Aboitiz backs community pantries, provides livelihood to local bakers

CEBU, Philippines —  The Aboitiz Group, through its corporate social responsibility arm Aboitiz Foundation and the Group’s various business units, supports community pantry initiatives covering 22 barangays in several provinces through its ‘Accessible Bread for Communities’ campaign.

The campaign aims to assist community pantries by providing freshly baked breads daily for one month. Aboitiz Foundation, in partnership with the Aboitiz business units, started it in Tarlac, Cebu, Iligan, Davao, Zambales, and Taguig.

Aboitiz Foundation President and COO Maribeth L. Marasigan stressed the need for collective efforts and support for communities that are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic. “In the spirit of modern-day Bayanihan and inspired by the Maginhawa Community Pantry initiative, we join everyone in this endeavour through ‘Accessible Bread for Communities.’ It’s a long road to recovery and we might be far from over—but through collective generosity, we can feed our fellow Filipinos and recover together as one community,” she said.

The campaign not only brings donations to the communities, but more importantly provides livelihood to many bakers in the barangays covered. A total of seven (7) bakeries were tapped by Aboitiz Foundation and Pilmico, the food unit of the Group. Together, the bakeries produced 27,000 bread packs for the project. This brought in much-needed income to their bakeries, especially given all the uncertainties caused by the pandemic.

Marlon Gecale of C&G Bakery, a partner bakery covering community pantries in Iligan City, thanked Pilmico and Aboitiz Foundation for the livelihood opportunity.

“Talagang malaking naitulong ang partnership ng Pilmico dahil alam natin na mahirap kumita ng pera gawa ng pandemya. Nagpapasalamat talaga ako sa Pilmico na binigyan kami ng opportunity. Natutuwa ako na nakatulong ako sa aming mga kabarangay. Happy din ako sa mga comment nila tungkol sa tinapay, kaya kahit na gumising kami ng alas-dos ng umaga, worth it naman ang ginawa namin. (This partnership with Pilmico is a really big help to us, especially now that it is difficult to find income because of the pandemic. I am so thankful to Pilmico for giving us this opportunity. I also feel happy that I’m able to help others in our barangay. Their comments about our bread also make me really happy, so even though we wake up at two in the morning, everything we do is worth it.),” she said.

Meanwhile, Ghiner Cabanday, a community pantry organizer in Iligan, reiterated the importance of the community pantries in their area and their commitment to keep them running. “Malaking tulong ang community pantry sapagkat isang tulay ito para maibsan ang kahirapan ng komunidad, lalong-lalo na’t limitado ang galaw ng mga Iliganon dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng kaso ng COVID-19 sa siyudad. Mananatili ang DXIC Community Pantry depende sa budget, at kapag may magbibigay pa ng kanilang donasyon ay ipagpatuloy namin ang community pantry. Maliban sa Pilmico, may mga private individuals din na nagbibigay ng kanilang donasyon. (Community pantries are a big help as they are one way to alleviate the suffering of the community, especially now that the movement of Iliganons are limited due to the continuing rise of COVID-19 cases in the city. The DXIC Community Pantry will remain open, depending on the budget, and if there are others who’ll give more donations, we will continue the community pantry. Aside from Pilmico, there are also private individuals giving their own donations),” Cabanday shared.

Ryan Sulit, an organizer of the New Lower Bicutan Community Pantry, said the continuous outpouring of donations from individuals and companies like Aboitiz and Pilmico keeps their community pantry alive. He said he intends to keep it sustainable to benefit the community members who lost their jobs (mostly pedicab and jeepney drivers and factory workers) when the pandemic hit.

“Plano ko naman na gawing sustainable ito. Like mamigay ng mga seeds na pwede nilang itanim. Also, balak kong magbenta ng mga printed shirts and the proceeds will go to the pantry. Hindi ko rin naman po pwede pilitin magdonate ng magdonate ang mga donors natin. Ang problema ko lang po is the capital (I really plan to make this sustainable. I could give away seeds that they can plant. I also plan to sell printed shirts and the proceeds will go to the pantry. After all, I can’t force donors to keep donating. My only problem now is the capital),” he shared.