True to its acronym, Something to Eat Every Day (SEED), the SEED Project Asia-Philippines, Incorporated, one of the most active Civil Society Organization (CSO) partners of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD FO CAR) has defined what a partnership is all about through its series of community services for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households.
Since the partnership forged in 2020 through a Memorandum of Agreement, the SEED Project-Asia, Philippines, Inc. has rolled out activities under the Gabay and Kaagapay frameworks of engagement which aims to supplement the nutrition and health needs of the beneficiaries through skills training and provision of planting materials and farm inputs for the communal and backyard gardens of 4Ps beneficiaries.
Jonathan Libag, the President of SEED Project Asia – Philippines, Inc. shared that the ultimate goal of their organization is to help the in-need members of the community through free training, education, and community outreach such as provision of farm inputs and plant materials while advocating for natural farming and organic agriculture towards food nutrition and security.
“It all started with our mission to help every community by providing something for them, empowering them through training, education, and community outreach for them to have nutritious and enough food on their tables,” Libag said.
How their mission started
SEED Project-Asia was established in 1999 believing that everyone deserves something to eat every day. This has become their sturdy pillar to empower families, orphans, farmers, and communities to help in eradicating poverty, and live healthy and sufficient lives.
In February 2020, the SEED Project-Asia, Philippines, Inc. started the provision of vegetable seeds, seedlings and farm inputs such as compost fertilizers, plant pots, and seedling trays for the 4Ps households in the Barangays of Tuding and Loacan in the municipality of Itogon,
Benguet.
“The idea of vegetable seeds and seedlings provision came from our desire to capacitate communities especially the marginalized sectors by maximizing the available resources within their community,” Libag said.
This was followed by a series of seedling distribution in Baguio City, the municipality of Luna in the province of Apayao, and in the municipalities of Sablan and Tuba, Benguet done in 2024.
Earlier this year, the group facilitated another wave of plant material distribution in the municipalities of Atok, Mankayan, and Kibungan, Benguet.
Beyond Seedling Distribution
During the distribution activities conducted, Mr. Libag always allotted time for a short lecture- discussion on how to cultivate the seeds and seedlings. He gave brief discussions on soil preparation, composting, insect-pest management, and organic farming.
Mr. Libag has also been supportive to various 4Ps advocacy activities such as the search for Best Communal Gardens that started in 2021 wherein, he served as one of the panel of evaluators during the field validation of communal gardens.
He also dedicated his time as lecturer in various capacity building activities on community gardening for 4Ps Parent Leaders and DSWD staff from 2021-2025.
To guide the beneficiaries in growing their own gardens, a booklet on urban gardening was co-produced by the SEED Project Asia – Philippines, Inc. and DSWD FO CAR in 2021 and distributed to the beneficiaries. The booklet features steps in plant cultivation from land
preparation to seed-saving.
Because of these initiatives, the SEED Project-Asia, Philippines, Inc. was recognized as one of DSWD FO CAR’s most active and supportive CSO partners for two consecutive years.
“We are elated for the continuous initiative of SEED Project Asia in empowering our program beneficiaries through the provision of plant materials and skills straining. The plant materials provided to them really contributes to ending malnutrition and ensuring food security among our households,” said Fatima D. Florendo, the 4Ps Regional Program Coordinator and Division Chief of DSWD FO CAR.
The unwavering support of SEED Project-Asia, Philippines, Inc. to the 4Ps community has exemplified the true meaning of partnership. Their intervention in helping improve the health and nutrition of the 4Ps beneficiaries has defined what collaboration for development truly
means.
“We hope that our partnership with DSWD will continue to reach more communities to help every household to have something to eat every day,” Libag ended. ### DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Marlo C. Abyado, Jr., 4Ps Information Officer
