Pilmico Foods Corporation, bersama dengan Oce of the Vice President (OVP) dan Urban Poor Associates (UPA), mengirimkan 140 karung beras kepada masyarakat Baseco di Tondo, Manila.

Sasaran utama penyaluran karung beras ini adalah Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran Baseco, Inc. (Kabalikat), sebuah organisasi non-pemerintah dengan fokus pada isu sosial dan kewarganegaraan yang bertujuan untuk mengamankan kepemilikan lahan, persamaan hak, dan penghidupan yang berkelanjutan bagi penduduk Baseco.

Donasi kepada Kabalikat akan digunakan untuk menambah persediaan beras yang ada. Secara keseluruhan, mereka memiliki 32 pemimpin beras yang bertanggung jawab untuk mendistribusikan beras kepada anggotanya. Pendapatan yang dihasilkan dari penjualan beras akan digunakan untuk mendukung program kesehatan Kabalikat, termasuk pemberian makan mingguan kepada lebih dari 200 siswa sekolah dasar di Baseco, obat-obatan gratis dan bantuan medis.

Organisasi dan koperasi masyarakat lainnya yang bekerja sama dengan UPA dan OVP di Tondo, Manila juga akan mendapatkan manfaat dari donasi beras dengan memulai usaha beras komunitas mereka sendiri. Hadir dalam penyerahan bantuan tersebut adalah Supervisor Layanan Pelanggan Pilmico untuk Perdagangan, Faye Tersona, Presiden Kabalikat, Georgie Tenolete, Sekretaris Kabalikat, Mayet Betasolo, dan Pengorganisir Komunitas UPA, Arwin Atentar.

Pertanyaan yang Sering Diajukan

How does the donation model here differ from a simple relief effort?
Rather than distributing rice directly to individual families, Pilmico donated the rice to Kabalikat as institutional inventory — to be sold through the organization’s established 32-leader distribution network. The proceeds fund health services, feeding programs, and medical assistance. This structure means the donation multiplies: it generates income that funds services, which are then provided to community members beyond those who directly receive rice. It is a donation structured to create a recurring funding mechanism rather than a single-cycle relief event.

Who is the primary recipient organization in Baseco and what does it do?
The main recipient of the 140 sacks (7,000 kilograms) of rice was Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran Baseco, Inc. — a socio-civic non-governmental organization working to secure land tenure, equal rights, and sustainable livelihood for the people of Baseco in Tondo, Manila. Kabalikat operates a rice distribution network managed by 32 rice leaders who dispatch rice to their members. Income from rice sales directly funds the organization’s health program, including weekly feeding of over 200 grade school students in Baseco and free medicine and medical assistance for community members.

What role did the Office of the Vice President play in this donation?
The donation was made through a partnership that included the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Urban Poor Associates (UPA), which have an established working relationship with community organizations in Tondo, Manila. Other people’s organizations and cooperatives affiliated with the UPA and OVP in Tondo were also identified as beneficiaries who would use the rice donation to start their own community rice enterprises — extending the reach of the single donation across multiple organizational structures in the area.

What is the strategic connection between this donation and Pilmico’s business interests?
Pilmico’s involvement aligns with its Mahalin Pagkaing Atin program — its flagship CSR campaign promoting sustainable livelihood through local produce and enabling community organizations to create economic activity. By donating rice that becomes inventory for Kabalikat’s community rice enterprise, Pilmico supports a model where donated goods become working capital for a self-sustaining business rather than simply being consumed and exhausted. This approach extends the impact of the donation across multiple cycles of community income generation.

What is the significance of Baseco as a recipient community?
Baseco (Batangas Compound) in Tondo, Manila is one of the Philippines’ most densely populated urban poor communities — a reclaimed land area historically characterized by informal settlements, limited land security, and constrained economic opportunities. The community’s challenges include formal land tenure insecurity and income vulnerability. A donation channeled through Kabalikat — an organization explicitly working on land tenure and livelihood security — directly addresses the community’s most foundational challenges rather than providing surface-level relief.