Century Pacific Commits to Coconut Replanting Initiative, Subsidiary aims to be carbon neutral by 2028

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Century Pacific Food donates seedlings to coconut farmers in Mindanao, helping enhance their livelihoods through increased productivity.

Century Pacific Food, Inc. (CNPF), through its coconut manufacturing arm Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures, Inc. (CPAVI), has signed a partnership with Friends of Hope to donate quality seedlings to smallholder coconut farmers -- enabling the planting of productive coconut trees and the replacement of non-fruit-bearing senile ones in South Central Mindanao.

In addition to expanding long-term coconut supply in the region, planting the coconut trees will sequester about 416,680 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next eight years. As a result, CNPF’s coconut subsidiary aims to be “carbon-neutral” by 2028.

Under the partnership, CPAVI will provide coconut farmers 100,000 coconut seedlings a year for the next five years, with Friends of Hope overseeing their distribution to farmer families and ensuring that the seedlings are given the proper care. Friends of Hope is a non-profit organization with expertise in coconut-based farming systems, as well as growing coconuts and other intercrops. Since its establishment in 2012, it has reached almost 10,000 farmers, providing them access to better seedlings, facilitating end-to-end trainings on coconut and intercrop production, and helping reduce costs by linking farmers directly to markets.

 

2000 dwarf seednuts were given to Sitio Macnit, Brgy. Nomoh, Maasim, Sarangani Province. Pictured here is one of the beneficiaries from the IP community, Ms. Dona Fanding.

The joint initiative between CPAVI and Friends of Hope will expand long-term coconut supply in South Central Mindanao and help provide additional income to some 16,000 families in the area. As its need for the coconut raw material rises, CPAVI also plans to onboard partner farmers as suppliers, giving them market access for their products.

Noel Tempongko, Vice President and General Manager of CPAVI, said, “This initiative is a unique opportunity to help our community, our planet, and our business all in one go. Coconut farmers in Mindanao get the benefit of improved quality and productivity of their farming, as well as market access to their products due to our growing company requirements. We are also able to offset our carbon emissions as a result of this project and, at the same time, ensure a more sustainable supply source of coconuts for our company. We look forward to continue showcasing the quality of Philippine coconut products, proudly made in Mindanao, to the rest of the world, whilst helping our environment and community of coconut farmers in the process.”

Christopher Po, CNPF’s Executive Chairman, added, “I am personally very excited about this project which allows us to augment the livelihoods of our farmers, enhance the supply of quality coconuts, and achieve a milestone of carbon neutrality for our coconut business. At the same time, the initiative supports our ambition to manufacture healthier products, and our vision of growth whilst doing business in a more sustainable and responsible way.”

Through the wholly owned subsidiary CPAVI, CNPF entered the coconut business initially as an integrated manufacturer of high-value coconut products for exports, in line with its pivot towards manufacturing healthier products. Its entry into the category began with an ongoing long-term contract with a leading global coconut brand. Recently, the Company also signed a long-term contract exporting coconut products to the Linaco Group, a leading regional coconut producer headquartered in Malaysia.

7-Eleven partners with DOH to tackle COVID-19 at the community level

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Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC), the exclusive licensor of 7-Eleven in the Philippines, has partnered with the Department of Health’s (DOH) BIDA Solusyon Campaign to take the fight against COVID-19 to the barangay level. 

  

7-11 launch information drive with newly available barangay data.

After its store personnel surveyed 38,000 individuals in 7,000 inner neighborhoods last August, 7-Eleven found out that only 60% of people in the vicinity of their stores wore masks, prompting the company to install a COVID-19 update poster in each of its 2,951 stores nationwide once barangay level data was made publicly available in mid-September.  

  

Updated daily with data from the DOH, this poster shows the number of active cases and the trend in the barangay where the store is located. It also showed similar information about the two other adjacent barangays.  

  

PSC President and CEO Victor Paterno said, “Our management philosophy is ‘show the right data in the right form to the right people at the right time, and they will make the right decisions.’ You can’t look over the shoulder of every store manager when you have 3,000 stores - you have to give him the freedom to manage his store, but at the same time let him know how he is doing, so he can either be left alone, recognized, or held accountable. We think the same is true with regard to managing COVID-19.”  

