More than a year after its establishment in October 2024, a demo farm in Cabatuan, Iloilo, responds to a problem that often goes unseen until it becomes urgent: hunger among children.
Beyond providing nutritious food to 25 malnourished children in the municipality, the farm became a space where growth blossoms into many forms. Mothers learn to feed their families, food security becomes a shared responsibility, and sustainability is embedded in the community’s daily life. With its 120-square-meter Greenhouse and 90-Chicken Layer projects, implemented by Angat Buhay Foundation, in partnership with the Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Iloilo Provincial Government, these support their vision of Zero Hunger and Zero Malnourished Children while also addressing livelihood and grassroots food insecurity.
“May ara (There are) three phases: rehabilitation, capacitating, and livelihood,” said Francisco Gonzaga III, Municipal Agriculturist, while touring the team during their site visit. He shared how they do not just want to improve the weight and height of children aged 0-60 months (critical age to prevent stunting or chronic malnutrition) but also to equip mothers through a 16-week training which includes assessment, health consultation, orientation, and training activities on crop production and meal preparation based on Pingggang Pinoy. Now, children reached normal weight levels, and those affected by stunting show normal height growth because intervention was given in a timely manner. Every child received 15 eggs per week from the chicken layer producing 96 eggs daily, a critical source of protein and essential nutrients for growth and development.
To him, achieving zero hunger is their dream and to become self-sustaining, expounding on why their last phase is rooted in livelihood. They efficiently utilize the land and diversify organically grown crops, including cherry tomatoes, kulitis or amaranth, patola, cucumber, lettuce, pechay, and malunggay. Fruit-bearing trees, such as guyabano, atis, and papaya, are also found.
“ Every inch of it, kailangan mapakinabangan (should be beneficial), ” he uttered. In fact, a portion of the lettuce harvest is sold at the Iloilo Terminal Market to help support the farm’s operations by high-value production. It also has a solar-powered irrigation system donated by the provincial government, and senior high school (SHS) students also receive hands-on training here, while ornamental plants like Balitbitan are used to enhance their tourist spots.
With personnel managing livestock and farming, the demo farm thrives through people’s cooperation with the Municipal Agricultural Office. Surplus production reaches Pavia and Sta. Barbara, reflecting their commitment to food security, as Gonzaga noted that agriculture raised community income by at least 15 percent, with the greenhouse playing a significant role.
He also acknowledged that aligning mindsets is both indispensable and challenging. The people are gradually educated on values to help them develop, appreciate what they have, and take ownership especially these sources are limited.
More than crops, the farm has cultivated a better, brighter, and bountiful future, proving that development begins with sustainability, and sustainability begins when communities are enabled to take charge of their own growth… dahil dito nagsisimula ang tunay na pag-angat ng buhay.
