Empowering Coconut Farming Communities Through Organic Production and Renewable Energy
Healthy Sweets Mindanao Corporation is a social enterprise based in Mindanao, the Philippines, that transforms coconut farming into a value-added enterprise. For decades, coconut farming communities in Mindanao have depended on selling raw coconuts or copra — commodities highly vulnerable to global price fluctuations. In 2009, coconut prices dropped sharply from around USD 0.20 to USD 0.075, threatening farm viability and destabilising household incomes.
Traditional coconut sugar processing also posed operational challenges, requiring long hours of cooking using firewood, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), or electricity, resulting in high energy costs, environmental emissions, and health risks for workers. These challenges particularly affect smallholder farmers and unemployed women who rely on coconut-based livelihoods but have limited access to higher-value production roles.
In response, Healthy Sweets Mindanao Corporation produces organic coconut sugar from coconut sap rather than selling raw coconuts, creating higher-value products for international health-conscious markets. The company differentiates itself through organic agriculture practices and renewable energy integration, with solar photovoltaic systems reducing energy costs, lowering emissions, and improving production sustainability — enhancing the enterprise’s eco-brand positioning globally.
Through the #ImpactLink Programme, the founder: Betty reflects on how mentoring and structured frameworks broadened her enterprise’s approach to fundraising, strengthened its impact communication, and built her confidence to pursue new investment opportunities for sustainable growth.
Video: https://youtu.be/Il3eg5rI-Vs?si=HFYklDrvsCXX62ar
➤ What key challenges did you have in scaling your social enterprise?
Before joining ImpactLink, we were experiencing several challenges in expanding our market internationally, as well as financial constraints. The key challenge we faced was how to market our product internationally, considering that many countries have been also producing coconut sugar, which has caused price competition to be very stiff.
Another challenge was the lack of financial capital, as the social enterprise is only dependent on its sales. Though we have survived for 16 years, we want to pursue more and explore other options to make the enterprise more sustainable. We need investment in solar power generation to reduce our cost of production, protect our workers’ health, and strengthen our environmental commitment.
➤ How has your approach to communicating impact evolved?
Our method of communicating our impact before was very simple and I was too dependent on our staff doing the designs for our product labels, which is one of the key elements in products to convey our impact to the customers.
With the ImpactLink Programme, we were taught how to effectively communicate our impact both quantitatively and qualitatively. In particular, the topic of digitalisation helped us a lot — it taught us how to maximise AI in our communication work. With AI, I was able to make our product labels easily, as well as communicate the value of the product effectively. AI also made financial analysis a lot easier, which helps with our decision-making.
➤ How did your thinking around impact, fundraising, and investment change?
I learned from ImpactLink mentors how to communicate our impact effectively to entice buyers and funders to support us. As for fundraising, it was not on my mind before because we were dependent on our sales. Though we needed investment and improvement in our facility — particularly the maximisation of solar energy — we had not explored other fundraising options.
However, with the ImpactLink Programme, our mindset broadened. We learned that we could access funds to improve our production process using solar energy. It gave me the confidence to source funds. As an example, I have talked to two solar energy providers to explore what the cost of installation would be. From there, I approached government agencies, such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), and higher educational institutions such as the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) to propose collaborations on installing solar power in our processing plant. The response has been encouraging: USEP has already conducted an assessment of our facility on 15 May 2026 to evaluate the viability of solar integration in our processing plant. We are hopeful that this dream will be realised.
➤ How has #ImpactLink supported your readiness to receive funding or grants?
The ImpactLink Programme built my capacity for fundraising. The topic on Theory of Change guided me on how to connect our vision and mission with the steps to undertake to achieve measurable outcomes. It is like a roadmap on how to achieve your goals.
Based on the knowledge and skills I learned from the programme, we reviewed our vision and mission — which was formulated when we started the social enterprise — to ensure alignment with what we are doing today. In fact, I have already submitted a project proposal to one of the NGOs here in the Philippines involved in renewable energy. I am also preparing another project proposal for our project partners in the community involved in coconut syrup production.
➤ How has your readiness to pursue funding or grants evolved?
The mentoring provided by the Impactlink mentors, with the support of the ASEAN-Japan Centre, opened opportunities for our social enterprise to access funding support from various groups that are aligned with our vision and mission. The programme helped me become confident in fundraising and made Healthy Sweets funding ready. Specifically, the Theory of Change guided us on the steps to undertake to achieve our goals. It also provided the knowledge and skills on how to analyse our financial statements. I also gained insights on how to increase our income and learned the importance of documenting and communicating our impact effectively with supporting data.
“The support of the ImpactLink Programme provided guidance, made me confident, and prepared us to be funder ready. The knowledge and skills I gained from this programme are invaluable to Healthy Sweets, strengthening our mission and empowering our journey toward sustainable growth.“
– Betty More, Founder of Healthy Sweets Mindanao Corporation
Learn more about Healthy Sweets Mindanao Corporation at: https://healthysweets.yolasite.com/ ;
https://www.facebook.com/healthysweetsph/about ; https://www.instagram.com/healthysweets.ph/ ; https://ph.linkedin.com/company/healthy-sweets-mindanao-corporation
Follow Betty’s journey: https://ph.linkedin.com/in/betty-more-72076a170
Disclaimers:
This article is published for informational purposes only and does not constitute the promotion or endorsement of the featured business. Interview content has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
#ImpactLink is an initiative of the ASEAN-Japan Centre, launched in FY2025, to systematically strengthen the funding and investment readiness and professional capabilities of women-led social enterprises across ASEAN and Japan. The programme convenes entrepreneurs from both regions to enhance financial literacy, digital competencies, and investment readiness, while enabling the effective translation of knowledge into practical, investment-relevant action.
The Centre works as an Enabler, collaborating with ecosystem partners to support inclusive entrepreneurship through capacity-building programmes, mentorship, and cross-border collaboration.
Be a part of the #ImapactLink and send us an email at info_rpa@asean.or.jp
