SAN ISIDRO, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte – Rural women here learned another profitable way of making money from selling rice - by processing it into delicious kakanin which could earn them a 25% net income. This realization was brought about by the Skills Training on Rice-based Processing for Rural Women and RIC which was held in the said town from June 18-20, 2019.

The lone speaker was Sancha Napalan, Provincial Rural-based Organization (RBO) coordinator of the Provincial Agriculture Office of Surigao del Norte. During the first day, she spoke about the importance of food safety awareness. She noted about the importance of hand washing, personal hygiene, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to avoid food contaminations. In the afternoon, she started the hands-on demo in making Espasol (Sticky Rice Flour Delight) and Royal Bibingka which are two of the most popular rice-based recipes or kakanin in the country.

Two more recipes were added during the second day, namely Bibingka Malagkit and Pilipit (Glazed Rice Flour Twists) which are expected to be instant favorites of the sweet tooth. Another highlight of the day was the organization of the San Isidro Rural Improvement Club (RIC) where all participating rural women became automatic members. A new set of officers were elected and immediately took the oath of office which was administered by Roderick Nonoy, Municipal Agriculturist of San Isidro. Witnesses included Mary Jane Espanto (Municipal RBO coordinator), Napalan, and Jason Jampac (Regional RBO Focal Person). Lastly, the day wrapped up with a lecture on Return of Investment (ROI) in which Napalan demonstrated how to compute the ROI and how they can earn big from selling kakanin more so that their town is a tourist destination site.

During the closing program both Napalan and Nonoy reiterated the importance of applying ones learning and using it as an income-generating project to avoid wastage of government funds and create a lasting impact to the lives of the rural poor. Many expressed their gratitude to the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) for the rare opportunity of taking part in its training.

"We are very thankful to ATI for conducting such training. We are also thankful to Ma'am Sancha Napalan for sharing her knowledge to us and giving us tips on the proper ways in processing food. To the training management staff, thank you for organizing this seminar wherein we can apply this to our homes and share our learning to others,” Quips Rose Marie Espinedo, a newly-elected officer of San Isidro RIC.

The three-day training was participated by thirty rural women coming from eight barangays namely: Pacifico, Buhing Calipay, Poblacion, Del Carmen, Roxas, Sta. Paz, Pelay, and Washington.