16/07/2025
𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗢𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 (𝗖𝗬𝗖𝗟𝗘 𝟮) 🌱
"𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 – 𝗧𝗶𝗯𝘆𝗼𝗴, 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲"
Business is a cutthroat endeavor; it seems that to achieve success in this field, you must first be wealthy and second, smart. The Tibyog Afga Association of Tangalan is definitely not wealthy, and when it comes to academic achievement, they would pale in comparison to small startups in Kalibo, but what they lack in riches and achievements, they make up for in discipline and perseverance.
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲
As the c**k crows beneath the first rays of an early Monday, Jose Melvin, president of the association, is already up and tending to his coop. He prepares feed for four hundred Ready- To-Lay hens all nesting contentedly to the sound of calm music playing from the coops’ sound system. He checks the health of each hen and the sizes of their eggs alongside the members of his organization who affectionately call him “Pres.” They would then do maintenance work, like cleaning the canals of refuse, carrying buckets of water for the hens and preparing to harvest their eggs in the afternoon, a typical day in the Association’s project site.
“Duty is minko exercise kasi tig daywang oras eang, mag kolekta it itlog, sizing, ag paglimpyo.” (Duty is like exercising for two hours, collecting eggs, classifying by sizes and cleaning the area) shares Erlinda Toriaga, a senior citizen and member of the association. Members are only required serve their duties two hours a week in clusters of four, rotating members weekly. Since starting the enterprise in 2023, this routine has hardly changed, with 30 initial members down to 27 managing the coop. Initial reactions to the association were enthusiastic, but none could have expected it to turn a profit of over ₱58,000.00 after only six months, made possible through the hard-work of the members and the commitment of Melvin.
“Abo nga bulig si Pres sa mga pagkakueang it mga members, imaw gapuno. Strikto pero indi harsh. Antigo mag disiplina na indi nakaka offend,” (Our President makes up for the shortcomings of the members. He is strict but not harsh and knows how to impose discipline without being too restrictive or offensive) Reciel Fabroa discloses, the secretary of the association. It is under his leadership that the enterprise continues to thrive as they are preparing to enter their second cycle this year, supervising clusters, encouraging his members, taking on extra work, and leading through action, not just by words.
𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆
Business in the association remains mostly inside the barangay, with most eggs sold to local sari-sari stores and residents. Only about 13 trays leave town a week through Peter Angeles, a member and tricycle driver. Peter had sold clothes and slippers before joining the association, his business had suffered during the pandemic and he had to pivot to selling vegetables out of his tricycle. Upon becoming a member, he added eggs to his stock and has been steadily thriving, his income providing for food, education and other household expenses for his three children and wife and even managing to complete building a house for their family.
The residents of Brgy. Afga benefited greatly from the association, who had to make irregular trips to Tangalan Public Market for eggs prior to its founding. The benefits extend to the members who earn a steady wage of ₱3,857.00 via dividends in a year. With most of them having jobs independent of the association, this additional income is a welcome step away from poverty.
The project has provided plenty of opportunities for the members to learn and develop their skills. Maryjill, Treasurer of the association adds that, “Sa negosyo, dapat may oras ka gid ag mahugod hay bukon it maeumo ro ubra,” adding, “Bukon ako antiguhan gid sa Math. Nadugangan ro knowledge dahil nag attend ako it seminar it SLP ag nagamit ko sa pag compute it among kita.” (In this business, you need to be hard working because the work is not easy. I was not an expert in Math before but through the SLP trainings, I have learned to compute and calculate our financial records)” Maryjill, like many members, only has a high school level education, and it had been a challenge for them to fill the requirements of running a business, yet they persevere still.
“Nagkaroon ako ng experience kung paalin magka income at maging financially independent,” said Erlinda, a 64-year-old pensioner and piña weaver whose participation in the enterprise brought her back some dignity and independence. This is a common story among members, people in poverty who work only to survive finding freedom and fulfillment in being a part of a project by the community and for the community.
𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁
Back in the coop, Melvin and his members finish up their work and call it a day, making sure to keep track of and reward those that have shown up. Some of the cluster members are absent, instead replaced by one of their family members to work on their behalf. Their presence is a welcome addition as the work is thorough and exhausting. “Sa negosyo it Ready-to-Lay, dapat may time, dapat may pasensiya, naka focus sa pag check ag monitor it manok,” Maryjill adds. A big factor in ensuring cooperation between cluster members is Pres himself who said, “Ok man do mga members, kailangan lang nga i-remind sanda ag e-encourage.” (The members are good people. You only need to remind and encourage them) He allows members to get trays of eggs through credit, collecting them once a month via their dividends, and encouraging members to work more. In only four years, Pres had managed to create a positive work environment, helped in large part due to his infectious smile and firm command.
Despite their background, the association members have managed to turn a fledgling business into a staple of their community. This is a group of people who work together to ensure that their livelihoods and that of their peers are thriving and successful by providing produce that the community would have otherwise had to acquire inconveniently outside of the barangay. All of this to show that giving less fortunate people a chance to turn their life around leads to incredible results.
𝗔 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀
This story serves as a testament to the principles of SLP, providing opportunities for marginalized communities and investing in their growth. Tibyog Afga Association has taken the first steps towards watering the seeds of sustainability for their enterprise. Now entering their second cycle, things are looking up for the business, selling off their remaining hens and preparing the coop for another peak season. Tibyog Afga may not have wealth, and it may not be considered conventionally smart either, but by the will of their members, the impact of their hard work, and the community they have formed, it has proven that there is a third avenue to success: working in harmony together.
“Ga umpisa pa eang kami ag abo pang daean kailangan baktasun para maabot ro amun handum. Pero sayran man namun nga owa it maisot o mabahoe nga kapital sa negosyo kung may pagbululigan para maeab ot ro intensyon it tawo sa pag umwad ag kamaeayran it andang kabuhian.” (We have just finished the first phase of the project and there are still many steps to take before we realize our dreams. We understand that there is no small or huge capital in business if people help one another to achieve the goal towards growth and betterment of their life and livelihood), Jose Melvin ends thoughtfully.
#𝗕𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗕𝘂𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗦𝗮𝗗𝗦𝗪𝗗 ❤
#𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 💚
#𝗦𝘂𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗞𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗦𝗮𝗣𝗮𝗴𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗴 🌱
#𝗦𝗶𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲𝟮 🖋
#𝗦𝗟𝗣𝗦𝗶𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗞𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻 🌿
