MLNI supports farmer communities in Cordillera

Mga Likha Ni Inay (MLNI) supports a community of more than 4,000 farmers in the Mountain Province and Benguet by sourcing their produce to provide affordable vegetables to vendors in San Pablo City, Laguna and neighboring municipalities.

This allows MLNI to transport vegetables like potatoes, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, chayote, and pechay that are ethically-sourced and naturally grown from Mountain Province, La Trinidad, and Baguio and deliver these through Palengke on Wheels (PoW), an initiative introduced by MLNI during the start of the pandemic in 2020.

According to MLNI President Frederick M. Torres, this project supports the client-farmers of CARD MRI, a group of social development institutions with a goal to support the marginalized communities in the Philippines through financial and other community development programs.

Aside from this, MLNI also helps PoW’s talipapa vendors to profit more by sourcing their vegetables from Mountain Province. These goods are sold at a farmgate price that is usually PhP5.00 to PhP10.00 less than its market price. The high margin, to which the talipapa vendors sell their produce, helps them in their small business.

“This is a two-way street. Aside from helping CARD MRI’s client-farmers sell their produce to a larger market, we are also supporting our vendors to profit more by purchasing affordable and fresh vegetables through Likha Ni Inay Palengke on Wheels,” Torres said. He continued, “Even if we are still pilot-testing this project, we are optimistic that our objectives will come to fruition as we aim to help the client-farmers and their families.”

Further, Torres shared how the project made it possible for them to build a relationship with their members and become a bridge between their farmers and their consumers.

“Visiting our farmers in Benguet gave me an opportunity to see how they toil their land and work for their families. Their humbling stories not only inspire us but also propel us to solve the problems our clients usually have with a middleman,” Torres concluded.

Meanwhile, CARD MRI Managing Director Aristeo A. Dequito highlighted the importance of CARD’s relationship with its clients through MLNI’s new project.

“This strengthens our relationship with our clients. It is proof that our service does not depend on distance. We literally trek mountains to reach our communities in far-flung areas of our country. It is what CARD does in its mission of eradicating poverty,” Dequito said.

The 10-20-80 Campaign

When asked how this can impact CARD MRI’s 10-20-80 campaign, CARD MRI Founder and Chairman Emeritus Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip affirmed that the project fulfills CARD MRI’s goal of reaching 20 million clients and insuring 80 million individuals in the next 10 years.

According to Dr. Alip, “Here at CARD MRI, we support our clients by patronizing and promoting their products. Because of this, we are humbled and delighted to pique the interest of Filipinos, especially microentrepreneurs, to join CARD because of the opportunities they may experience through the services we bring. We want others to experience the same opportunities our clients have, and it is because of this that we strain forward to reach every Filipino family in need,” concluded Dr. Alip.

MLNI aims to help microentrepreneurs in marketing, manufacturing, and trading their products to the Filipino community. Through its online market, Likha Ni Inay Palengke on Wheels, the institution delivers fresh produce to residents of San Pablo City during the pandemic. To place an order, visit Likha Ni Inay Palengke on Wheels’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LikhaonWheels.