Four cooperative from Lapu-Lapu City recently received livelihood kits from Pilmico, the food subsidiary of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.

As part of its efforts to champion sustainable livelihood and backyard farming throughout the country, the donation was made through the firm’s flagship corporate social responsibility program, Mahalin Pagkaing Atin.

The livelihood kits consisted of four sets of egg-laying machines ( two sets per beneficiary; 48 chicken set each with one cycle feed consumption) and two sets of bakery stater packages.

The four beneficiary cooperatives were Hope Consumers Cooperative, Caohagan Pan Bisaya SLPA, Subaspa Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and Hugpong Kababyen-an sa Pajac Produces Cooperative.

The livelihood kits were turned over during Pilmico’s Mahalin Pagkaing Atin Food, Agri and Livelihood Expo held at the Lapu-Lapu Sports Complex.

The egg-laying machines and bakery starter packages will enable starter packages will enable local farmers to sustain their livelihoods through an easy-to-manage business with a quick return on investment, despite the threats of poverty, tragedy or conflict.

“Pilmico, as a partner for growth, believes in uplifting the lives of our local farmers through these donations. We hope that these egg machines and baker kits will serve as tools to enable beneficiaries to cultivate a sustainable livelihood in the years to come,” said Sabin M. Aboitiz, Pilmico president and chief executive officer.  These donations are part of Pilmico’s Mahalin Pagkaing Atin program, a campaign introduced in the mid-2014 that aims to promote sustainable entrepreneurship through promotion of local produce and install a “pride of product, pride of place” mindset for both farmers and local consumers, thus enabling operators to maximize profit without passing through middlemen.  Nationwide, Pilmico has already donated a total of 838 piglets, 370 egg machines, 37 bakery stature packages and 14 agri-post where beneficiaries received feedbags as restart-up capital.

In addition to the turnover of the livelihood kits, Pilmico also hosted several seminars on animal husbandry and nutrition, basic and advance baking demos and cooking demos by Mahalin Pagkaing Atin ambassabor Chef Boy Logo where the different flavours of the Philippines were showcased using pork, chicken and eggs.

Originally published in Sun Star Cebu

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the egg-laying machine component of the kit create long-term sustainability?
Egg-laying machines represent an accessible, low-management business model with relatively quick return on investment. Each unit with 48 laying chickens generates consistent egg production that can be sold locally without specialized knowledge or infrastructure. Pilmico’s design choice — pairing egg machines with bakery kits — reflects an understanding that combining a food production asset (eggs) with a food manufacturing asset (bakery) gives cooperatives complementary income streams with different seasonal and market dynamics, improving overall livelihood resilience.

What is the Mahalin Pagkaing Atin program and what does it aim to achieve?
Mahalin Pagkaing Atin is Pilmico’s flagship corporate social responsibility advocacy program, introduced in mid-2014. Its primary goal is to promote sustainable entrepreneurship by championing local produce and instilling a “pride of product, pride of place” mindset in both farmers and local consumers. The program enables beneficiaries to maximize profit by connecting directly with buyers — bypassing middlemen — while also promoting Filipino agricultural produce as products worth taking pride in. The Lapu-Lapu donation was made through this program.

Which cooperatives received livelihood kits and what did the kits contain?
Four cooperatives from Lapu-Lapu City were the recipients: Hope Consumers Cooperative, Caohagan Pan Bisaya SLPA, Subaspa Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and Hugpong Kababyen-an sa Pajac Produces Cooperative. Each received egg-laying machines (two sets per beneficiary, with 48 chickens per set and one cycle of feed consumption included) as well as bakery starter packages. The combination of egg production and bakery equipment gives recipients two distinct income-generating pathways simultaneously, reducing the risk associated with dependence on a single livelihood source.

What was the context and occasion for the livelihood kit turnover?
The kits were turned over during Pilmico’s Mahalin Pagkaing Atin Food, Agri and Livelihood Expo held at the Lapu-Lapu Sports Complex. The expo format meant the donation occurred alongside seminars on animal husbandry and nutrition, basic and advanced baking demonstrations, and cooking demonstrations by Mahalin Pagkaing Atin ambassador Chef Boy Logo — creating an educational and community engagement event around the donation rather than a simple ceremonial handover.

What was Pilmico’s nationwide track record in livelihood kit donations by this point?
By the time of the Lapu-Lapu event, Pilmico had nationwide donated a cumulative total of 838 piglets, 370 egg machines, 37 bakery starter packages, and 14 agri-posts where beneficiaries received feed bags as restart-up capital. This cumulative scale reflects the Mahalin Pagkaing Atin program’s consistent nationwide rollout over multiple years — each event adding to a growing aggregate impact that spans multiple regions and livelihood types across the Philippines.