Aboitiz food subsidiary helps rebuild Iligan with biggest classroom donation yet, kicks off feeding program

Aboitiz Equity Ventures food subsidiary, Pilmico Foods Corporation, devotes its resources to Iligan City, turning over P25-million worth of school buildings in Iligan City, its biggest Corporate Social Responsibility project to date, and launching a feeding program to fight malnutrition.

The four new school buildings, each having six classrooms, were built inside the Bayanihan sa Iligan Village in Barangay Sta. Elena, a relocation site identified by the Iligan City Government for residents who were hit hardest by Sendong two years ago.  

A total of 1,711 houses to accommodate the same number of families were also built inside the 15.9-hectare village.

"Students from three barangays in Iligan City that were hit by Typhoon Sendong no longer have to travel far only to study in congested classrooms. The quality of education that the children will be getting is at stake if this is not remedied. We are doing this to show our commitment to Iligan, the place we have been calling home for the last 50 years," said Pilmico President & CEO Sabin Aboitiz.

After flashfloods washed away and damaged the schools in Barangays Hinaplanon, Santiago, Sta. Filomena and Bayug Island, students were forced to attend classes in the already congested schools in other barangays.  

For some who were relocated, students needed to travel 10 to 12 kilometers just to be able to go to school.  

The school building project is in partnership with Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., the social development arm of the Aboitiz Group.

Meanwhile Iligan residents are also benefiting from Pilmico’s Kutitap Feeding Program, providing bread snacks to nearly 2,400 students in a bid to advance children’s nutrition.

Aboitiz said the feeding program initially benefits kindergarten and grade 1 students from eight pre-selected public schools, but will soon be rolled out to as many schools nationwide.

“We at Pilmico are once more pleased to be a partner for growth in nutrition and education through the Kutitap Feeding Program. What better way to help than provide some form of nourishment for the children while they are in school. We are in the food business after all,” he said, adding that the project needs community engagement.

The feeding program promotes education and envisions alleviating short-term hunger by minimizing malnutrition, boosting school enrolment and participation, reducing absenteeism and improving academic performance.

To ensure that there is nutritional value in the bread that these children eat, Pilmico provides the recipes, which partner local bakeries such as Frosty Bites, Shandy's Bakeshop and Cherrybelle's Bakeshop and dealers prepare, pack, and distribute three times a week to schools.

The partner schools meanwhile monitor the children’s weight and height on a monthly basis. The program will roll out until end of school year 2013-2014.

The company expects to provide more breads to more students after it tapped Leyson Bakeship and D’Bauin Bakery to distribute to additional beneficiary schools.

Pilmico aims to address the social and economic development needs of less-privileged communities—particularly in primary health and child care and education—through various projects in partnership with Aboitiz Foundation, which celebrates its 25th year anniversary this year.


Press release from Green Bulb Public Relations