The Rural-Urban Market Link: Establishing a Mechanism to Promote Inclusive Livelihood for Marginalized Poor was approved for implementation by the USAID in October 2022 to a consortium group led by the Global Organic and Wellness Corporation (Glowcorp), together with NatCCO, PhilDHRRA, PhilSSA, AgriCOOPh, FSSI and AsiaDHRRA. With a grant of one million dollars (or about Ph 51 million Pesos), the project will be implemented within three years, ending in September 2025.

The project aims to build a mechanism, called the People’s Business Center (PBC), that will facilitate and manage the interaction between the small agricultural producers and the market in Metro Manila being the biggest market in the Philippines. The PBC is staffed by well-trained and committed people and supervised by experienced development-oriented consortium member leaders. In the process, it is envisioned that both the agricultural producers and consumers will benefit through improved livelihood and income and better-quality goods.

The objectives of the “Public Launching” were: 1) To introduce the Rural-Urban Market Link Project to the public, particularly the leaders and staff of the consortium and their partners. 2) To gather and mobilize support for the project from partners and other stakeholders (government, private sector, producer and consumer organizations, cooperatives, CSOs, and development partners); and, 3) To formalize the agreements between USAID and GlowCorp, and between GlowCorp and the Consortium members through MOU signing.