Two local entrepreneurs from Northern Mindanao will officially participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Training Program for Indigenous Businesses. Rey Lomarda of Greenminds, Inc. and Umanika Farms, and Lorielinda Marte of Tagolwanen Women Weavers Association are two of the four Philippine participants to be accepted to join the program.

The APEC Training Program for Indigenous Businesses is a project that supports indigenous micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to grow and build resilience through trade by building practical trade knowledge and skills and creating a supportive network of indigenous MSMEs across APEC economies.

Participants will undergo training and knowledge-building sessions on topics relevant to MSME capacity building and growth such as border processes and logistics, trade finance, intellectual property rights, branding, and e-commerce.

Greenminds Inc. is a people-oriented & self-sustaining non-government organization committed to the preservation and protection of the fragile environment. It offers various training packages to promote innovative and appropriate ecological farming technologies. On the other hand, Umanika Farm is a fully functional “learning and earning” organic farm that showcases organic agriculture technologies such as vermicomposting, in-farm management, ecological crop production, and organic farm development.

Meanwhile, Tagolwanen Women Weavers Association aims for the indigenous weavers to continue the Tagolwanen weaving tradition by incorporating weaving into daily life.

The APEC Training Program for Indigenous Business will be held online from 25 May to 31 August 2021. The project will be delivered by the Export Council of Australia and industry partners, including Australia’s Indigenous Network for Investment Trade and Export. ♦

Date of Release: 27 April 2021