Through the Gulayamanan initiative, BDO Foundation and East-West Seed Foundation are working with the local government unit to provide a sustainable source of livelihood for members of a disadvantaged community in Lian, Batangas.
BDO Foundation, EWSF: Promoting food security in disadvantaged community
SLOWLY but surely, BDO Foundation and East-West Seed Foundation (EWSF) are making significant strides in efforts to promote food security and address hunger.
In an economically disadvantaged community in Lian, Batangas, the two foundations – in partnership with the local government unit – recently celebrated the graduation of 50 individuals who successfully completed nine training sessions on vegetable gardening. The graduation also served as a festival, which gave the farmers an opportunity to market and sell their first full harvest.
The event was witnessed by BDO Foundation President Mario Deriquito, EWSF Managing Director Ma. Elena Primicias Van Tooren, local officials led by Lian Vice Mayor Roberto Antonio Leviste, and officers of BDO Unibank and BDO Network Bank branches in the province.
“Each hectare of mixed-crop cluster gardens can feed 400 families with fresh, naturally grown vegetables,” Van Tooren explained. “Per capita, vegetable consumption among beneficiary families can increase by as much as 60% with the establishment of the gardens.”
“Thank you to EWSF and the LGU for partnering with us and making this possible. We are inspired by the success of this endeavor and look forward to replicating the project in other parts of the country,” Deriquito said as he congratulated the community of farmers in Lian.
The municipality serves as the pilot site of the Gulayamanan initiative of BDO Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank, and EWSF. A non-governmental organization (NGO) that empowers disadvantaged farmers, EWSF promotes proper nutrition through improved vegetable consumption.
A result of an agreement signed by the partners last year, the project aims to provide additional food supply to the community and enable beneficiaries, who lack livelihood opportunities, to earn income through the selling of high-quality vegetables.
The beneficiaries, who participated in a financial literacy training session conducted by BDO volunteers, are now equipped with knowledge on how to manage their earnings.
Supportive of Sustainable Development Goals in the areas of food security and poverty alleviation, “Gulayamanan” ensures the availability, accessibility and affordability of food in the community. The initiative is in line with the shared advocacy of the BDO Foundation and EWSF to support underserved sectors of society.
