Of the tides and instabilities of farming, small farmers look elsewhere for greener pastures to meet their basic needs. One of them was Arma Tingkang Malunes, 42 years old, who considered employment abroad as a balm that could soothe their ailing livelihood.

Nine (9) years after Arma’s marriage to Marcelo Despojo Malunes, she left him and decided to work in Singapore to help sustain their growing family. As a domestic helper in 2009, she had been earning more or less P 20,000 a month to support her family’s daily subsistence, as well as for her savings.

Months passed by, Arma realized that the comfort of her income wasn’t enough to compensate for her homesickness and anxiety being away from home.

“Being with my family and nurturing them is my priority in life. I was optimistic that with the little savings that I had and the determination I possessed, I could earn the same amount or more when I return home,” Arma disclosed.

In 2011, Arma decided to return home and used her savings to start a Sari-Sari store.

Being an agrarian reform beneficiary and a member of the Tinagacan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (TARBC), located in Barangay Tinagacan, General Santos City, has unlocked many opportunities for their family.

While operating their small sari-sari store, her family became the recipient of a Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) – Community-managed Potable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (CPWASH) project in 2012, where they received five (5) heads of piglets, provided under the program. They also added two (2) more heads from their own pockets to have them grown as swine for their starting piggery.

As they diligently managed their livelihood, another opportunity came when Arma qualified in the TARBC microfinance project Dagdag Kabuhayan component in 2013, in which she received additional capital for her sari-sari store and piggery.

“With the help of my husband, we applied the entrepreneurial principles we learned from the cooperative, paving the way for our sari-sari store to flourish and enabling us to meet our daily needs and sustain the operating expenses of our piggery,” she said.

Arma’s integrity as a loan borrower provided her the opportunity to renew anytime her TARBC microfinance loan. Presently she is on her 18th cycle of renewal. Thus, she was able to add more items to sell in her store that consistently increased her sales.

“My husband diligently managed the piggery. Every two (2) cycles since then, one (1) sow was added. At this time, we have a total of five (5) swine and one (1) boar. The piggery has augmented our family’s income. All of these helped us support our three (3) children – one (1) in grade 11, and the other in the first year and second year of college. All of them are studying in General Santos City, requiring a bigger budget for their fare,” she proudly said.

The provident living that Arma’s family enjoys was evident as every time their relatives visited them, they would say that their house was getting bigger.

Arma divulged that being a cooperative member has indeed many opportunities. “The TARBC microfinancing freed us from the debilitating chain of loan sharks. In addition, I am receiving a considerable salary as a Cashier of the cooperative.”

“The DAR’s microfinance project had strengthened my partnership with my husband in making a living and providing the necessities of life for our family. Because of it, I can now maintain a manageable schedule that allowed me to fulfill my responsibilities as a wife and a mother to my children. I realized that with the DAR’s help and guidance, the greener pasture is not far, but is just within our grasp,” Arma concluded. (By: Agnes R. Torino and Marte L. Pabalay)

Sa alon at kawalan ng katatagan ng pagsasaka, ang mga maliliit na magsasaka ay naghahanap ng oportunidad sa iba’t ibang lugar upang matugunan ang kanilang mga pangunahing pangangailangan. Isa na rito si Arma Tingkang Malunes, 42 taong-gulang, na nangibang-bayan upang bigyang ginhawa ang kanilang pamumuhay.

Siyam (9) na taon pagkatapos niyang ikasal kay Marcelo Despojo Malunes, iniwan niya ang asawa at nagdesisiyong magtrabaho sa Singapore upang suportahan ang kanilang lumalaking pamilya. Bilang kasambahay noong taong 2009, kumikita siya ng may P20,000 kada buwan upang masustentuhan ang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan ng kaniyang pamilya, kasama na dito, ang kanyang pag-iipon.

