As the Covid-19 pandemic swept through the country, vulnerable sectors struggled as jobs and sources of income were severely affected. Through this crisis, Ayala Foundation helped communities nationwide find ways to make ends meet through new sustainable livelihood initiatives.
Cebu and Iloilo — Among those hardest-hit in the province were public utility vehicle drivers, forced to stop their business as government-imposed lockdowns took effect.
Recognizing the need for immediate intervention, Ayala Foundation’s Tuloy ang Biyahe project helped provide alternative income to drivers. The initiative provided seed capital and interest-free loans so that beneficiaries in Cebu City could repurpose their jeepneys into mobile shops.
Three and a half months after the launch, the ten drivers of the pilot batch were earning up to P3,000 daily, had paid off 90% of their loans, and generated sales of over two million pesos.
Tuloy ang Biyahe then expanded to Pavia and Oton in Iloilo as well as Talisay, Negros Occidental, areas where the foundation’s education and youth leadership programs had already been operating. An additional 44 jeepney, tricycle, and padyak drivers turned their vehicles into mobile grocery shops, bringing in almost P2.5-M in sales.
Talisay residents buy fresh produce from a padyak driver who modified his sidecar to sell vegetables under Tuloy ang Biyahe 2.0
Anghelito and Albuen Diocena, padyak drivers from Pavia, were able to make much-needed house repairs with their earnings from Tuloy ang Biyahe.
“We were able to buy a secondhand motorcycle and were able to fix our roof, which leaks whenever it rains, from the income we got from selling watermelons. We are very thankful to Ayala Foundation for choosing us as their beneficiaries for the Tuloy ang Biyahe project,” they shared.
In response, Ayala Foundation Senior Director for Social Development Joanna Duarte expressed her gratitude to partners who made the program a reality.
“Thanks to Ayala Coop for the financial assistance and to the We Are Ayala Business Club – Iloilo for providing on-ground support. Our LGU partners have outdone themselves once again and have shown what collaboration can do to achieve our vision for our communities. We are happy for our drivers to have this lifeline as they battle the impact of the pandemic,” she said.
Laguna — Fresh off celebrating their first anniversary as an organized entity, the Inang Kalikasan Agriculture Cooperative (IKAC) did not expect that their path to growth would be stifled by the pandemic. The 35-member group based in Southville 7, Calauan, Laguna were forced to halt their ornamental plant business due to lockdown restrictions. With no relief in sight, IKAC turned to their other business – organic vegetable production. While they had piloted weekly deliveries to part of Metro Manila, they were not earning enough.
At the same time, Ayala Foundation launched Project #BuyAni, providing vulnerable sectors with healthy produce from its partner communities. Donors could pay for fresh fruit and vegetables to be delivered to their chosen beneficiaries which included indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities. Through the initiative, organizations such as ECPAT Philippines, Grameen Pilipinas Microfinance, Shang Properties and Macquarie Philippines were able to help farmers’ livelihoods while simultaneously providing more than 10,000 families with nutritious food.
Members of the Inang Kalikasan Agriculture Cooperative prepare vegetables to be distributed to beneficiary communities under Project #BuyAni
Today, IKAC is stronger than ever, carrying with them the lessons learned from surviving the pandemic. Together with the municipal government, IKAC aims to venture into ecotourism.
Calauan is also the home of a group of locals who became backyard farmers through the foundation’s Planting for Productivity (P4P) program. Under P4P, communities are taught organic farming practices so they can supplement their household’s food needs and then earn extra income by selling their produce.
“Our daily needs are expensive due to the lockdown,” said Cherilyn Bicoy, a P4P participant. “The entry and exit of sellers in our area is limited because of the safety protocols enforced by the different barangays.”
The program’s first phase (Agri-kaya) aims to train beneficiaries in planting produce for their own needs. They are then taught financial literacy principles so they can properly monetize their harvest (Agri-kita).
P4P participants in Calauan are all smiles as they prepare their area to plant organic vegetables
“Because of P4P, we learned about basic farming, we were given free seeds for backyard gardening, and we harvested healthy, organic vegetables such as pechay, okra, and sitaw. We were able to cut down on household expenses, especially for our meals, through a simple and safe way,” Bicoy shared.
Aside from Calauan, Planting for Productivity has also been implemented in Quezon City, Bago City, and Cagayan de Oro.
Ayala Foundation believes in inclusive growth and shared prosperity. Through our sustainable livelihood projects, we engage vulnerable groups into the socioeconomic life of their program communities.