By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr. 

Enabling communities to become financially stable. 

Mariano Marcos State University and the Land Bank of the Philippines continue to train farmers and fisherfolk in managing finances and addressing risks in their livelihood activities this year. 

Through the Financial Literacy Program: Pagsasanay para sa mga Magsasaka at Mangingisda, the MMSU Extension Directorate and the Land Bank Countryside Development Corporation are helping communities improve their socio-economic conditions by giving them better access to relevant financial services and opportunities. 

In collaboration with local government units in the province, the training program is expected to serve more than 3,000 farmers and fisherfolk from Vintar, Pagudpud, Piddig, Nueva Era, Paoay, and Currimao towns from April to September 2022. 

Earlier, more than 1,000 farmers from Vintar participated in the training program. Ten batches of the training were conducted, accommodating various barangays of the town from April to May 2022. 

“Nagasatkami ta immayyo indanun daytoy a serbisio, ket namnamaenyo nga usarenmi dagiti maadalmi tapno nasaysayaat pay ti panangimaneharmi kadagiti mapastrekmi,” expressed Grace Aceret of Barangay Columbia in Vintar. (We are fortunate to have you bring this training to us, and rest assured that we will use our learning to effectively manage our income).

Topics discussed include financial literacy and risk management, which are delivered by a training team from MMSU College of Business, Economics and Accountancy and the College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development. 

Extension Director Marilou Lucas said the training program started in 2020, which already benefited farmers and fishers from Adams, Burgos, Carasi, and Dumalneg in Ilocos Norte. She added the program will continue to roll out in other towns. 

“Through the initiative, we hope to help communities improve their financial stability through informed and effective decisions, while the government continues to establish access in various financial services offered by banks,” Lucas mused. 

This training program is among the high impact and transformative extension and outreach programs of the university, one of the ACHIEVE agenda of MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis. 

“This program reflects our commitment to helping people help themselves,” PSCA remarked. (HLY/JVBT, StratCom)