‘Agyaman kami ta naikkan kami ti gundaway nga mailako ti produkto mi’: Handog ng Pangulo opens market for Kalinga farmers

FEATURE

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — For farmer Wilma C. Alvester, the vegetables and food products displayed at the Kalinga Provincial Capitol were more than goods on a table—they were the product of farmers’ hard work and an opportunity to finally let more people see what they can produce.

As president of the Manggawa Farmers and Environmental Development Association (MFEDA), Alvester was grateful for the chance to bring fresh vegetables and processed agricultural products to the Handog ng Pangulo: “Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat” on September 14.

For a farmer, however, producing a harvest is only half the battle.

The bigger challenge is finding people who will buy it.

That was why the opportunity to display and market their products during the government activity meant so much to Alvester and her fellow farmers.

“Agyamyaman kami iti daytoy nga activity, daytoy Handog ng Pangulo. Para kadagiti tatao ditoy probinsya ti Kalinga ket agyamyaman kami, para kadakami nga farmers, ta maidisplay ken maipromote mi dagitoy products mi ken naekkan kami ti gundaway nga maimarket mi,” Alvester said.

From harvest to market

MFEDA brought vegetables produced by its farmer-members to the event, while FLQ Food Products, Alvester’s agricultural processing enterprise in New Tanglag, Tabuk City, showcased processed food products, including cassava-based products.

For Alvester, putting these products in front of consumers opens a door that farmers often need—a direct connection to potential buyers.

“Nu adda dagiti kasla daytoy nga oportunidad, makatulong kadakami a farmers nga maipakita ken maipromote dagiti produkto mi ken makasarak iti ad-adu pay nga buyers,” she said.

The Handog ng Pangulo activity, which brought together national government agencies and provincial offices to deliver services to iKalingas, thus became more than a venue for government assistance for Alvester and her group.

It became a marketplace for their harvest and a stage for their hard work.

When a failed harvest became a new beginning

Alvester’s journey into agricultural processing began with a problem.

In 2009, farmers in her community were encouraged to plant cassava. But when the expected buyer eventually failed to purchase their harvest, the cassava they had worked to produce was left without a market.

Instead of allowing the crop to go to waste, Alvester looked for another way.

She explored cassava processing and eventually developed products such as cassava crunchies and cassava-based noodles.

What began as a response to a marketing problem eventually became a livelihood opportunity.

Her efforts grew into the BALANGKOY project, which received a P3.4-million grant from the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) for cassava processing equipment and livelihood opportunities for women.

Her work eventually earned her recognition as an outstanding rural woman in the Cordillera, advancing to the national competition and placing Second Runner-Up in the Department of Agriculture’s 2024–2025 Search for Outstanding Rural Women.

Helping farmers move forward

Alvester’s work has since expanded beyond her own farm.

Through MFEDA and other agricultural initiatives, she has continued encouraging farmers to process their harvest, add value to local crops and find better markets.

In February 2026, the agricultural cluster she works with also received a circulating dryer worth P22 million, along with P500,000 in assistance for its Kadiwa store. The equipment is intended to help farmers properly dry rice and corn and preserve the value of their harvest.

These efforts reflect a lesson Alvester learned years ago: growing food is not enough if farmers cannot find a market for it.

That is why the opportunity provided by Handog ng Pangulo resonated with her.

For a farmer who once faced the possibility of seeing a harvest go to waste, every new buyer, every person who discovers a local product and every opportunity to put their produce on display can mean another step forward.

And for Alvester, the simple chance to sell and promote their products was a reminder that when farmers are given a place in the marketplace, their harvest can become more than food—it can become a source of livelihood, dignity and hope.