Bernadeth Carandang is the farmer leader at the Magallanes-Samahang Magsasaka ng Kay-apas at Medina Agriculture Cooperative (MAG-SAMAKAME) in Cavite. Growing up in a farming family, she understood the difficulties faced by farmers.

“Utang, benta, at bayad kami noon. Uutang para sa kapital, magbebenta ng ani, at ipambabayad sa utang ‘yung kita. Tapos uulit lang. Halos wala nang naiiwan sa amin.” (We borrowed money for capital, sold our harvest, and used the earnings to pay off debts. Then we started over. We almost had nothing left.),” she said.

Bernadeth and her fellow farmers wondered how they could increase their income, as farming was the only livelihood they knew.

Becoming agro-entrepreneurs

In 2018, the local government unit (LGU) of Magallanes joined Jollibee Group Foundation’s (JGF) Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP), which helps farmers increase their income by directly supplying institutional markets.

Through the partnership, MAG-SAMAKAME was trained on the eight-step Agro-Enterprise Clustering Approach, which culminates in their delivery to Jollibee Group as an accredited supplier. Bernadeth also participated in the course “Agro-entrepreneurship for Inclusive Value Chains,” co-developed by Jollibee Group Foundation with Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, where she honed her business and leadership skills.

In 2022, MAG-SAMAKAME began delivering tomatoes regularly to Jollibee Group. Bernadeth recalled feeling anxious during their first delivery, worried something might go wrong. It wasn’t until she held the delivery receipt that she messaged the farmers, “This is it!”

“One of them closed his eyes and said, ‘This feels so good!’” Bernadeth shared.

Since then, they have delivered an average of 2,500 kgs of fresh tomatoes monthly, used in Jollibee’s Champ burgers.

A woman farmer leader

The Magallanes-Samahang Magsasaka ng Kay-apas at Medina Agriculture Cooperative (MAG-SAMAKAME) farmers have been delivering tomatoes to Jollibee Group since 2022 through the Farmer Entrepreneurship Program of Jollibee Group Foundation.

As cooperative secretary, Bernadeth is also a leader who empowers farmers, especially women. MAG-SAMAKAME was formed in 2003 with 16 pioneering members. It has since grown fivefold to 84, with 57% (48 members) being women.

“They said that farmers should be male. Now, we’re seeing that more women are becoming farmers,” observed Bernadeth.

As a woman, Bernadeth finds her greatest strength is patience, which she uses not only in tending to her crops but also in encouraging farmers to join the cluster supplying Jollibee. “Before, the farmers refused to join, saying they couldn’t commit. I told them not to be afraid to try,” she said.

By teaching them to think and act like entrepreneurs, Bernadeth found that farmers have become more cooperative. Now, they are considering expanding their business by planting other vegetables like bell pepper and seeking other institutional buyers.

“We aim to expand our vegetable deliveries so we can also help other farmers in Magallanes, through our coordination with the LGU,” Bernadeth said.

Sowing seeds of hope

With her passion for learning, Bernadeth pursued Education while staying committed to farming. She passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers in 2022 and now teaches Technology and Livelihood Education to secondary students.

“I asked my students what they want to be. No one wanted to farm. I will teach them that farming is a business, along with my knowledge in agriculture and agro-enterprise,” she said. “After all, farming is a profession of hope.”