Bualan Agrarian Reform Community Cooperative (BARCOCO), an Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organization (ARBO) in Lanao del Norte, enhances its business operations by launching its own website.

BARCOCO utilized Canva, a popular graphic design platform, to create its digital content. The cooperative has also enrolled as a merchant in Shopee Marketplace to further widen its market reach.

Embracing digitalization is not new for MSMEs especially during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. More consumers have shifted to online shopping, prompting business establishment to create online marketing channels, including CARPreneurs. This gave CARPreneurs the chance to boost their knowledge and skills pertaining to digitalization.

For BARCOCO, the shift to digitalization led to increased demand of its banana flour and banana chips.

The digital initiative was implemented after two program coordinators

from DTI Lanao del Norte’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) successfully participated in the series of trainings conducted by Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) in coordination with DTI-CARP Program Management Office. The two training courses—(1) Digital Literacy Training towards E-commerce and (2) Building Back Better Business via E-commerce and Digital Marketing—equipped the CARP Coordinators with necessary skills and tools that can assist CARPreneurs to pivot their businesses from traditional marketing to digital marketing.

The capability building training is in line with DTI Lanao del Norte’s goal to to develop and equip the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) with the right mindset and knowledge to help them become more effective and efficient in scaling up their business ventures. * (A.Clamonte/C.Casinillo)

Date of release: 29 December 2022