Module 1

MODULE 1
SELF-CHECK ACTIVITY
1. What is a social enterprise?

A social enterprise is an organization or a business that are goal-driven to provide assistance to
the public rather than their own monetary gains. These businesses focus more on eliminating social
challenges like poverty, hunger, and are always coming up with ways to help their community.
2. Why is it considered as an alternative platform that can alleviate the plight of the poor?
Since social enterprises value their social impacts over monetary gains, alleviating the poor is one
thing to expect from these businesses. These businesses have the resources and the capabilities to
help the poor and educate them on ways to be financially independent and have sustainable
businesses, too.
3. What is a social economy? Why is it considered to be happening already?
Social economy is a phenomenon wherein all business activities are seen and made to be a strong
social cause while also maintaining a business purpose of being economically viable. We all know there
are many movements already that urge companies around the world to be conscious of corporate
decisions that may affect the community and the environment surrounding it.
4. What is the third and fourth socio-economic systems?
So, the third and fourth socio-economic systems are social economy and solidarity economy. Both
have the same purpose; to basically develop alternatives to state and market systems in order to
reach their common goal of making a change in the community. What makes it different, though, is
that social economy focuses on being socially conscious of their business ventures, while solidarity
economy ensures that their business ventures would foster solidarity of the community.
5. What is a neo-liberal agenda that will advance the public sector?
Social enterprises are a neo-liberal agenda that will advance the public sector for the fact that
these businesses ignite their sense of social purpose. Thus, resulting to many business ventures
that are driven to create changes to lives of the people in the community.
CASE STUDY
MIARBA’S METHAMORPHOSIS
The story of the Minoro Isabel Agrarian reform beneficiaries Association (MIARBA). One of Alter
Trade’s partner sugar producers, mirrored the squalor and struggle among a large segment of the
poor in Negros Island in the 1980s. It is the story of how to manage the opportunity created by
agrarian reform, amid the reality of an ineffective government program to support the move farmers
out of poverty. It is one of the stories that defined the rich historical context that gave birth to Alter
Trade as a social enterprise. MIARBA had 132 members 57 women and 75 men. They were
agricultural workers of the of the 224.24-hectare sugar estate called Hacienda Isabel that is located in
a village called Minoro de la Castellana town in Negros Occidental. They were organized as a worker’s
cooperative in the 1980s. MIARBA leader Imelda Cervantes related: “During the time when we were
still under the hacienda system, we worked like slaves, we did not have command of our time nor did
we have the right to demand for the landlord to pay us rightfully” (Cervantes as cited by/ATG, 2008).
A MIARBA member echoed her sentiments: “One day would start at 4 a.m. when we were given work
assignments. Wages were on the form of a weekly rice supply that was barely enough to feed our
families. The families were living below subsistence level, with parents and children, alike having little
or no opportunity to finish grade school. The MIARBA members interviewed said none of them had
finished grade school. The situation went from bad to worse during the sugar crisis. The hacienda
stopped ted operations and the workers were left to fend for themselves. The workers then occupied
and planted rice and corn in 48 hectares of idle land. But in 1988, the landlord re-asserted ownership,
and an initial agreement was reached for the workers to continue controlling the rice-growing areas,
while the owners would again take charge of the sugarcane areas. The workers’ cooperative pushed
for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, and a long-drawn struggle to
possess the and ensued. It was also by 2002 that the workers finally gained ownership of 57 hectares
of sugar land (managed communally) and 20 hectares of rice land (under individual cultivation). Their
claim for another 50 hectares of land is still pending with the registry of deeds. It was 2001 – 2002,
when the workers were installed as agrarian reform beneficiaries, that MIARBAs partnership with Alter
Trade Flourish.
BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

In the Mindoro Isabel Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (MIARBA), there were a total
of 132 members that were agricultural laborers in the 1980s in Hacienda Isabel, a sugar estate in
Minor de la Castellana, Negros Occidental. The laborers were paid pitifully for slave-like labor, and
they were struggling to support their families. As the sugar crisis impacted the economy, the hacienda
ceased operations, leaving laborers to fend for themselves.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The purpose of this research is to determine how MIARBA farmers dealt with their situation
during the sugar economic crisis.
ALTERNATE COURSES OF ACTION
1. Push for the Agrarian Agricultural Reform
2. Be a part of the Agrarian Reform beneficiaries.
3. Partnership with Alter Trade.
RECOMMENDATION
It is highly recommended for the MIARBA farmers to proceed with alternative action #1 as it is
the options that’s more plausible than the other 2 options. Once the Reform has been signed and
constitutionalized, options 2 and 3 will become more plausible.
CONCLUSION
I conclude that pushing for the Agrarian Reform in order to ensure and assert their rights as farmers
are the best way to start their fight to being an independent farmer. Once the reform is realized, these
farmers will have more confidence in taking partnerships with other organizations that could help
them further their businesses.

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MODULE 1

1. What is a social enterprise?

3. What is a social economy? Why is it considered to be happening already?

4. What is the third and fourth socio-economic systems?

5. What is a neo-liberal agenda that will advance the public sector?

BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

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