  

“We laud the DOH for making the barangay data available. The virus spreads from close contact within members of a community, so we believe reporting it at that level opens up a promising front in the war to contain the virus. We hope it will drive the behavioral changes needed to get numbers down, and give communities the confidence that the problem can be managed. No need to be fearful---if together, we are careful,” Paterno added. 

  

The barangay information drive reflects the private sector’s contribution towards the DOH’s transition from a top-down approach towards managing COVID-19, to one that focuses on strengthening the pandemic response at the grassroots. 

  

“Drawing awareness to the community spread is a good first step,” said Atty. Sikini 

Labastilla, the head of Caloocan City’s contact tracing team. “In Caloocan, every community now aspires to be COVID-free, just as they once aspired to be drug free. There will be cases, but the community needs to see it as an ongoing battle rather than one that is won when they hit zero.” 

 

Chief of Professional Medical Staff at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center echoed sentiments that a community level response is critical to effectively managing the pandemic. 

 

“Tacloban barangays demanded barangay spread numbers early on, and disclosing them resulted in a reduction in cases.  Could this be because the community has been strengthened by one disaster, and is willing to work together to prevent another, just as countries like Taiwan and Korea that were affected by SARS have outperformed?” she said. 

 

Much of this transition is currently observed in the DOH’s efforts to augment the 

Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Barangay Health Emergency 

Response Teams (BHERTS). BHERTs are locally organized representatives of the LGUs that assist the Local Epidemiology and Surveillance units as well as the contact-tracing teams. 

  

Through the information drive and other capacity-building initiatives for the LGUs and their respective BHERTs, 7-Eleven, the DOH, and the DILG seek to empower more people with the ability to protect themselves from the virus. 

  

“BHERTs are the first-line responders to the public for any COVID-19-related health concern,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh Vergeire. “Through 7-Eleven’s information drive initiative, the BHERTs, and the Barangay Disiplina Brigades, we aim for a stronger response at where transmission is most common: the barangay level.” 

  

To support the government as it pushes for wearing masks, washing hands, and keeping distance as key ways to prevent the spread of the virus, 7-Eleven is elevating awareness about COVID further by informing its customers about the number of active COVID-19 cases at their local barangay level. 

 

According to Fr. Nicanor Austriatico, a chief researcher for microbiology, “Barangay level efforts over the past month have been promising.  QC’s Race to Zero campaign, which the UP OCTA group has been advising, has reduced spread and improved contact tracing efforts by 20%.” 

 

Asia Development Bank Health Director Dr. Patrick Osewe reaffirmed that localized spread management is increasingly seen as a best practice around the world, with the goal of resuming economic activity and travel. 

 

“We were able to use data and implement policies in some countries, like Vietnam. 

They controlled the pandemic in the beginning, but they had a surge of infections in Da Nang,” said Osewe. “They were able to bring it down in three weeks. We need clear data at the barangay level that is monitored clearly.” 

 

Leading epidemiologist and convener of the Health Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) Dr. Antonio Dans noted that showing the public a real-time picture of successfully curbing the spread would have a positive impact on promoting further practice of the personal protective measures. 

 

“Some people work or live in a crowded or risky area, and distancing is not always a choice they can make. But wearing face masks and shields is something that communities have control over,” he said. 

  

7-Eleven is also launching a Bidang Barangay Contest in more than 50 major cities and municipalities nationwide. Having provided information about local barangay’s active cases, 7-Eleven is encouraging both the barangay’s local BHERT officials and residents to be proactive partners in sharing information about COVID-19 their locality.  

  

“These are early days in this approach, and we need to compare notes on what works and what doesn’t as we progress in our individual efforts.  Furthermore, we hope that the national government, and those here who influence them, can help incentivize reduction of community spread by empowering LGUs to lift restrictions to allow more economic activity,”  Paterno said. 

  

Vergeire emphasized the importance of united effort between the government and the private sector in the fight against COVID-19, “Malaking bagay po ang pakikipagtulungan ng private sector sa pagapapalawig ng ating pandemic response. We were able to do it more efficiently because of the cooperation of the different business sectors.” 

