One of the core pillars of Franklin Baker Company of the Philippines’ business is to provide support to their partner coconut farmers by providing opportunities for sustainable livelihood growth. Empowering farmers via access to tools, resources and programs enables them to optimize their yield and generate higher returns, enabling the industry to thrive and continue for generations to come.
With this thrust in mind, Franklin Baker and the Technical Education, Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement last August 5, 2024, at TESDA’s Taguig office, with then TESDA Director General Suharto Mangudadatu and Franklin Baker’s CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, Ferdinand Dela Cruz, and VP for Human Resources, Rossana Calingin.
The partnership aims to implement a long-term system on standards development, skills training and enterprise-based training programs such as the following:
- Knowledge-sharing and career awareness initiatives that promote quality products and ingredients that are primed to excel in global food markets
- Enterprise-based training activities, job fairs and conferences that showcase coconut farming as a viable source of livelihood
- Collaborative research programs for the creation of training standards on food supply and processing, strategic investments and Technical Vocational Education and Trainings (TVET)
- Other academic activities that widen the relevant scope of the program, as agreed upon by both institutions
Dela Cruz expressed Franklin Baker’s enthusiasm for partnering with TESDA, stating, “We are excited to collaborate on programs funded by the Coconut Farms and Industry Development Program (CFIDP) to help coconut farmers become successful traders. This will also support strong family farm succession within coconut communities.”
This collaboration with TESDA strengthens Franklin Baker’s advocacy of championing Filipino coconut farmers, providing the resources, skills, and knowledge that will empower them to continue a legacy founded on hard work and inspired by opportunities and support for the industry.
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