by Agnes Carmela Centro


The XU–CSLP team with MSU Gensan Chancellor, Atty. Abdhurrahman T Canacan, Extension Service Director Dr Wilfredo Bidad, Deans Dr Salarda and Ms Helen Perpetua

Xavier University - Farmer Alliances for Resource-strengthening and Marketing (XU – FARM), together with the Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana – Social Involvement Office (KKP-SIO), the social outreach arm of Xavier University, established linkages with three universities in Mindanao, namely: Southern Philippines Agriculture and Marine Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST)  in Davao del Sur, Mindanao State University in General Santos City (MSU-GenSan), Central Mindanao University (CMU) in Musuan, Bukidnon, and Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology (MOSCAT) in Claveria, Misamis Oriental.

Through these linkages, XU FARM and KKP-SIO introduced the Collaborative Service Learning Program (CSLP) and its activities and efforts towards agro-enterprise development of small farmers, as well as encouraging these schools/universities to adopt CSLP in their respective curricula. Moreover, the adoption of the CSLP also linked these academic institutions to non-government partners of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in their respective provinces/regions.

CRS identified these academic institutions for such partnership, and these institutions were invited to send representatives, social involvement/extension officers, to XU’s 3rd CSLP Summit held last February. These institutions expressed their desire for adopting the CSLP in their curricula as well as for establishing ties with the local NGO partners near them; consequently, XU FARM scheduled a visit to these academic institutions to give a more detailed presentation about the CSLP and its engagements with the FARM Project Partners in relation to agro-enterprise development.

Last May, representatives from both XU FARM and KKP-SIO went to Digos City and General Santos City to visit and meet SPAMAST and MSU, respectively. Before June ended, XU FARM and KKP-SIO visited MOSCAT in Claveria, and CMU in Bukidnon.

The XU – FARM successfully arranged partnership building with the existing agricultural programs/institutions namely:  KAPWA in Digos City thru SPAMAST’s facilitation, MOSCAT’s RIPE (Research Instruction Production Extension) IN THE HOMES, and also the curricula of CMU - College of Agriculture.

The expansion of XU-CSLP on agro-enterprise aims to replicate the program throughout Mindanao, to facilitate students’ engagements in various fields of agro-enterprise, from production assistance to marketing engagement, and, as part of the university’s development goals, to address the global concern on food security. CSLP’s expansion promotes capacity building through agricultural venues that would help facilitate food security especially among the partner communities and small farmers in Mindanao.

Through all these efforts, Mindanao will hopefully become, as Francis Xavier said, “a society of love and in conformity of minds for the greater glory of God.”