SMC resellers program for MIA site residents was launched benefiting former residents of Barangay Taliptip in Bulakan, the future site of the P740-billion Manila International Airport project.
“The program is part of the company’s continuing livelihood creation and training programs for the residents and their families,” said SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang.
The food and beverage conglomerate has provided free skills and livelihood training from Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA). It is also organizing former residents into groups or cooperatives to start their own community reselling business by carrying SMC products like Magnolia Chicken and Purefoods-branded frozen products.
The SMC resellers program for MIA residents is a livelihood support that comes with an additional community-based business skills training to allow former residents to enhance their income from the fishing trade.
Last year, SMC released cash grants to former residents of Taliptip for the construction or acquisition of new concrete homes away rom danger zones.
“We are fully committed to helping our Taliptip families become more capable of building a better future for themselves, by providing them all the support and training they need to get good jobs—preferably at our projects–or to pursue various businesses opportunities,” Ang said.
“This selling program is specifically designed for those relocatees who cannot leave their homes to work but need to earn income. By organizing them into groups for the community reseller program, we are encouraging them to help each other as they also help us ensure the availability of Magnolia and Purefoods products in their respective communities,” Ang said.
Meanwhile, the company is also starting additional training opportunities for former residents who want to start seafood-based small businesses. The training will cover bangus/tinapa processing and bangus fry and shrimp production.
“We want to make sure we provide them as many income opportunities as possible. What we’re hoping to achieve is to capacitate and empower them to be self-reliant in the future. That’s why on top of helping them build better homes, we’ve really put particular focus on skills training,” Ang said.