Future Resilience and Stronger Households in Parañaque

One and a half years have gone by since the introduction of Project FRESH (Future Resilience and Stronger Households) in Parañaque and it has since gained success and popularity in its two pilot areas, namely Brgy. San Dionisio in the city’s first district and Brgy. BF Homes in the second.

Run by the Save the Children alongside program partner, Kraft Foods Philippines and community partners, City Government of Parañaque; Parañaque Development Foundation; St. Andrew School-Alternative Learning System; Cathedral Parish of St. Andrew-Commission on Services to Human Promotion; National Nutrition Council; Parañaque DepEd; P’que DILG; DTI; DOST; and Banco de Oro, the program is aimed at keeping children well and properly fed and allow these children to attend school and learn.

To achieve this, they reached out to parents.

It is a matter of saving the children by helping their parents in two ways: 1) Through livelihood training necessary for creating community income generating projects or home industries like rag, bag, women’s accessories, wooden shoe-making, food preserving, meat processing and the like; and 2) Through urban gardening that promotes the growing of vegetables in open spaces or in receptacles like pots, cans, plastic containers etc. for family consumption, selling and/or contributing surplus harvest for community supplemental feeding of malnourished children.

In the program’s “Urban Food Gardening” component, 110 households (families), 12 groups and 4 schools enthusiastically cultivated vegetables, inspirited by the theme, “Magtanim ng gulay, giginhawa ang buhay. Sa bawat aanihin kasaganaan ang kakamtin”.

The following outstanding participants were recognized and awarded their prizes in a fitting ceremony on Monday, December 13, 2010 at the San Antonio Gym, this city: Household Category Winners: Brgy. San Dionisio Top 10: Liza Jane Toribio, Maggie Java, Norberto Cularte, Bernal Lakiman, Victoria Advincula, Nestor Isidro, Ma. Lea Mercado, Myrna Encoy, Lyn Bitas and Maria Tan. Brgy. BF Homes Top 10: Fe Lorenzo, Virginia Hatud, Gloria Bañares, Ma. Luisa Sanchez, Maristhel Tequillo, Wenefreda Acidre, Esthel Paulino, Florian Colo, Gregoria Perez and Lolita de Guia. Champion: Liza Jane Toribio; Second Prize: Fe Lorenzo; and Third Prize: Virginia Hatud. Consolation Prizes: Gloria Bañares, Maggie Java and Norberto Cularte.

Apart from a sack of rice, farm tools, vegetable seeds and a plaque of recognition, major and consolation prize winners received cash purses of Php 7,000.00; 5,000.00; 3,000.00; and 1,000.00 respectively. Group Category Winners: Champion Group: Group 3 (Rose Timkang, Mojane Badil, Amy Abing and Vilma Rupinta) Php 20,000; Second Prize: Clean and Green Group (Concepcion Palamos, Stella Salcedo and Marietta Bataller) Php15,000.00; Third Prize: Group 4 (Nida Cañega, Nilda Narido, Eugene Paborada) Php10,000.00; Consolation Prizes Php2,500.00: Kapitbahay Group (Susan Javoli, Rosamae Srona and Rose Malana) and Ipil Site Gulayan Group (Virginia Etcobañez, Margie Malapad, Elma de la Cruz, Gregoria Perez, Adora Gultiano, Diosa de Guzman and Maristhel Tequillo).

Picked by Parañaque First Lady and Cleanliness and Beautification Program Chairperson Ma. Fe Bernabe as cleanest family gardens, Liza Jane Toribio; Fe Lorenzo; Virginia Hatud got an additional cash prize of Php7,000.00; 5,000.00; and 3,000.00 respectively while Norberto Cularte, Gloria Bañares and Maggie Java were given Php1,000.00 each. Clean and Green which won in the group category was awarded Php20,000.00.

Encouraged by the success and benefits of the program in its two pilot areas, Parañaque City Mayor Florencio Bernabe, Jr., through the recommendation of the technical working committee made up of the department heads of the City Health Office, Planning Office, Agriculture Office, Solid Waste and Environmental Sanitation Office, Public Information Office, Parañaque DSWD, City Nutrition Office, Parañaque DILG, Parañaque Livelihood Resource Management Office, Parañaque DepEd, Save the Children, barangay and community leaders, committed to support the program in all its editions and stages.

“For the good that it has brought to the pilot communities, we will include the program in our Comprehensive Development Plan to cover all our 16 barangays. We will allot budget for its implementation for the next five (5) years.”, Mayor Bernabe said.

The local chief executive thanked Kraft Foods Philippines through Ma. Cindy Lim, Head of Corporate and Government Affairs and Save the Children in the Philippines through Mr. Edwin Philip Horca, Senior Manager, Luzon-Visayas Program Area for choosing Parañaque as project site. The local chief executive also thanked fellow partner agencies for their invaluable support for the project. (Public Information Office)