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General S.K. Pendatun & Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao del Sur
Experts from the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) demonstrated their expertise to farmers, fisherfolks, and women entrepreneurs in Maguindanao del Sur through a capacity-building training under the L-MARSH Project of Islamic Relief Canada on July 30–31 and August 14–15, 2025.
Titled “Scaling, Sustaining, and Strengthening Farming, Fishing, and Women-led Enterprises through Community-based Mentorship and Support,” the training was part of the Strengthening Livelihood and Climate Resilience for Ligawasan Marsh Communities in Mindanao initiative.
Zaynab Ampatuan, Senior Project Officer of Islamic Relief Canada, said that the initiative aims to improve the economic well-being of the community members through introducing new knowledge, skills, and techniques.
“Through this initiative, we were able to bring together farmers, fisherfolk, and women entrepreneurs from General S.K. Pendatun and Sultan sa Barongis, providing them with practical skills, entrepreneurial knowledge, and sustainable production techniques that respond directly to their needs and livelihoods.” she said on her welcome remarks.
Meanwhile, faculty members from the USM College of Business, Development, Economics, and Management (CBDEM) handled training on Enterprise Assessment, Business Identification, and Business Planning for women-led associations. The roster of talents included Prof. Esmaira G. Gunsayan, DBA, Prof. Irving T. Fajarito, Jr., DBM, and Prof. Jeannie U. Duka, PhD.
Further, Prof. Mark Al-Jamie J. Muttulani, PhD, from the USM College of Agriculture (USM-CA) demonstrated climate-smart practices such as the Simple Kratky Hydroponic Set-up and Sustainable Vegetable Production. While, Prof. Leonila V. Papalid conducted training on Induced Spawning of African Catfish and Fish Feed Formulation.
This partnership between Islamic Relief Canada and USM aims to strengthen livelihoods, promote climate resilience, and strengthen local economies in the Ligawasan Marsh area.
Jimwell P. Pande
