Bringing Value from the Sea to Filipino Homes: Ligo

Watching documentaries and seeing the plight of fishermen in the provinces made me realize how some of our fisherfolk's practices are not sustainable. We consume quite a lot of sardines, as it is one of the most affordable food items we have that is properly kept, canned and lasts a long while. In a 2017 survey, they listed 9 out of 10 pinoys actually consume it.

As commercial fishing boats become a norm, overfishing is becoming a huge problem. The amount of sardines they take out from the sea just wouldn't be able to sustain production. Add to that climate issues, and it's a tragedy waiting to happen.

Century Pacific Food Inc. who produces various sardine brands like 555, Lucky 7, Fresca, and well loved brand Ligo launched a campaign called "Sustendido Bulan" at Bulan in Sorsogon. This aims to make sure that sourcing raw ingredients including fish is sourced sustainably. They also want to make sure fisherfolk are educated about processes and make sure the long term supply of it.   

They also went over and beyond by doing community work with their products, teaching nutrition to empower the community and have an even better resource management practices in this location. CPFI and Ligo wants to enable they understand that there could be a supply chain that could benefit them all. Through various partnerships, education and innovation, they would be able to balance the needs of people to bring value from the sea to Filipino homes too.

Putting their call "Lamang ka sa Ligo" is a practice that gets both consumers and suppliers at a beneficial standpoint. Something that would not harm the planet and not have overfishing at these locations.

As of now, they have trained 250 fishermen and women about sustainability. They also accredited 500 families as suppliers. They also now created over 850 posts to employ them in plants across the region and had 1075 kids benefit from their school feeding programs. They also noted how rejection rates of fish went from 13 to only 3% and hopefully have eliminated resource strain because of the "Sustenido Bulan" efforts. They are following UN Sustainable Development goals and hope to maintain these gains in the coming years. We fervently hope this becomes beneficial for future generations and be practiced at different locations. It doesn't have to be in one place of course!

Ligo certainly brings value not only from the sea, but to Filipino homes nationwide!

Foundation Begins Relief Efforts

Typhoon Kristine didn't just pass by, but left thousands of families ravaged where 148 individuals lost their lives across the Philippines, quite hard to see especially families, with names to their faces til today. DigiPlus Interactive's social arm Bing0Plus Foundation just recently released over 37 Million pesos of aid which includes a quarter of a million pesos for those who experienced losses, sent to the bereaved families. Initially it was only for 39, but things worked out with the Foundation and DSWD, the social welfare arm of the Philippine government.

The turnover was witnessed by the PH First Lady, DSWD Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez, and DigiPlus' very own Chairman Eusebio Tanco. They met with Governor Hermilando Mandanas of Batangas, Vice Gov Mark Leviste, Mayor Nestor Natanauan of Talisay, Mayor Albie of Bacolod and Celeste Jovenir the COO of Bing0Plus Foundation. 

Time is of the essence, and while those who are affected by the typhoon move to recover from this calamity, they have these private firms to help them support over 750 families, even more that the previous 100 Million pesos they got to do for various programs in livelihood, healthcare and education. They are also working with other local organizations to make sure they empower them in different Plus Centers, especially those that are in Central Visayas and Gensan, where they have committed help increase a more sustainable way to do things especially work in these communities.

There's also another typhoon up North Luzon and it looks like it is also affecting a lot of people, here's praying nothing would happen to the folks out there. Follow the pages and channels to know more about the various initiatives they've started, there will be more!

What Does It Take to Have a #WorldWithoutWaste?

A couple years ago, Coca Cola launched a global campaign with a very bold and ambitious goal. The aim was to collect and recycle a bottle or can of what the company sells by 2030. Year after year, they stepped up, become successful, and that also included the Philippines. Their movement in the country has spawned different models including this NGO called Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI). A component of what they did in 2019 called Blastik made use of recycling centers that is funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation. In it, they learned to spread awareness about environmental efforts, earn and provide for themselves, and recycle a lot of plastic. As you may know, a lot of companies make products with packaging and these efforts would hopefully make a dent on that challenge. Coca-Cola currently is recycling over 93% of their waste in bottling plants and now utilize plant based renewable material called PlantBottle.

Blastik's success as a pilot project continued in a partnership wtih PeacePond Farmers Organization based in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. Farmers from this organization have empowered their community and provided environmental education so they would learn waste segregation, recycling and putting up livelihood projects via workshops, webinars which they host in a regular basis. The Blastik Project taught them how collecting, recycling used and clean plastic bottles would be beneficial and create opportunities for townsfolk so they could earn from re-using plastics in projects, so they could feed their families. Beneficiary Jo Guanco (who's a 53yo farmer from the same place) says "The Blastic Project showed us how important it is to teach our neighbors about segregation and recycling. We are also working with other communities these days so they too can coordinate and schedule collection of plastic bottles in towns, nearby areas and offices, of which some personally call us so we could collect it for them. We continue to be Blastic Eco Rangers til now."

The movement has gone to other communities like Bakyas Community in Oringao, Kabankalan Negros Occidental, Elite Ads Corp in Paranaque City, and Elite Ads Corporation in Carmona Cavite. They also have active partnerships with Seda Hotel in Bacolod City plus Southland College in Kabankalan also. During the pandemic, they continue to process almost 17 tons worth more or less of mixed bottles, bottle caps, plastic sachets and labels too. As of now, Coca-Cola Foundation is supporting over 40 zero waste communities around the countries, and are continuing to grow more in the next few months. Ms. Cecile Alcantara puts this as Blastik's initial success, and says "we are really happy and excited about it."

If you want to know more about their initiatives, just head on to coca-colacompany.com/reports/business-environmental-scoal-governance-report-2020 or their social channels and be part of that change, make the #WorldWithoutWaste possible today!