Some farmers’ wives from Pangasinan bear witness to the hardship of rice planting and vicious cycle of indebtedness of such occupation.

“Farming is very hard. Because we don’t have capital before, we always borrow money. So when we harvest, we will again pay the debt,” Connie Flores, a mother of six, recalls.

But SM Foundation Inc. showed them the solution, which was just right at their own backyard.

Flores enrolled in the foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) Farming Program and graduated in 2023 armed with the knowhow and skills in integrated farming and vegetable gardening. She grew vegetables in their backyard and beside the family’s rice fields, maximizing land use and generating additional income. With guidance from KSK, she learned to grow high-value crops such as sponge gourd (patola), okra and string beans, which are Filipino household staples and command reasonable prices.

“If not for the KSK, I wouldn’t learn how to plant and sell a variety of vegetables,” said Flores in Filipino. “I proved that I am capable of earning and standing on my own feet. I already changed my mentality of just being a housewife. I am also capable of earning for the family,” Flores said.

KSK also aims to equip farmers like Connie with market access. After completing the training, graduates are given the opportunity to join the SM Weekend Market, where they can sell their harvest directly to consumers.

For Maricel Badua, another mother with four kids with no prior farming experience, Maricel joined the KSK program in 2023.

“I learned so many things that I now apply in my day to day life,” Badua said.

From a small backyard garden, Badua was able to harvest enough produce to begin selling at SM City Urdaneta Weekend Market, similar to Flores.

“We were given the chance by SM to sell in front of the SM City Urdaneta. It was a big help to myself and my family,” Badua said in Filipino. “In my first try to sell there, I never thought that many would buy, that I will recover my capital and that I will profit.”

Applying her KSK knowledge of careful budgeting and reinvesting earnings, Badua increased her income. From a combined household income of P4,000 per month, she now earns around P15,000 every weekend. She and her husband, a tricycle driver, now run the stall together.

“It was my long dream to become a businesswoman. With the help of SM Foundation, it was fulfilled,” she said.

Now that Badua is able to finance her children’s education, Badua can enjoy simple joys with her family, such as occasionally dining out.

“I can now focus more on my family. I can buy the things I want to buy for my children. I can set aside money. We are able to eat out, before we can’t. Before I couldn’t pay the school, now I can. I can also buy rice without borrowing,” she said, wiping away tears.

Now, Badua is working toward bigger goals. She dreams of opening another stall in a new location and, ultimately, own a house and lot.

“Today, realizing my dreams are no longer impossible. I am fulfilling them one by one,” she added.

As more KSK trainees graduate like Flores and Badua and many mothers continue to turn agriculture into a viable livelihood, the SM Foundation advances Henry Sy Sr.’s vision that farming can empower lives.