PLDT and Country Bankers Provide Assistance to Farmers of Quezon

Last November 26, as response to damages brought about by Typhoon Lando, PLDT turned over SPHERE-standard food packs with vegetable seeds to at least 100 farming families of Brgy. Cawayan, Real, Quezon. On the other hand, 10 families whose houses were heavily-damaged were given shelter repair kits as early recovery assistance by Country Bankers.

Each pack contains the following items: 10 kilos of rice, 3 cans of sardines, ½ kg of monggo beans, 3 cans of canned meat, 1 pint cooking oil, 1 kg of sugar, ¼ kg of iodized salt and 1 bar of soap. Seeds of vegetables squash, ampalaya and eggplant were also provided as additional items.

At least 400 units of used cable boxes were also turned over and can be used as multi-purpose containers for the farmers.

Country Bankers’ donation of shelter kits consisted of basic housing materials amounting to P10,000 plus P2,000 cash to support their labor requirements.

In Real, particularly in Barangay Cawayan where Samahan ng Mangingisda at Magbubukid ng Barangay Cawayan (SMMBC), one of the four PLDT-assisted people’s organization in southern Quezon is located, significant damage was recorded in their agricultural crops wherein 90% or 22 hectares of their harvestable rice lands, 2 hectares of planted vegetables and 3,000 planted bananas are all destroyed. While there is no casualty reported in the areas and less of houses were completely damaged, the main concern is the effect of said typhoon to the farmers with the above-mentioned destruction to their main source of livelihood.

PLDT has recently completed its 5-year reforestation program in the area. PLDT, through its partner Philippine Business for Social Progress, continues to monitor the area and assists the farmers groups sustain PLDT’s program.

Present during the distribution were PLDT employees led by PLDT Community Relations Head Ms Evelyn del Rosario and PLDT Lucena Manager Mr Rex Osio. Country Bankers employees were also represented in the event.

Accenture and 5 New Hectares in the Marikina Watershed

Last November 14, 2015, 83 employees went to Brgy. Calawis, Antipolo City to plant 1,250 fruit-bearing trees in Accenture's newly-adopted 2 hectares of agro-forestry site. The remaining 1 hectare will be planted by 2016.

To complement this, 2 hectares of native trees will be planted in Mt. Purro by partner organization, Tulungan sa Kabuhayan sa Calawis, Inc. (TSKC).

This is the 3rd year of Accenture in the Marikina Watershed. For the past 2 years, the company and its employees has adopted Brgy. Mascap, through farmers organization, Ayaas Kay Rofa (AKFA) in its reforestation activities. This is Accenture's support to PBSP's continuing reforestation efforts in the Marikina Watershed.

Holcim Employees Adopt Another Hectare in the Marikina Watershed

Last November 7, 2015, Holcim employees planted 625 fruit-bearing trees in an agro-forestry site in Brgy. Calawis, Antipolo City. The site will be maintained by partner farmers organization, Tulungan sa Kabuhayan ng Calawis, Inc. or TSKC.

 

This is the 3rd hectare that Holcim adopted in support to PBSP's reforestation efforts in the Marikina Watershed.

 

 

 

PLDT Turns Over 2 Clasrooms in Pili, Camarines Sur

Last November 12, PLDT, with its Community Relations Head Ms Evelyn del Rosario, turned over 2 classrooms in Pili West Central School, Camarines Sur.

 Established in 1903, Pili West Central School was the first elementary school in the municipality. The school is composed of 38 regular-permanent teaching personnel serving 1,661 students not only from Barangay San Antonio but also from neighbouring barangays.

The number of classrooms has become inadequate to service the students’ needs and the growing number of enrolees thus PLDT saw the need to respond to this problem.

The construction of the classrooms is made possible by PLDT’s Motolite-PBSP Balik Baterya Program funds. To date, the funds generated by the company’s donated used lead-acid batteries has built and repaired at least 19 classrooms nationwide.

PLDT remains to be the biggest donor of the Program and has turned over for proper recycling almost 1,600 tons amounting to 36 million pesos.

 Present also during the turnover were Pili West Central School Principal Neria Vernejo, Department of Education Camarines Sur Schools Division Superintendent Arnulfo Balane and Hon. Mayor Alexis San Luis.

BASF Turns Over Knapsack Sprayers and Seeds to IUFA

Last October 10, BASF Philippines, Inc. gave the Inigan Upland Farmers Association (IUFA) 50 pieces of knapsack sprayers and 350 packs of seed (ampalaya, upo, pumpkin, papaya, and yardlong bean) to support their farming activities in Sitio Inigan, Brgy. San Rafael, Montalban, Rizal.

The Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik or commonly known as BASF funded the project “Arm in Arm in Farm” under its Connected to Care Project.

The knapsack sprayers will be under IUFA while the packs of seed were distributed directly to the farmers.

Before the turnover, a session on crop protection and production was also conducted by the company’s technical people.

Part of the project is also a continuing technical assistance to the farmers for the next 10 months.

The IUFA is one of the three farmers’ associations provided with livelihood assistance in Wawa-Rodriguez Sub-Watershed portion of the Marikina Watershed.

MERALCO Joins Motolite-PBSP Balik Baterya Program

To celebrate Earth Day, MERALCO turned over used lead-acid batteries from its various sectors to the Program. Initial collection is at 21,554 kilos approximately valued at P484,000.

Present during the turnover were MERALCO officers led by North Distribution Services Head Mr. Gigi Aquino, One Meralco Foundation (OMF) President Jeffrey Tarayao and Oriental and Motolite Marketing Corp. CSR Officer Connie Deligero. PBSP was represented by Corporate Affairs Manager Jay Jaboneta, Luzon Regional Center Manager Kristine Rivadelo and Corporate Affairs Staff Bong Baylon.

Funds generated will be used to support the solar electrification of classrooms in remote areas nationwide.

PLDT Telepuno Project Turns Over Edging Machine to KILOS

PLDT Telepuno Project recently turned over an edging machine for their assisted group in Brgy. Gumian, Infanta, Quezon -- the Kakayahan Ipakita, sa Lahat ng Oras, Sama-sama (KILOS). The edging machine will be very helpful for their sewing (clothes and eco-bags) enterprise. The group has also already completed their registration with the Department of Labor and Employment.

With the completion of the 5-year reforestation project, PBSP continues to provide assistance to the community beneficiaries of PLDT in terms of market and capital inputs.

Luzon Team Visits Brgy Reparo in Nasugbu

A rapid community assessment was conducted,  with Roxas Foundation, Inc. (RFi) Executive Director Ms Bea Roxas and staff, for the constituents of Barangay Reparo in Nasugbu, Batangas. 

The two-day activity included interview sessions with barangay and health center officials, teachers from Pingkian Elementary School, and informal residents of three different sitios in the barangay. The assessment will identify possible interventions in the areas of livelihood, education, and health.

Roxas Foundation, Inc. is the social development arm of Roxas Holdings, Inc., a founding member of PBSP.

Business Planning Conducted for GK Cut & Sew

A three-day Business Planning Workshop from February 16-18 for the 26 members of GK Cut and Sew Group was held at the Lipa Integrated Coffee Center (LICC) of Nestle Philippines Lipa Plant. 

The activity was facilitated by Center for Small Entrepreneurs (CSE) and LRC's Gizelle Ponce. Julius Paradero of Gawad Kalinga and Rob Roque of Nestle Philippines, Inc. were also in the activity to provide inputs and guidance.  

The activity is part of the Accenture-funded Gabay sa Kabuhayan Project. With Accenture and in partnership with Nestle Philippines, Inc., Gawad Kalinga, and PBSP, the project capacitated women sewers from the Nestle-Gawad Kalinga MRB Eco-Village and gave them  start-up capital for the production of hairnets, sack bags, shorts, pants, and uniforms. These are being bought by the Nestle -Lipa Plant and some traders in Metro Manila. 

Livelihood Team Visits QPL-Assisted Groups

The LRC Livelihood Team visited Mauban, Quezon to  monitor the status of BMMI Demo Farm Project and K4C2 Buri Handicrafts Production Project. The Bukluran ng Magsasaka ng Mauban, Inc. (BMMI) and Kapatiran ng Kababaihan para sa Kalusugan at Kalinisan ng Kagsiay 2 (K4C2) are peoples’ organizations assisted by Quezon Power Ltd. (QPL) for more than 10 years now and have undergone capacity building activities with PBSP since 2009. 

The two groups are implementing (1) The Demo Farm Project, where at least 10 BMMI members utilize organic methods such as Vermicomposting to produce high-value crops for the local market; and (2) The Buri Handicraft Production Project, where 10 or more K4C2 members weave bags and other handicrafts out of buri, an endemic plant in Quezon, as part of the province’s One-Town-One-Product Program.