Driving Innovation and Empowerment in Coastal Communities

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay - A convergence of the local government, civil society organizations, and a group of fisherfolks can turn an impoverished coastal community into a bustling center of development and environmental conservation.

This was proven by Brgy. Concepcion in the municipality of Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay as they worked for the re-emergence of their marine resources through mangrove planting and fighting illegal fishing activities in the Sibuguey Bay.

During the learning exchange organized by Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) with the fisherfolks from Padre Burgos, Quezon on February 4-5, Kapunungan ng Gagmay Mangingisda ng Concepcion (KGMC) Chair Roberto "Ka Dodoy" Ballon told the story of revival that brought their community to be one of the most successful and inspiring stories when it comes to community empowerment.

"Noong ‘60s at ‘70s marami talagang isda dito. Ang ilog dati ay malalim. Ngunit nang dumating ang ibang mga tao mula sa Luzon at Visayas, nagsimulang magbago ang lugar," Ka Dodoy said.

(The fishes were plenty in the 1960s and 1970s and the river is deep. But everything changed when settlers from Visayas and Mindanao came).

Ka Dodoy narrated that the mangroves were removed by fishers from neighboring barangays, and the river was blocked to pave way for fishponds, which led to the decrease of catch.

"'Nang bumaba ang kita ng mga mangingisda, pumasok sila sa mga illegal activies. Noong may pumasok na commercial fishers, nagkaroon ng dynamite at cyanide fishing. Ginawa din ito ng mga mangingisda dito," he said.

(Illegal activities started when the income fell. When commercial fishers entered here, they introduced dynamite and cyanide fishing on which the residents here followed suit).

The continuous destruction of environment and subsequent loss of income moved Ka Dodoy and other fisherfolks to act.

With the help of Xavier Agricultural Extension Service Foundation and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, KGMC organized themselves to begin planting mangroves and trained as "bantay-dagat" or sea patrols against illegal activities.

As KGMCs activities began to echo in other barangays as their mangrove planting brought back fish in the Sibuguey Bay, the local government passed a resolution that protected the mangrove forest in the entire town of Kabasalan.

“Nirerecognize namin ang local government na aming partner to pursue coastal programs and projects. Ngayon nararamdaman namin ang suporta nila,” Ka Dodoy added.

(We recognize the local government as our partner in pursuing local programs and projects. We’ve been feeling their support).

According to him, all coastal programs to be implemented by the LGUs are first being consulted with KGMC.

The convergence has brought prosperity to Concepcion, with some households able to send their children to school, buy appliances, and provide for their basic needs.

The success of the community later expanded through a provincial organization founded by Ka Dodoy, the Coalition of Municipal Association of Zamboanga Sibugay (COMFAZS).

“Sana kayo ay manguna sa Quezon Province ng bumuo ng ganitong programa para sa lahat ng mangingisda,” he addressed the fisherfolks of Padre Burgos.

(We hope that you can also create programs for all fisherfolks in Quezon Province).

Padre Burgos LGU vows to replicate same convergence

During the learning exchange, Padre Burgos Mayor Ruben Uy Diokno - together with Franco Bondeci and Gloria Santos of the municipal and provincial agricultural offices, and the leaders of Yakap at Halik Multi-Purpose Cooperative Quezon 2 (Yakap at Halik) and Ipil Action Group (IAG), whose members comprised of fisherfolks in the municipality - pledged to work together in further developing their coastal resources.

“Gusto naming umangat ang kabuhayan dahil nasa dagat ang pag-asenso kung aayusin lang natin,” Mayor Diokno said.

(We recognized that progress could come from the sea if we work on this together).


The Padre Burgos LGU has committed to fund bangus nursery and grouper production as well as provision of a patrol boat to protect their fishing grounds from illegal activities.

The town’s mariculture area will be rezoned for the fisherfolks of both organizations to further secure their rights in doing aquaculture.