 

“Kaya’t muli, kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa Philippine Seven Corporation, sa lahat ng ating BIDA partners, sa ating LGUs at sa ating mga mamamayan na patuloy ang pag suporta at pag-comply sa ating BIDA Solusyon health reminders.” 

Organique joins the (DOH) Bida Solusyon Campaign

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Health protocol compliance starts with self-care

Founded on its mission to inspire a deeper level of care for everyone in the community during this pandemic, especially the immuno-compromised, Organique joins the Department of Health’s (DOH) Bida Solusyon Campaign that calls on the public to comply with health protocols in order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. 

The launch event took place via Zoom and was hosted by celebrity wellness advocate Regine Tolentino.

ORGANIQUE: STRONG IMMUNITY COMPLEMENTS DOH’S BIDA GUIDELINES

Organique’s premium health products have been founded on the vision that a strong immune system can make the people susceptible to illnesses and other medical conditions. Boosting one’s health becomes more than self-empowerment, and can also become a means to extend that protection to family, friends, and even the community. A healthy physiological system makes for a formidable complement with the DOH BIDA practices such as the wearing of face masks and face shields in public spaces, regular and proper handwashing, and social distancing by at least one meter. 

“This well-rounded approach to health is essential, now more than ever, as we face a threat with no known cure yet,” said Cathy Salimbangon, CEO and President of Organique, Inc. during the partnership launch last Sept. 29. As numerous medical experts including the World Health Organization (WHO) have iterated, maintaining a healthy immune system is one of the best defenses against COVID-19, since it acts as a barrier against disease. While there are currently no COVID-19  medications that can completely eliminate the virus, there are steps that one can take to ensure one’s physiological and immunological defenses are as strong as possible. 

Echoing Salimbangon’s statements, Integrative Medicine Specialist and Wellness Expert Dr. Sonny Villoria shared, “As a medical practitioner, I know the importance of boosting your immune system. So health supplements like Organique can help provide some form of internal protection, while BIDA can provide external protection. By practicing minimum health standards, we are doing something for ourselves.”

The success of the campaign relies a great deal on the collaboration between the private and public sectors. Dr. Beverly Ho, Director IV of Health Promotion and Communication Service of the DOH’s Public Health Services Team, explained, “We welcome Organique's energy to make BIDA's message live and breathe in every Filipino. We shouldn't be fearful about COVID because the solutions are within us. However, we recognize that some countrymen need more, and so we have our partners to help spread our message. We need to go beyond communication and advertisements to reach different communities.”

During the launch, Organique pledged to help build consumer confidence through the mass implementation of the BIDA Solusyon campaign’s objectives. “Not only will we be applying the BIDA guidelines in our own lives. We will also be sharing the pillars of the BIDA campaign in our various platforms online and in person, so that our teams, their families, and the people they may come in contact with, will learn about these simple but important practices against COVID-19,” Salimbangon elaborated.

In addition, Organique Inc.  ImmunoCare Kits will be distributed to the vulnerable sectors of the community. They contain the brand’s immunity-boosting Acai Premium Blend, bottles of alcohol, masks, face shields, and BIDA posters and flyers.

Salimbangon also shared how their company is coping in the new normal. She said, “As a brand, we are in a position to do more to curb the spread of COVID. Thanks to the BIDA guidelines, our teams were able to adapt and demonstrate resilience that puts the safety of our team and customers first.” 

Meanwhile, Communications Technical Advisor to DOH Amor Maclang emphasized the important role that each individual plays as the economy begins its road to recovery. “BIDA Solusyon encourages all of us to be the hero—the ‘BIDA’ of this pandemic. We are all realizing that in order to beat the virus, we need to learn how to live with it. Transmission is inevitable, but we have some of the lowest fatality rates in the world. This happened because all of us in civil society work together and are integrated into our actions through the BIDA campaign.”

Similarly, television host and wellness advocate Cory Quirino reiterated the significance of accountability in encouraging bravery. "When we talk about flattening the curve, we also need to flatten the fear. BIDA is a timely reminder that the hero is in all of us.”

