Reaping what she sowed

INTRODUCTION

Having inherited the enthusiasm for farming from her late father, Cherrie Atilano has the welfare of farmers at heart. Social entrepreneur and recipient of several awards, her enterprise teaches farmers new rice-growing techniques, empowers women and educates children and youth on gardening.

WRITTEN BY

SHARE THE WORD

PUBLISHED ON

When her father died, when she was just three years old, he had a wish and that was for his children to continue his work, especially for the farmers’ welfare – as people rely on farmers so that they may have food on their table. Her father was overseer of a sugarcane farm in Negros Occidental.

Cherrie Atilano, one of the recipients of last year’s The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) award, took her father’s wish to heart. It eventually became a passion and a mission.

Biking around the farm where she spent her childhood, she realized something important. “I observed, at a very young age, from my exposure to the farming community that if you are poor and you are a Filipino farmer, 100% of your income goes to food. This is the reason why farmers couldn’t afford to live in decent homes and to send their children to school,” she explained. “Thus, the vicious cycle of poverty continues. “

 

Early start
As early as the age of 12, Cherrie’s enthusiasm for farming and teaching was evident. “I began teaching farmers how to plant vegetables around their house after I read a book about bio-intensive gardening,” she said.

This further intensified her passion for farming and advocacy to promote global food security and sustainable agriculture programs. She elaborated: “I dreamt of helping them by being a social entrepreneur so that I can help the farmers to dream bigger beyond themselves, to put decent food on the table of their families, and also to be able to send their children to school.”

Armed with a degree in agriculture, major in horticulture, Atilano worked for real estate giant Ayala Land Inc. as a landscape horticulturist. Later on, she became involved with nonprofit organization, Gawad Kalinga (GK). It was during this period that her dreams for social enterprise became a reality as she set up Agricool which, at that time, became part of GK. In her hopes to continue educating others on sustainable agricultural practices, she had to give up a Fulbright Scholarship, a chance to study abroad.

 

Agricultural program
As they say, you reap what you sow, and her sacrifice to withdraw from this prestigious scholarship will not go unrewarded. In November of 2015, Atilano launched what is probably her proudest program yet, and that is AGREA Agricultural System International, Inc. “AGREA is the result of my life-long interactions with marginalized farmers,” she shared.

AGREA’s work is currently focused on the island province of Marinduque. The province relies heavily on agriculture, primarily on growing rice and coconuts. Atilano revealed: “I envision transforming the island into a “One Island Economy” completely sustainable on its indigenous produce founded on Zero Hunger (social well-being), Zero Waste (environment sensitive) and Zero Insufficiency (economic development).”

In the year that AGREA has been working in the agricultural province of Marinduque, it can already be deemed successful with Atilano’s vision slowly coming true. More and more farmers are starting to employ the teachings of Atilano and her group.

She told us: “Right now, we have 30 rice farmer leaders who also serve as skilled trainers to expand and propel the work of AGREA to 1,000 rice farmers in the island to make 4,000 hectares of land sustainably productive in the next five years.”

 

New techniques
One technique that AGREA seeks for the local farmers to utilize is the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). SRI is a labor intensive yet low water technique making it perfect for a tropical country such as the Philippines. According to Atilano, “it has helped farmers increase their yields by fourfolds and decreased their farm inputs cost to 70%.”

Apart from teaching new techniques in farming, AGREA also helps the farmers by ensuring good returns. The founding farmer shared: “Once the crop is harvested, the enterprise buys the crop at just the market price to ensure good profit for the farmers, putting a stop to the age-old exploitation of farmers by the traders.”

She continued, “the collected rice is then sold in the market at the market price and the profit is reinvested for the growth of the enterprise. Interestingly, AGREA buys the produce after stipulating enough produce for the farmer’s consumption for the entire year so that their families do not stay unfed. We put a strong mandate on their business aspect that putting food on their farming family’s table must be first before anything else. Thus, a lot of farmers are enrolling in the process.”

It is not only the farmers who Atilano works with. Her foundation also works with the women in the communities in multiple ways such as providing them training in financial literacy and setting up their own small businesses such as bag weaving and product processing.

 

Educating the young
More importantly, Atilano sought to educate the young ones with regard to agriculture. AGREA partnered with the Department of Education to teach children in a practical training activity called “The Garden Classroom Program.” They have 18 pilot school gardens now around the island of Marinduque. The goal is to establish 183 garden classrooms around the island and to save 50,000 pupils from malnutrition.

Atilano shared: “Within the program, children tend school gardens and grow vegetables and fruits. This produce is used in the school meals for the children or they bring the extra produce home to inspire their parents to have a backyard organic garden as well – influencing the schools to households to community.”

 

Expansion plans
With plans of selling and sending out rice to the country’s capital, Manila, AGREA also plans to expand. The expansion includes the field of fisheries and what Atilano said as “going beyond supplying raw materials, that is producing indigenous farm products as well as processing for value-addition to provide livelihood to women.”

Now, AGREA is branching into coconut farming. The current products of their program of going beyond copra are virgin coconut oil and coco sugar. In fact, Atilano disclosed that “we are launching a partnership with Bo’s Coffee, a locally-owned Filipino chain of coffee shops, to use the coco sugar product in all their branches in the Philippines.”

