By The Financial District
Sep 7, 20211 min
Century Pacific Food Inc. (CNPF), one of the leading branded food companies in the Philippines, through its nonprofit affiliate RSPO Foundation, Inc. signed an agreement with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to participate in its livelihood program, Project Hope Adopt-A-Farm.
Photo Insert: DOLE IX Regional Director Roy L. Buenafe, PHAC Chairperson Jose J. Suan and Ariel S. Onesa representing CPFI Vice President for Human Resources and Corporate Affairs George Leander Q. Wang III inked the Memorandum of Agreement at the KCC Mall de Zamboanga, Zamboanga City.
Project Hope aims to address the lack of sustainable sources of livelihood among workers in the marine industry during the closed fishing season in Zamboanga, a manufacturing epicenter of marine products in Mindanao.
Through the Adopt-A-Farm Program, DOLE, together with participating companies, build agricultural farming villages, creating employment opportunities for seasonally displaced workers and their families.
Manufacturing companies can “adopt” a farm and transform it into productive agricultural land. In turn, harvested produce will be bought and used as raw materials by these companies to manufacture their own products, creating a sustainable ecosystem.
CNPF is the first company to enroll in DOLE’s program, adopting three greenhouse farms that make use of indigenous materials for construction.
Through these greenhouses, CNPF is able to generate jobs during the off-fishing season for displaced workers and for their families who can continue farming for the rest of the year.