TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Wilma Alvester, a cassava farmer-processor from Barangay New Tanglag was recently named Cordillera region’s representative in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) – National Search for Outstanding Rural Women (SORW).
SORW is an annual recognition for outstanding rural women for their significant contributions to agriculture, fisheries, sustainable development, and the promotion of women-friendly technologies that started in 2003.
According to Alvester, she started engaging in cassava farming in 2009 which later on turned into miki and flour processing that led her to gain said national attention. Currently, her processing facility is producing cassava flour, starch, pancit noodles, and the widely popular cassava chips.
The chips are especially well-loved among schools across the province and have become a healthier alternative to junk food. She aims to introduce the product in supplemental feeding programs to help combat malnutrition.
Her cassava journey started in May 2024 when she participated in a technology benchmarking activity at Apayao State College’s Complementary Food Products facility. This initiative was funded and supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) under the Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises or WHWise Program.
Using funds from the program, Alvester established her cassava processing facility through her project, “Babae Livelihood Accelerating Cassava Opportunity” (BALANGKOY), which means cassava in the local dialect.
In 2017, prior to the success of BALANGKOY, Alvester co-founded the Manggawa Farmers Environmental Development Association (MFEDA).
As president, she facilitated the acquisition of farming equipment such as rotavator, water pump, and combine harvester from the DA, which continue to benefit the community to this day.
With her accomplishments, Alvester was recognized as a community leader known for her initiatives that benefitted the women in their locality. This endeavor is manifested in her BALANGKOY project which is operated by all-women MFEDA group. Five of said members work in the facility, while the other 11 are working on the plantation, ensuring the continuous production and availability of cassava roots, while providing livelihood for the women in the community.
As a community leader with prior experience as a barangay treasurer, she provided local women entrepreneurs with technical support, guidance, and demonstration.
Further diversifying her contributions to agriculture, Alvester also ventured into rice, corn, vegetable, and tilapia production.
All this, plus the success of her cassava project in just months, led to her recognition as the region’s outstanding rural woman in August 2024, along with a cash prize of P50,000.
On January 15, 2025, a validation visit to Alvester’s cassava facility and the cassava, corn, and palay plantations in New Tanglag, Tabuk City was carried out by DA-Central Office staff.
Alvester was interviewed and had her documents validated during the visit.
Employees from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg), the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR), and the Office of the City Agricultural Services (OfCAS) assisted Alvester throughout the validation. By Rio Bassong
