Assumption alumnae help sustain communities in Estern Samar

MANILA, Philippines - In the aftermath of super typhoon Yolanda, the once-thriving coastal town of Mercedes in Eastern Samar was reduced to rubble, leaving families homeless, without food and livelihood.

One of the organizations that heeded the call for help is the Assumption Alumnae Association (AAA), through its Assumption Cares program. They adopted six barangays in the municipality of Mercedes by rebuilding their houses, repairing their parish halls, and constructing disaster-resilient domes that will serve as community centers in Barangay Busay.

The group’s support did not end there.

“We didn’t want to end the project with just homes. We want to give them something to sustain their lives,” said Regina Hechanova, Assumption Cares Program chairperson.

Hence, AAA partnered with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) for a short-term livelihood project called “Food on the Table” through Bio-Intensive Gardening. The project, which is part of Assumption Cares’ continuing program in Mercedes, aims to benefit at least 100 households in the barangay.

Under the program, PBSP, in collaboration with the local government of Mercedes and the Municipal Agriculture Office, will conduct training sessions on bio-intensive gardening technology for the recipients and build 100 bio-intensive gardens in selected households. The P1.3-million project began last month and is expected to be completed in February 2016.

AAA and PBSP recently signed a memorandum of agreement and check turnover for the project.

Apart from Hechanova, also present during the event were Ma. Luisa Ledesma, AAA president; Connie Valdes, AAA administrative officer; Dida Salita, AAA trustee; Gina Africa-Aboitiz, AAA member; former Ambassador Bienvenido Tan, AAA adviser and sponsor, concurrent PBSP trustee, and president and general manager of The Bookmark Inc.; Emma Tan, wife of Amb. Tan; Roberto Umali, PBSP trustee and chief operating officer of Magsaysay Transport and Logistics; Caroline Grace Pedragosa, director, PBSP Project Management Office-Livelihood and Enterprise Development (LED); Mercedita Rosetes, portfolio manager of PBSP LED; and Amy Chua, portfolio manager for backbone support of PBSP LED.