Siged Tiklis, a joint initiative project of Pansigedan Advocacy Cooperative (PAC) and Tiklis Innovation of Sahei Core Technologies in partnership with selected organic practitioners officially sailed to the business world during the Pansigedan Hour program of PAC last June 8, 2023.
Siged Tiklis, which translates to “the good basket,” is an innovative digital marketplace that offers a wide array of organic and sustainably-sourced goods such as vegetables, fruits, poultry products, and guilt-free snacks.
“Siged Tiklis is real-time. It transports the commodities from the producers directly to the customers without any intervening retailers,” said by Betty C. Listino, the Chairperson of the PAC Board of Directors of PAC.
One of the standout features of Siged Tiklis is its commitment in supporting local communities’ well-being and small-scale producers by partnering with organic farmers’ associations and youth-led social enterprises, Frugies and Country’Vest. Together, Siged Tiklis envisions to foster economic growth through encouraging sustainable farming practices.
“This is a first of its kind, being a private-led initiative, in partnership with our farmer cooperatives and associations,” Listino added.
Siged Tiklis: Advocacy-driven marketplace to support organic farmers
Organic farming in Benguet has been a movement for quite some time now thanks to the tireless effort of organic agriculture advocates and the openness of farmers who bravely made the switch despite the numerous doubts surrounding its economic returns.
“Others don’t want to shift due to the lack of a stable market. Although there’s a market, the volume of the goods aren’t enough,” said Mena A. Sukil-ap, the Market Officer of one of the partner associations.
According to Silvestre Kudan, a retired professor of Benguet State University and one of the pioneer advocates of organic agriculture, market is one of the challenges in organic farming. Unless farmers are organized, the volume would not be able to meet the demand. Thus, organic farmer associations are essential in fostering cooperation and strengthening market access since the farmers can consolidate their products.
The support towards organic and sustainably-sourced food are elevated by consolidating the products from partner organic farmers’ cooperative association into a single basket through Siged Tiklis.
“There are buyers, but the consistent question is related to access. This is what Tiklis intends to provide,” Listino said.
“We are really into the advocacy for our farmers and the vision of our company is to help in food security through digital technology,” Rember Maguinsay, the Chief Executive Officer of Sahei Core Technologies said in support to the organic farmers.
Siged Tiklis: Bridging organic farmers and consumers through digital technology
Digital/online marketplaces have completely changed how we purchase and access goods in the current digital era by featuring a wide variety of products conveniently at the consumers’ fingertips. By adapting this trending marketing scheme, meeting the rising demand for organic products is possible.
“We’ll take advantage of the technology to accelerate the agriculture sector, so our farmers can access information,” Maguinsay stated.
The marketplace is currently anchored in the Facebook page of Siged Tiklis for customer orders while the development of the application, through the Tiklis Innovation of the Sahei Core Technologies, is still underway.
Buyers can message the Siged Tiklis Facebook page to inquire and place orders for organic products which are posted weekly in the same page. Following that, the consolidators—who are the organic farmers themselves—will receive the purchase orders. These goods will then be shipped directly to the customers.
Siged Tiklis: A win for health and eco-conscious consumers
With concerns about the environment and personal well-being on the rise, Siged Tiklis addresses the growing demand for healthy food options.
“Aside from the direct delivery feature of Siged Tiklis, we also want to deliver well-balanced, healthy, and affordable food,” added by May Crisline Gumihid, project leader of Siged Tiklis.
The platform aims to empower consumers to make informed choices by disclosing details of the product’s origins, certifications, and sustainable supplier practices.
“Our partner groups are all certified so we guarantee that our goods are organic and these are farm-fresh since the farmers themselves consolidate the products,” said Rhea S. Loncio, the General Manager of PAC.
The launch of Siged Tiklis marks a significant milestone in the growing sustainability and ethical consumerism movements. By connecting conscious consumers with ethically sourced products, the marketplace is poised to become a catalyst for positive wellbeing, providing individuals to make a difference through their purchasing decisions.
“We continuously look for ways to really innovate and make sure that these recommendations in our basket our customer’s health needs,” Listino emphasized. By Angel T. Bagtang