According to PEF Senior Area Officer Peter Nabong, the convergence will lead to better coordination in the implementation of the coastal programs for the fisherfolks.

“Kapag tayo po ay nagkaroon ng koordinasyon, mas lalo pong gaganda ang mga mangyayari para sa inyong bayan,” he said.

(If we coordinate together, we can do better things for your municipality).

Meanwhile, Yakap at Halik General Manager Armel Amparo lauded the support of PEF and the LGU in their aquaculture activities.

“Natutuwa po kami dahil talagang hands on ang kanilang suporta sa amin,” he said.

(We’re glad that they are hands on with their support for us).

IAG President Leonardo Dela Peña also expressed his gratitude in the unity between his organization and other stakeholders in the municipality.

"Ang layunin namin sa aming komunidad ay iisa lamang. Ito ay para sa pagpapaunlad at kaayusan ng aming lugar," he said.

(Our goal is the same for our community: development and order).

PEF is currently implementing an area development approach to provide and link opportunities for economic improvement of households in Padre Burgos, Quezon through social enterprises.

How to Develop Your Brand on Instagram in 2020

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Social media networks have more than 3.2 billion active users and you can use them simply by your mobile. Among them, Instagram with more than 1 billion monthly active users from across the world is the best way for building brand awareness.

Although using this app might seem so easy, many marketers have not been successful in building brand identity via Instagram.

There are several tested strategies you can adopt to build your brand and boost your business via Instagram, and iDigic offers likes from real Instagram accounts to enhance your social proof and engagement. In this article, we are going to summarize these strategies and provide you with a step-by-step guide to successfully develop your brand on Instagram.

Source: 500px.com

Clear goals

You need to define clear goals in detail to be able to track your performance on Instagram. You have to list some certain, achievable goals which can be measured and analyzed.

For example, you can define a certain number of followers, likes, comments, shares, etc. which you expect to reach within a specified period. By this approach, you can measure the changes in your results and optimize your activities proportionally.

Target audience

In the next step, you need to target the people that might want to purchase your products/services. This will enable you to devise your plans according to their characteristics. A targeted marketing strategy can affect all other activities on social media and cause considerable savings in time and resources.

So, you need to categorize your potential customers based on some clear parameters like age, weight, gender, color, profession, and location. Also, you can consider their personality traits to know what content and tone of voice are best to influence them.




Other platforms

Although we are going to focus on Instagram, you need to use Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and other social media platforms to promote your marketing. We strongly recommend you to use social media automation tools like Crowdfire in order to manage your presence on all your social accounts.

This will decrease the possibility of making mistakes and can unify the style, tone, and schedule of your activities all over social media.

Also, you have to redirect users from other social networks or even from the web toward your Instagram account. If they are currently following your business on other channels, they are highly likely eager to follow you on Instagram. In this way, you can reach as many followers as possible and increase your visitors.


Content generation

The first and also the most important way to gain more followers on social media is generating creative content. Creativity in each of your posts, stories, links, or even engagements can improve your relationship with followers.

It is well-established that, in comparison with texts, visual content can better gain the attention of people. Many people might not have enough time to read long, boring texts. But a compelling picture can gain their trust and redirect them to your page.

The most recent visual feature available on many social media platforms especially Instagram is Live. By this feature, your presence on social media seems friendlier. It will prove that you are a human, not a vending machine.

Along with compelling, visual contents, you need to use creative texts, mentions, interactive hashtags, and captions to make your posts visible.

Creating a lot of original contents might seem very difficult. You can paraphrase other useful contents posted on Instagram. You should abide by copyright and mention the original accounts in your posts. Another technique in this regard is to ask your followers to send you compelling contents. By this approach, you can kill two birds with a single stone. First, generating high-quality content for your profile without spending time and money. Second, increasing the chance of getting more shares by those users who have sent you content.