The DOH's BIDA Solusyon campaign is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the Breakthrough Action Program, which has advocated the implementation of a variety of social and behavior change communications in different developing countries to push enhanced and tailor-fit public health education.

Salimbangon concluded, “We’re proud to be partnering with a government agency that helps in curbing this pandemic. It's truly a challenging year, but it never ceases to amaze me what the human spirit can do.

Nestle Celebrates International Coffee Day with Deals and Freebies at Shopee

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Everyone knows that coffee is a delicious and energizing beverage that many people drink daily. 

Coffee is more than a beverage. It is a lifestyle. Whether you crave for coffee or any satisfying flavor, you’ll understand why a cup of coffee can turn a bad day into a great one.

Nestle celebrates International Coffee Day with Shopee on October 1. For every P100 spent on Nescafe products, P5 will be donated to the education of coffee farmers’ children. 

You can enjoy it with great deals at Shopee! 

Nestle NESCAFE Original 3-in-1 Coffee 28g - Pack of 30 with Free Nescafe Tumbler

NESCAFE Brown 3-in-1 Coffee 28.5g - Pack of 30 with Free Nescafe Tumbler

Nestle's Nescafe is well known brand. NESCAFÉ 3in1 Coffee is :

• The perfect mix of coffee, milk and a little sugar – for easy, quick enjoyment!
• NESCAFÉ 3in1 Coffee Mixes let you enjoy the same authentic taste and aroma of coffee with just the right balance of creamer and sugar every time.
• With a delicious balance of coffee sweetness with a smooth crema, wherever and whenever you want.
• With its comforting aroma and distinctive full-flavour taste, NESCAFÉ 3in1
• Original conveniently turns our medium-dark roast signature blend into a sweet white coffee in an instant. 
• Made with high quality Robusta coffee beans and sealed in single-serve sachets.

Happy International Coffee Day!

Check out Nestle shop on Shopee!

Download the Shopee app for free from the App Store or Google Play

○ https://shopee.ph/

Shopee Partners with World Vision and the Department of Education to Help Filipino Students Continue Distance Learning

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Shopee supports the learning community along with World Vision and the Department of Education 

Abutin Na10 Fundraising Drive with World Vision

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, partners with World Vision and the Department of Education (DepEd) to support the youth and the education continuity programs during the pandemic.

Shopee partners with World Vision to be its exclusive e-commerce partner for its Abutin Na10 campaign to support the DepEd’s initiatives on Filipino youth’s learning continuity. The campaign aims to raise funds to provide students with limited services online and other learning tools to help them with distance learning. 

Rommel V. Fuerte, Executive Director at World Vision Development Foundation, Inc., said, “World Vision, in partnership with the Department of Education, launched Abutin Na10 to help learners cope with learning continuity challenges brought by COVID19. It is heartwarming to know that more and more organizations like Shopee want to provide them gadgets and printed learning modules so learners can study safely in their homes. We pray that God will continue to bless you as you give hope to children.”

Learning Through Radios 

Also, Shopee collaborates with the Department of Education to donate transistor radios for students in rural districts. Transistor radios will allow students with no signal or access to the internet to listen to broadcasted lessons from DepEd.

Tonisito M.C. Umali, Esq, Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and Project Management Service at DepEd, said, “We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to our partners World Vision and Shopee for this very successful Virtual Launching of their joint partnership for the Abutin Na10 Campaign; as well Shopee’s donations of radio transistors for our learners in remote areas. With the support of these partners, we will surely give our learners quality basic education amidst this pandemic. Let us continue to join our hands and work together for the welfare and future of our Filipino learners.” 

With Shopee’s partnership with both organizations, Filipino students can continue their education during the pandemic.

Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee is glad to partner with World Vision and the Department of Education to help the Filipino youth continue learning amidst the pandemic. We understand the importance of education and are committed to making a difference in Filipino children’s lives. We will continue to step up on our efforts to better serve the Filipino community, especially during these challenging times.” 

For more information on how you can donate to the Abutin Na10 campaign, visit this link https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-world-vision 

Donate to the Abutin Na10 campaign on World Vision’s Official Shopee page here https://shopee.ph/worldvisionph 

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.