Graphic from THEPHILBIZNEWS by NCB
Victoria “NIKE” De Dios
San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has partnered with the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute to help at least 500 trafficked or distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) put up their own businesses, for them to get a fresh start in life.
Dubbed the “Bayaning Kumikita” program, the initiative will enable repatriated OFW beneficiaries to establish their own community-based poultry reselling business under SMC’s Magnolia poultry brand.
The Ople Center, a non-profit organization known for helping distressed overseas Filipino workers, said that under the partnership, SMC’s Magnolia Trade and Sales teams together with authorized distributors of its poultry products will work closely with repatriated OFWs to help them hone their business skills, identify their target markets, and price products.
The Ople Center will provide seed capital for the initial crates of products that will be sold by the beneficiaries.
“At San Miguel, our mindset is always, ‘we have to create more jobs and opportunities for Filipinos; we have to empower more people to help themselves and enable them contribute to the country’s growth’. So whether its building new facilities, new infrastructure, or taking on social development initiatives, generating jobs and livelihood is our priority. We are grateful to the Ople Center for giving us this chance to help OFWs, especially those that have been abused or have experienced extreme difficulties,” said SMC president and chief operating Ramon S. Ang.
“We are grateful to Mr. Ramon S. Ang and San Miguel Corporation for taking part in the healing journey of our modern-day heroes who unfortunately suffered so much trauma from abusive employers,” said Susan Ople, head of the Center and recently appointed as the first Filipino Trustee of the United Nations Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons.
Ople related that among the first batch of OFWs-turned-entrepreneurs is “Honey”, who won a human trafficking case filed against her abusive Malaysian employers in Kuala Lumpur.
“Honey” suffered physical and verbal abuse, including serious burns on her body after her lady employer scalded her with hot cooking oil. Her employers were convicted by the court and sentenced to jail for 12 and 10 years, each.
“SMC’s Magnolia Bayanihang Kumikita program brings hope to our OFWs during this time of COVID-19, when new jobs and livelihood opportunities are even harder to come by, she said.
Meanwhile, SMC said that the program makes it easier for interested OFWs to become community resellers because of the easy application process and the mentorship that comes with putting up the micro-start-up business.
“This program is part of our ongoing initiatives to provide livelihood training and jobs for those who are living in at-risk communities and are lacking in opportunities. We are committed to helping as many Filipinos meaningfully and sustainably. We believe that the best way to do this is to enable them to help themselves by providing them the capacity, skills, and good environment, for them to rise above their challenges and reach their full potential,” Ang added.
Also among the beneficiaries of the program are OFWs repatriated from abroad who are based in Bulakan, Bulacan where SMC plans to build a P740-billion, world-class international airport.
The massive airport project is seen to provide enormous job and livelihood opportunities for the people of Bulacan province and neighboring provinces.
The Ople Center and its international partner, the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS) believe that civil society-private sector partnerships to fight human trafficking are essential in empowering survivors of abuse and exploitation from abroad to recover and re-join the mainstream of society.
“Everyone deserves a new and better chapter in their lives after experiencing trauma abroad. We hope to grow this partnership with thousands more benefitting from it as part of our continuing partnership with San Miguel Corporation,” Ople said.