In the first week of April 2024, the ISEA team together with our partners Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, Vizcaya Fresh, Kayapa Organic Producers Association, Inc., visited the Community Networks (CNs) which were set up in Nueva Vizcaya. Community Networks were set up in Cabanglasan and Pangawan to assist organic farmers in marketing harvests through a social enterprise called Vizcaya Fresh. In return, farmers can efficiently plan their farms and crops with access to information such as farmgate/market prices, farm inputs, and even available technology online.
After the Nueva Vizcaya visit, the team also visited another implementing partner Philippine Coffee Alliance which is also part of the Community Network (CN) project. PCAi is one of ISEA’s four partners implementing 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 (MBCN) 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. PCAi is establishing a pioneering model of CN inspired by frugal technology and Internet of Things (IoT) to collect necessary data that will provide valuable insights for community-based coffee social enterprises.
The MBCN project is being implemented in Bangladesh, China, and the Philippines. The project is supported by APNIC Foundation through ISIF 2024. This CN project in Nueva Vizcaya and with PRRM is one of the projects supported in the Philippines.
With this continuing effort, we hope to connect the unconnected and bridge digital divide and provide meaningful connectivity among geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas and communities in the Philippines.