Marilyn Buano: The Wonderwoman of SAMPCO

The story of this young woman in the management world displays how knowledge can lead to the creation of opportunities and possibilities that has earned her success in a profession she always loved – farming.

Finding the road out of poverty, a once little girl in a small village in Trento, Agusan del Sur, was able to build confidence by the difficulties she faced in achieving her dreams. Those tiny feet, which roamed the vast rice field before, are now printing footsteps in managing rice enterprises.

She is  Marilyn P. Buano.

At 32, she now stands tall in the spotlight of her own life. She rose to become the enterprise manager of Southern Agusan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SAMPCO), the lead ARBO under the Convergence on Value Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment (ConVERGE) project, sometime in 2022 when the Board of Directors saw her potential and dedication for work which brought the cooperative to where they are today.

This might seem impossible for others, but for Marilyn, no one can stop a determined dreamer. “If you want something, you have to work on it. Pour your heart into it whatever it takes,” she said.

She dreamed. She pursued. She succeeded.

But before she tasted this sweet part of life, she had to face the uncertainties of her dreams and the questions she had yet to work for, “I was just a simple farm girl. The circumstances looked bleak, and the ultimate question was how can I help my parents? How I may able to get my education? Where can we get money to sustain us?” she said. “We are seven (7) in the family and my parents, being the caretaker of a small farm, has a meagre income,” She added.

Walking down memory lane, Marilyn reminisces how she has gotten her education. “I was once a working student way back in my high school days, up until college. It was a challenging moment of my life because I work while I study and this would mean I am doing two things at a time. Working while studying was not an easy job. It requires me to do so many things without leaving my study behind,” she narrated.

Like many working students, she has made unimaginable sacrifices. She keeps on moving forward, thinking, dreaming of a better life for both her family and herself.

Graduated in 2015 with a Degree of Agriculture and Technology at Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT) in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, Marilyn found herself back in the village yet with a very slim chance of securing a job that would change their life status.

One day, she came across with a friend who works in SAMPCO, she was told that the cooperative was looking for someone who can look after the warehouse where sacks of palay were stocked. She never wasted time and immediately grabbed the opportunity. Back then, the compensation was not promising. “I know, yes, it was very minimal, but I told myself, I need to start small to become big,” she said. 

In that same year, she finally embarked on the cooperative journey that would transform their lives from small rural farmers to successful farmer-entrepreneurs.

For two (2) years, she worked as warehouse in-charge, organizing deliveries, storage and dispatches of palay and ensuring that all are accounted for, stored safely and securely, and are dispatched efficiently to customers.

This was her daily routine. Until in 2016, SAMPCO joined with a consultative meeting with the  Department of Agrarian Reform personnel to discuss on the DAR-IFAD project that has to be implemented within the VETREBUNS ARC Cluster. Although not originally chosen to be the lead ARBO back then, the cooperative eventually became one as the Project Management Office of Project ConVERGE has identified them as being capable enough to sustain the business considering their financial status and its strategic location.

“I am happy when SAMPCO became the lead ARBO of Project ConVERGE, especially when we are taught and provided with technical assistance to the established business activities,” she said.

“More so, because the project introduced the importance of social inclusion. That woman, youth and even the Indigenous People are integral part of the project. Looking beyond the bottom line, cooperative enterprises have a social mission to enhance not only the livelihood of the members but also the communities that surround,’ she added.

Exactly 3 years into her employment with SAMPCO, Marilyn was promoted to become the first woman and young enterprise manager. She has proven herself that her gender does not limit her of what she is capable of doing.

“I believe that when more women have the opportunity to work, the business will grow,” she said.

True enough, Marilyn managed to deal with the ups and downs of the business, managing people in the operation. In fact, she was given commendation for her exemplary contribution to SAMPCO, which made the business grow.

“My view on rural settings is that people are toiling the land to earn ends meet but they lack the idea to take their commodities to another stage where they can generate more income from what they already have,” she said. “And so, I thank Project ConVERGE, for introducing the value chain business which really helps our business to grow,” she added.

As Marilyn was always very much focused on customer satisfaction and the quality of their rice, it was quite natural for her to also deep dive into the sales to increase the business potential. Her experience prepared her for this role. 

“Today SAMPCO has gone a long way in terms of volume and value, our profits have grown too. In fact, we are able to give back to our members in the recent General Assembly. It was something that was quite satisfying for me.” She ended.