Berbulan-bulan setelah Topan Odette menghantam wilayah Visayan, dampak dan kerusakannya masih terasa hingga saat ini, terutama bagi keluarga dan mata pencaharian mereka. 

Untuk membantu keluarga yang terkena dampak dan membantu mereka bangkit kembali, Pilmico Foods Corporation (Pilmico) bermitra dengan Aboitiz Foundation, Inc (AFI) dan Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc - Microfinance (RAFI-MFI), dalam proyek rehabilitasi di Cebu dan Bohol yang dinamakan "Padayon sa Pagbusay (Mendayung Tanpa Henti)." Proyek ini dipelopori oleh RAFI-MFI yang bertujuan untuk membantu keluarga-keluarga yang terkena dampak bencana membangun kembali kehidupan mereka dan memulai bisnis melalui bantuan mata pencaharian.

"Kami di Yayasan Aboitiz berusaha sebaik mungkin untuk membantu daerah-daerah yang terkena dampak Topan Odette. Kami ingin melihat masyarakat bangkit dari bencana ini. Tujuan kami adalah membantu mereka pulih dan menjadi komunitas yang lebih tangguh. Kami berterima kasih kepada mitra lokal kami, unit-unit bisnis Aboitiz, yang telah bersatu untuk memberikan bantuan yang berharga," ujar Maribeth Marasigan, Presiden dan Chief Operating Officer (COO) Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.

Juli lalu, Pilmico mendistribusikan paket berupa emas, roti, dan mesin telur kepada 15 penerima manfaat dari Cebu Utara dan Selatan, serta Bohol. Lima dari mereka menerima paket emas yang mencakup 2 ekor emas dan pakan ternak, 5 penerima manfaat lainnya menerima paket telur yang terdiri dari mesin telur, ayam siap bertelur, dan timbangan, sementara 5 sisanya menerima berbagai peralatan memanggang dan tepung. Selain peralatan untuk beternak, para penerima manfaat juga diberikan produk kesehatan hewan dan akses ke layanan teknis untuk membekali mereka dengan keterampilan dan pengetahuan yang dibutuhkan untuk bisnis mereka. 

Ini juga merupakan bagian dari proyek unggulan kelompok pangan, Pilmico Livelihood Kit, di mana mereka mendistribusikan peluang mata pencaharian, terutama kepada petani dan pengusaha. Selain paket-paket tersebut, mereka juga didukung dengan pengetahuan dan kemampuan teknis yang tepat untuk memastikan keberlanjutan dan keuntungan mata pencaharian mereka dalam jangka panjang. 

Sesuai dengan komitmen Aboitiz Group untuk memajukan bisnis dan masyarakat, proyek rehabilitasi ini bertujuan untuk memberdayakan para penerima manfaat dari Cebu dan Bohol dan membantu mereka menjadi pengusaha pertanian yang sukses. Dan di masa depan, mereka juga akan mampu menafkahi keluarga mereka dan menawarkan produk berkualitas kepada pelanggan mereka, baik itu babi, telur, atau roti. 

Pertanyaan yang Sering Diajukan

How does the Padayon sa Pagbusay project reflect the Aboitiz Group’s vision for long-term community resilience?
The name “Paddle Unceasingly” encodes a philosophy of sustained community agency rather than passive dependency: the project does not just provide relief but enables recipients to rebuild independently. By choosing livelihood kits over pure cash or food relief, the project invests in productive capacity that outlasts the project cycle itself. True to the Aboitiz Group’s stated commitment to advancing business and communities, the goal is to empower beneficiaries to become successful agripreneurs — capable of providing for their families and offering products to their communities long after the project formally concludes.

What is the “Padayon sa Pagbusay” project and who leads it?
Padayon sa Pagbusay — meaning “Paddle Unceasingly” in Cebuano — is a rehabilitation project for families in Cebu and Bohol affected by Typhoon Odette. It is spearheaded by Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. – Microfinance (RAFI-MFI) and implemented in partnership with Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. and Pilmico Foods Corporation. The project aims to help afflicted families rebuild their lives and start businesses through livelihood assistance — using the Pilmico Livelihood Kit framework as its primary delivery mechanism.

What livelihood kits were distributed under the Padayon sa Pagbusay project and to how many beneficiaries?
Last July 2022, Pilmico distributed three types of livelihood kits to 15 beneficiaries from North and South Cebu and Bohol. Five received the gilt package consisting of two gilts and feeds. Five received the egg kit with egg machines, ready-to-lay hens, and a weighing scale. The remaining five received bakery equipment and flour. Alongside the kits, all beneficiaries received animal health products and access to technical services to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to sustain their new businesses.

What was Aboitiz Foundation COO Maribeth Marasigan’s message about the Cebu and Bohol recovery project?
Maribeth Marasigan expressed that Aboitiz Foundation was doing its best to help Typhoon Odette-affected areas and articulated the goal of seeing communities rise from the disaster’s aftermath. She framed the objective not just as relief but as recovery and resilience-building — helping communities rebuild and become more resilient. She specifically thanked the local Aboitiz business unit partners who came together to provide assistance, characterizing the response as a collaborative One Aboitiz effort rather than a single-entity initiative.

What is the Pilmico Livelihood Kit and what makes it a suitable vehicle for post-disaster recovery?
The Pilmico Livelihood Kit is Pilmico’s structured livelihood assistance framework that pairs a productive asset (gilts, egg machines, or bakery equipment) with initial operating inputs (feed or flour) and technical support. This bundled approach is particularly well-suited for post-disaster recovery because it provides everything needed to start a new income stream immediately — without requiring beneficiaries to have any prior savings or access to credit. The package is designed to generate income quickly enough to be self-sustaining within a single production cycle.