Sa mga nagdaang buwan, napagtanto ni Arma na hindi sapat ang kaginhawaan ng kanyang kinikita upang mabayaran ang kanyang nararamdamang pangungulila at pangambang nalalayo siya sa kanyang pamilya.

“Ang makasama ang pamilya ko at ang pag-aalaga sa kanila ang prayoridad ko sa buhay. Naniniwala ako na sa kaunting ipon ko at determinasyon, kikitain ko rin ang ganitong halaga sa pagbalik ko sa ating bayan,” paglalahad ni Arma.

Taong 2011, nagdesisyon si Arma na bumalik na at gamitin ang ipon upang magsimula ng isang sari-sari store.

Ang pagiging agrarian refrom beneficiary at miyembro ng Tinagacan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (TARBC), na matatagpuan sa Barangay Tinagacan, General Santos City, ay nagbukas ng maraming pagkakataon para sa kanilang pamilya.

Habang pinatatakbo niya ang maliit na negosyo, naging benepisyaryo siya ng DAR-Community-managed Potable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (CPWASH) project noong 2012, kung saan tumanggap sila ng (5) biik, na ipinagkaloob sa ilalim ng programa. Nagdagdag pa siya ang dalawang (2) biik mula sa sariling bulsa upang palakihin sa kaniyang panimulang babuyan.

Habang masugid nilang pinangangasiwaan ang kanilang pangkabuhayan, dumating ang isa pang pagkakataon nang maging kwalipikado si Arma sa TARBC microfinance project na Dagdag Kabuhayan component noong 2013, kung saan tumanggap sila ng dagdag na kapital para sa kanilang sari-sari store at babuyan.

“Sa tulong ng aking asawa, ginamit namin ang mga prinsipyo ng pagnenegosyo na natutunan namin sa kooperatiba, na nagbigay daan upang ang aming sari-sari store ay lumago lalo at matugunan din ang pang-araw-araw naming pangangailangan, ganun din ang operating expenses ng aming babuyan,” aniya.

Bilang tapat na loan borrower, si Arma ay nabigyan ng pagkakataon na mag-renew sa TARBC microfinance loan sa oras na gusto niya. Sa kasalukuyan, siya ay nasa pang-18 cycle na ng renewal dito. Kung kaya’t marami na siyang naidagdag sa kanyang paninda at patuloy na nagpapataas ng kanilang kita.

“Masipag na pinamamahalaan ng asawa ko ang babuyan. Sa tuwing dalawang (2) cycle mula noon, isang (1) babaeng baboy ang nadaragdag. Ngayon, mayroon na kaming limang (5) swine at isang (1) boar. Ang babuyan ay nakapagdagdag sa aming kita. Ang mga ito ay nakatulong upang suportahan ang aming tatlong (3) anak – isa (1) sa grade 11, ang dalawa (2) sa first year at second year college. Lahat sila ay nag-aaral sa General Santos City, na nangangailangan ng mas malaking budget para sa kanilang pamasahe,” pagmamalaki niya.

Ang masaganang pamumuhay na tinatamasa nila ay kapansin-pansin sa kanilang mga kamag-anak dahil tuwing bibisita sila sa kanilang tahanan ay nababanggit nila na ito ay unti-unting lumalaki.

Inilahad ni Arma na napakaraming oportunidad bilang cooperative member. “Ang TARBC microfinancing ay nagpalaya sa amin mula sa panggigipit ng mga loan sharks. Karagdagan pa nito, tumatanggap ako ng sweldo bilang Cashier sa kooperatiba.”

“Ang microfinance ng DAR ay nagpatibay sa samahan naming mag-asawa sa paghahanap-buhay at pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng aming pamilya. Dahil dito, naaayos ko ang aking oras upang magampanan ko ang aking obligasyon bilang may bahay at ina ng aking mga anak. Napagtanto ko na dahil sa tulong at patnubay ng DAR, ang tinatawag nilang greener pasture ay hindi malayo, ngunit abot-kamay lang natin,” paglalahad ni Arma.