SM KSK-TESDA partnership goes to South

DAVAO City – Aside from further empowering vegetable farmers, the SM Foundation KKK partnership with the Technical Skills Development Authority (TESDA) helps ensure the livelihood program’s sustainability.

In 2019, a KSK-TESDA Region III partnership provided training focused on indigenous people from the region. From its 317 graduates, 268 earned TESDA National Certificates in Agricultural Crops Production NC III and Organic Agriculture Production NC II.

The following year, the partnership was strengthened with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between SM Foundation and TESDA.

As stipulated in the MOA, TESDA will assess and issue corresponding Certificates of Competency or National Certification to qualified graduates of the training program.

SM Foundation, among others, will select and finance the training modules on commercial high-value crop production and farm inputs on selected project sites. It will also finance logistical requirements for KSK activities and events.

After two batches of KSK-TESDA programs in Luzon previously, another batch this time in Mindanao completed the training.

At the Casuga Integrated Farm School in Barangay Malagos, Davao City, TESDA scholars of KSK Batch 223 held a harvest festival after completing Organic Agriculture Production NCII.

The scholars are residents of barangays Cadalian, Gumalang and Lacson. They planted bell pepper, cucumber, eggplant, mango, patola, petchay, and upo. From their produce sold at farmgate price, 11 KSK students were able to raise P6,275 during the festival.

Casuga Integrated Farm School, a TESDA accredited institution that offers Organic Agriculture Production NCII is SM Foundation’s partner in the KSK program.

The KSK graduates are thankful for SM in providing them market linkage. They are also grateful for the invitation to be exhibitors in the Plant Fest activity of SM Lanang which runs from February 14-28, 2021.

KSK is the brainchild of SM Founder Mr. Henry Sy Sr. which aims to provide hands-on and season-long training on vegetables cultivation to ensure sufficient food on the table of participants from the rural areas. It has since evolved to include high value crops production for small-scale farmers to improve their livelihood opportunities. It has also introduced the urban gardening program for dwellers in highly urbanized cities.