“As a credit investigator, I visit farmers at their home.  I observe the progress of their farm work, listen to their problems, and if I have ideas, I share my ideas with the members. I serve honestly and true to my duty.”

Ricky O. Attaban has been working with his sending body, Wigan Settlers Multi-purpose Cooperative, for six years, where he works to investigate cooperative members’ projects. His community is peaceful where fishing occurs during the night and bags of harvested corn and rice can be left for processing at the solar dryer safely during the day. Neighbors gather together to maintain public land, take care of each other in large events like weddings and funerals, and serve God together. However, political conflicts divide the community, and many members are indebted to various lenders.  

Ricky plays a vital role in his sending body as he is the main staff regularly in contact with cooperative farmers in the field. Through his ARI training, Ricky wishes to improve people skills, accessing local resources to reduce farming costs, and gaining confidence working with farmers. When Ricky returns to the Philippines, he will continue helping his sending body with greater knowledge of alternative farm management practices.

Sending Body:

Wigan Settlers Multi-purpose Cooperative (WSMPC) located in the northern region of the Philippines, where many indigenous communities have been displaced due to dam projects. WSMPC gives agricultural development loans to help the farmers of these communities develop their projects. When Ricky returns from ARI, he will join the Education & Training Committee to co-lead the sustainable agriculture team.