Karen Sace, 49, was a plain housewife when she was invited to join what was an already disbanding organization. Because she believed in the vision of Bahi Agriculture and Fisheries Association, Sace persevered from being a plain member to being a secretary, then eventually leading the micro-enterprise unit of the organization as its manager.

“Naniniwala po ako na ang isang samahan, pag walang natutok talaga, ay walang asenso. [Kaya] naging committed ako sa kanila. Tumutok ako sa kanila,” Sace said.

Fortunately, her efforts showed fruitful results. Upon experiencing how promising arrowroot production is, farmers found new hope in planting the said root crop. Eventually, Bahi Agriculture and Fisheries Association grew from only 16 members to more than 50. And with the association’s growing number, Sace, along with her officers, relentlessly pursued assistance from funding organizations. Currently, the association is now a recipient of a processing center under the Arrowroot Production and Processing subproject of PRDP’s I-REAP component. 

“Napakalaki ng maitutulong sa amin [ng processing center]… ine-expect po namin na makapag-produce kami ng malinis at ligtas na pagkain. And at the same time, kahit dito lang sa Marinduque, ay ma-sustain namin ‘yung supply ng pagkain… Matutulungan [din] namin ang aming mga kasapi na mai-angat ang antas ng pamumuhay ng mga magsasaka,” she expressed.

She also shared that her three daughters are also inspired to pursue agriculture. With Sace and the rest of the Bahi Agriculture and Fisheries Association setting an example, we aren’t far from seeing a new generation of skilled and dedicated farmers living comfortable lives. ### (Danica A. Brutas, DA-PRDP MIMAROPA RPCO InfoACE Unit)