Finally, it is recommended to use a schedule for posting. The highest rate of interaction can be achieved if you find certain hours of week and day at which your target audiences are online. Posting at these times will increase your visits.

Engagement rate

Without a consistent engagement, your efforts in the previous steps would not result in any achievement. If you want to build your brand on Instagram, you need to define a certain schedule for engaging with your audiences.

There are several important points that should be considered.

First, you need to find an efficient posting schedule for posting and engagement. It is recommended to engage with the followers just after posting. So, you will make your followers feel that you are bound to answer their questions. Subsequently, you will build a strong brand identity and also gain the trust of your customers.

Another suggestion is to adopt a suitable, chatty tone in your engagement. People do not like to interact with a selling robot. So, make them feel comfortable and treat them as a friend. Try to mention local, national, and global events in your engagement. This can build strong customer loyalty and encourage followers to be involved in your posts.

Getting more comments is an important way to promote your brand on Instagram. Please do not be indifferent about comments, and try to appreciate your followers’ interactions.



Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is a powerful tool to reach your audience and generate leads. So, if you want to build your brand in the year to come, you have to include this technique in your plans.

People usually take care of what influential people say or suggest. So, if you want to boost your marketing, you need to collaborate with one or even more influencers.

Influencers can be divided into four categories: Mega, Macro, Micro, and Nano-influencers. Depending on the type of your product/service and also your marketing budget, you can choose your best match. As a suggestion, you had better start with Micro-influencer with less than 100,000 followers.

They are usually experts in a specific field and their followers are niche relevant. You have to conduct a deep survey to find the best choice. Based on Social Tradia, many influencers want to sell their Instagram account because they cannot maintain their followers. Thus, try to use discovery tools to find influencers or consult with some experts in this field.

Finally, you will need many tools to be able to perform better on Instagram. For example, there are several tools you can take advantage of to find and contact these influencers on Instagram. Awario, BuzzSumo, and Heepsy can be very useful in this regard.

More importantly, business profiles on Instagram provide you with access to some analytical tracks called Insights. This feature gives users the ability to see engagement data. You can change your personal page to a business profile.

Also, Google Analytics is a powerful tool you can take advantage of in order to measure and compare your strategies. A consistent approach in analyzing your performance and optimizing your activities on Instagram is paramount. Your efforts and investments during the marketing process must be measured by suitable metrics to show how well you are performing.

Final word

We have summarized the process of branding and building your identity on Instagram. Of course, these stages can be expanded depending on the type and application of your products or services. Try to study more similar examples of branding in your niche.

For example, social escrow services and third party applications are also important if you want to acquire and customize a new Instagram account. This will help you to avoid making similar mistakes to previous unsuccessful marketing strategies.

Top 7 Reasons to Invest in CBD Products this 2020

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Do you plan on investing in the CBD industry? Are you wondering if it is a good idea? Fret not, for you are not alone. CBD industry has been on the rise, both in terms of popularity and market share. The benefits that CBD offers have made it a household name and pushed the sales through the roof.

All of it contributes to making the CBD industry, a profitable market that every investor has their eyes on. If you are thinking of investing in CBD products, here are seven reasons to tell you why it is a good idea TryTheCBD review .   


Why investing in CBD products is a wise decision?

1.       Research proves it safe for use: CBD has been in the grey area for too long. While doctors and researchers have been conducting experimenting for decades to prove the effectiveness of CBD, it was not until long ago that we got some concrete evidence. The year 2017 came to be an essential year for the CBD market when the World Health Organization released its report. The report stated that CBD is safe for use as the human body can tolerate it, provided they take regulated dosage. Besides that, the report suggested that people can use CBD as a remedy for various diseases.
      FDA also gave the nod to Epidiolex, which is a CBD liquid formula that helps treat the people who are suffering from two types of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and Dravet Syndrome.
Pro tip: The approval from the FDA and publishing of WHO report have instilled faith in people, and they are using CBD products more.


