The Philippine Agricultural sector employs a significant portion of the population and remains an important source of income, despite a decline in its contribution to the GDP. Government funding for the sector has been consistently reduced, resulting in its continuous decline and adversely affecting farmers. The country's vulnerability to natural disasters compounds the sector's challenges. Farming has become costly and time-consuming, leaving farmers in dire straits, exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic and the start of the rainy season. Supporting farmers by purchasing local products and providing relief efforts is crucial during these challenging times.
Good Food Sundays (GFS) is a Sunday market that promotes local, organic, and ethically produced food. By partnering with GFS, we aim to support the livelihoods of local farmers. SAKA (Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo) and ARPAK (Artista ng Rebolusyong Pangkultura) are artist alliances involved in addressing peasant campaigns and advocating for land reform and rural development. Good Food Sundays support these organizations, providing funds for their projects that aim to support farmers' well-being and rights.
Background
Good Food Sundays host a weekly market selling local goods and organizing events to educate others about sustainable agricultural practices. On August 28, a photo booth will be set up at the market to raise funds. Participants can have their photos taken and share them on social media to promote GFS's Sunday Market and support farmers. All proceeds will be donated to ARPAK, including their upcoming school supply drive for farmers in Area 17, a Barangay within the UP Campus.
Goals and Objectives
- Raise awareness about farmers' challenges through zines provided by GFS' partner organizations and the photo booth initiative.
- Foster an open environment for discussing difficult issues concerning farmers' conditions, involving participating farmers at the Sunday market.
- Provide financial support to farmers and peasant advocates through multimedia platforms such as photography and graphic design.
- Generate a minimum donation of 2,000 units for GFS' partners.
Milestones
Barangay Katha has set goals to address food security, raise awareness about farmers' issues, encourage open discussions, and provide financial support through multimedia activities. In the first milestone, the group successfully established connections with partner organizations (ARPAK and Good Food Sundays), leading to opportunities like the Area 17 school supply drive. The photo shoot provided a space for guests to engage in discourse with farmers.
In Milestone 2, a donation drive was conducted with support from ARPAK and Good Food Sundays. The aim was to generate income for ongoing and future projects, starting with the school supply donation for Area 17. Despite deviating from the original plan, the extended photobooth schedule attracted 9 unique guests on the first day and 15 on the second, resulting in Php 1,140 in donations. Guests not only became aware of the advocacies but also joined partner organizations through referrals. The established goals were successfully met and exceeded.
Final Accomplishments/Activities
The project held a campaign to raise awareness and support for farmers. Zines were distributed to provide information about campaigns like Free Land Distribution and Stand With Farmers. Before the photo booth, ARPAK members discussed the importance of sharing farmers' struggles. The interactive booth had props reflecting ongoing campaigns, encouraging solidarity, and highlighting the need for land reform and agricultural justice.
The discussions resonated with attendees, fostering open dialogue on farmers' challenges. Despite minor setbacks, the event raised Php 1,140 in donations. The photo booth props proved effective and were used in subsequent events, keeping farmers' messages prominent. The funds supported the production of "Walang Panginoon ang Lupa" album, released during Peasant Month, to further raise awareness about farmers' struggles.
Overall Impact
The event had a favorable outcome and achieved most of the organization's goals. Despite not being executed during peak hours, the distribution of zines effectively raised awareness about farmers' issues. The organization hopes that this increased awareness will lead to greater support and action to help farmers. The event also generated positive financial results, although it fell short of the initial financial goal. Nonetheless, the funds gained will support future endeavors.
Carrying out this project taught Barangay Katha valuable lessons. Initially, they faced challenges in determining how to address food security due to the multifaceted nature of the problem. However, one member's participation in a partner organization helped them better understand the issues faced by farmers. They also learned about the complexities of on-ground activities compared to online webinars. Coordination, logistics, and the number of people involved presented challenges in addressing concerns efficiently.
Barangay Katha hopes that these lessons and experiences will guide each member in further addressing food security issues in the country. They recognize that it is a complex problem requiring education and involvement from more people to benefit all.
Project Evaluation
The event had a positive outcome, achieving most of the organization's goals. Despite some challenges and activities not reaching peak hours, information about farmers' issues was effectively spread through zine distribution. The organization hopes to increase awareness and support for farmers. While the financial goal wasn't fully met, the funds gained will contribute to future endeavors.
Barangay Katha gained valuable insights from the project. Initially focused on food security, they faced challenges in determining how to help. Partnering with an organization involved in farming issues provided education and understanding of farmers' experiences. The project also highlighted the complexities of on-ground activities compared to online webinars. Coordination and logistics proved challenging, emphasizing the need for efficient teamwork.
Barangay Katha aims to apply these learnings in addressing food security issues and hopes for greater education and awareness among the public.
Tips and Recommendations
Time management was a major challenge in our project. To address this, Brgy. Katha recommends scheduling events with ample setup time and providing a call sheet for everyone involved. Delegating tasks at least a day in advance can also help ensure smooth execution.
It is important to have all members and partners present in meetings to align plans. We encountered difficulty when the GFS representative was absent, hindering coordination with our group and ARPAK.
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