieving their goal to establish a successful entrepreneurial women’s association.