2.       CBD is now legal: Cannabis and its byproducts have garnered much attention over the years, due to the frequent changes in the laws. The government passed the Hemp Farm Bill that gives legal status to the hemp plant. Hemp is a subspecies of the cannabis plant that people cultivate for industrial reasons. It goes into the making of a wide array of products, ranging from textile to animal feed and everything in between.
      Manufacturers also extract CBD from the hemp plant that is now legal in the United States. Hemp plants only contain the cannabinoid CBD, and the high inducing compound THC is either absent or removed during the extraction process.
      Pro tip: You can now freely use the CBD products that have less than or equal to 0.3% THC, for they are legal for use and you can also trade them within the states.

3.       Rising stock prices: If you look out at the top-performing stocks in the market, it is likely that you will find a few cannabis or CBD companies on that list. The profound opportunities for growth and profits that they offer make investing in CBD a wise decision. With the recent passing of Hemp Farm Bill, the cannabis industry is undergoing a revolution that is turning out to be profitable for the investors.
      Pro tip: You can browse the stocks of top CBD companies, monitor their prices and returns, and then invest in the most lucrative stocks.

4.       Influencers are increasing the reach: We live in the era of social media, where the influencers have garnered much importance. The people or accounts with millions of followers tend to create a buzz about the topics that can pike the curiosity of their followers. CBD is one of the latest buzz-worthy topics that influencers are endorsing on their social media profiles. They post pictures, videos, or reviews about the CBD products that generate interest among social media users and influence them to indulge in these products.
      Pro tip: The affluence of social media is not only adding to the popularity but also pushing its sales through the roof. The influencers too are benefitting from this trend.

5.       Products have become affordable: The sheer variety of CBD products available today in the market is astounding. From edibles to topicals, oil to isolate, you can CBD products at highly affordable prices. Things were quite different when CBD products first came to the market. The prices were extremely high, which made it difficult for people to afford it even for medical needs. Soon people came to know about its benefits and safety, which added to CBD’s popularity. The manufacturers gradually reduced the prices, and CBD products have become pocket-friendly today. It is undoubtedly making it easier for people around the globe to have access to the goodness of CBD. Alternatively,you can trust Getkush and order from their online store that gives high quality CBD products at pocket friendly rates.

6.       Popularity is skyrocketing: Is everyone around you talking about CBD? In the last few years, CBD has evidently secured a place in every household. Gone are the times when people frowned upon the idea of using a cannabis byproduct. With the recent legalization and scientific evidence coming to light, people are opening up to the idea of using it. They are learning about the plenty of benefits it provides, the physical and mental ailments it alleviates and the ways to use it.
      Pro tip: With the way CBD trend is taking everyone under its grasp, its popularity is only going to multiply in the coming years and investing now might prove beneficial in the long run.

7.       Other industries use CBD: Although the CBD industry has well-established itself by now, its reach is only expanding. Earlier, only the cannabis-based companies were actively using CBD as an ingredient in their products. But today, many top industries are incorporating CBD in their products. While the food and beverage industry is the most active user of CBD, wellness, fitness, and cosmetic industries are not far behind. You can get your hands on CBD infused edibles and drinks, cosmetic products and even medicines that can help make your life better. Cannabidiol has been a subject of research for years and now. It has been found that it has medicinal benefits. With the advent of technology, our favourite CBD hemp capsules are just a click away. All we have to search the net for CBD hemp capsules and one can find numerous sites offering the product. 
     
     Pro tip: The co-dependence of these industries is only further adding to the value of the CBD market. More and more corporations are trying to make the most of the hype around CBD. 

Final Thoughts
Cannabis and CBD have been around for years, but it only a few years ago that the industry took a turn for the better. With the passing of Hemp Farm Bill, the consumer market of CBD and its market share is increasing. The big corporations and investors have already taken the benefit of the surge in the CBD market, but the market is only going to boom in the coming years. If you have plans to invest in CBD products, the right time would be now.