Nieves, R. U. I. (2014). Establishment of a model coconut farmers community (Unpublished master's thesis). Public Management Development Program, Development Academy of the Philippines.

Public Management Development Program Middle Managers' Class Batch 4 Thesis (MMC)--Development Academy of the Philippines

This project was conceptualized to develop five (5) business model canvasses suited for the introduction of resource-based livelihood projects for the target beneficiaries of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) being one of the government line agencies mandated to address the poverty reduction in the country. This would be accomplished through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP) that is envisioned to lead to employment and jobs creation both in the formal and informal sectors. Based on the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) report, sixty percent (60%) of the poorest of the poor are coconut farmers. The poverty among the coconut farmers is caused basically by but not limited to low land productivity, dependence to mono cropping and lack of technological knowledge to fully utilize their resources. If ever the government is able to uplift the living conditions of these marginalized coconut farmers, it would remarkably reduce the poverty incidence in this country. Through the Re-entry Project, DOLE would be able to develop a template that would be used in providing meaningful interventions to the coconut farmers as recipients of its livelihood assistance program. To effectively provide sustainable assistance to the coconut farmers, the author developed a holistic approach that involved the following processes: area identification, conduct of series of dialogues, community organization and registration, conduct of trainings, both technology transfer and organizational management and entrepreneurship, project packaging for fund sourcing, actual implementation and project monitoring. Specifically, the proponent introduced to the members of San Antonio Integrated Farmers' Association (SAIFA) located in San Antonio, Casiguran, Sorsogon the following economic endeavors to be incorporated in their coconut farm lots: Natural Hog Raising, Natural Poultry Raising, Honey Bee Culture, Turmeric Production and Processing and Vermi Composting. However, interventions were not limited to the above mentioned projects. Some ideas were developed along the implementation of the project such as the organic vegetable production as suggested by NAPC to lessen the expenses of the beneficiaries on food and the organic fertilizer manufacturing to complement with the vermi-composting and vegetable production. Each project was complemented with technology transfer training with business management and entrepreneurship features in order for them to appreciate the principles of entre-farming. As a result of this initiative, the 43 beneficiaries were able to establish 18 pigpens with 48 sow levels, 15 backyard honey bee farms, 4 natural broiler raising projects, 2 vermi composting, 1 organic fertilizer production facility, 17 turmeric and ginger plantations, 1 turmeric processing facility and 42 organic vegetable gardening. As of April 2015, the beneficiaries were on their second cycle of production.