Atilano’s mother taught her that “the shortest distance in life is the distance between your heart and your brain and, if you do not know how to connect that distance, you better forget about life.” This is exactly what she is doing as she continues her father’s wish and legacy by educating those around her about her passions.

Share Your Thoughts

All comments are moderated

From The Same Issue

The articles and content about this issue

From The Same Issue

The articles and content about this issue

From This Topic

The articles and content about this topic

From This Topic

The articles and content about this topic

Filipino Focus

Common Joy

Explore Other Topics

Browse other coverage

Explore Other Topics

Browse other coverage

WM SPECIAL

Presents, discusses and draws readers to reflect on issues of outmost relevance to the world today.


FRONTIERS

Very often, mission is carried out in frontier situations around the world. Those who embrace these situations have much to share.


UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Writer Ilsa Reyes will be exploring the richness of Pope Francis’s latest encyclical Fratelli Tutti with a view of helping our readers to get a grasp of the this beautiful papal document.


FRONTLINE

Puts to the front committed and inspiring people around the world who embrace humanitarian and religious causes with altruism and passion.


IN FOCUS

Focus on a given theme of interest touching upon social, economic and religious issues.


FAITH@50

As the Philippines prepares to celebrate 500 years of the arrival of Christianity. Fr. James Kroeger leads us in this series into a discovery journey of the landmark events in the history of faith in the Philippine archipelago.


INSIGHT

Aims to nurture and inspire our hearts and minds while pondering upon timely themes.


FILIPINO FOCUS

The large archipelago of the Philippines, in its richness of peoples and cultures, offers varied and challenging situations for mission.


FOLLOW ME

Reflections and vocation stories that shape up the lives of young people.


MISSION IS FUN

As humor and goodness of heart are qualities of Christian and missionary life, the new column “Mission is fun” will be publishing some anecdotes and stories that have happened in a missionary context to lighten up the spirits and trigger a smile in our faces.


LIVING COMMUNION

To help readers of World Mission live this year dedicated to Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples, Tita Puangco, writer and lecturer, shares in this section insights on the spirituality of communion.


WINDS OF THE SPIRIT

A historic view of the Catholic movements that emerged from the grassroots as an inspiration by the Holy Spirit.


BRIDGE BUILDERS

On the Year of Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples, radio host and communicator Ilsa Reyes, in her monthly column, encourages Christians and people of good will to be one with their fellow people of other sects, religions and tribes.


INTERVIEW

Questions to a personality of the Church or secular world on matters of interest that touch upon the lives of people.


WORLD TOUCH

News from the Church, the missionary world and environment that inform and form the consciences.


CARE OF THE EARTH

A feature on environmental issues that are affecting the whole world with the view of raising awareness and prompting action.


EDITORIAL

The editor gives his personal take on a given topic related to the life of the Church, the society or the world.


YOUNG HEART

A monthly column on themes touching the lives of young people in the Year of the Youth in the Philippines by radio host and communicator I lsa Reyes.


SCROLL

A missionary living in the Chinese world shares his life-experiences made up of challenges and joyous encounters with common people.


EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE

Life stories of people who deserve to be known for who they were, what they did and what they stood for in their journey on earth.


ONE BY ONE

Stories of people whom a missionary met in his life and who were touched by Jesus in mysterious ways.


INCREASE OUR FAITH

Critical reflection from a Christian perspective on current issues.


SPECIAL MOMENTS

Comboni missionary Fr. Lorenzo Carraro makes a journey through history pinpointing landmark events that changed the course of humanity.


PROFILE

A biographical sketch of a public person, known for his/her influence in the society and in the Church, showing an exemplary commitment to the service of others.


WM REPORTS

Gives fresh, truthful, and comprehensive information on issues that are of concern to all.


LIFE'S ESSENTIALS

A column aimed at helping the readers live their Christian mission by focusing on what is essential in life and what it entails.


ASIAN FOCUS

Peoples, events, religion, culture and the society of Asia in focus.


THE SEARCHER'S PATH

The human heart always searches for greatness in God’s eyes, treading the path to the fullness of life - no matter what it takes.


INDIAN FOCUS

The subcontinent of India with its richness and variety of cultures and religions is given center stage.


AFRICAN FOCUS

The African continent in focus where Christianity is growing the fastest in the world.


JOURNEY MOMENTS

Well-known writer and public speaker, Fr. Jerry Orbos, accompanies our journey of life and faith with moments of wit and inspiration based on the biblical and human wisdom.


IGNATIUS STEPS

On the year dedicated to St. Ignatius of Loyala, Fr. Lorenzo Carraro walks us through the main themes of the Ignatian spirituality.


THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS

Fr. John Taneburgo helps us to meditate every month on each of the Seven Last Words that Jesus uttered from the cross.


INSIDE THE HOLY BOOK

In this section, Fr. Lorenzo delves into the secrets and depths of the Sacred Scriptures opening for us the treasures of the Sacred Book so that the reader may delight in the knowledge of the Word of God.


CONVERSATIONS

Reflections about the synodal journey on a conversational and informal style to trigger reflection and sharing about the synodal path the Church has embarked upon.

Shopping Cart