[Tour of the Farm, Raf Dionisio]
We ended our Saturday with a tour of the farm, courtesy of Raf Dionisio.
Hyundai Center
Berjaya Culinary Center
The Grassroots Kitchen Philosophy
The Grassroots Kitchen
Bamboo Palace
On the morning of our last day, we tried our hand at some farming activities. We collected some azola algae to feed to the ducks. Spearheading the Agricool Project is Cherrie Atilano, who aims to make farming fashionable and desirable for the young to consider it as a livelihood. Agricool supports the children of farmers as scholars, mentoring them and making sure they get the education that they need.
“I want to make farming fun, cool, and sexy!” | Cherrie Atilano, co-founder of the Agricool Project
The Filipino Dream: “Walang Iwanan Based Economy”
It’s amazingly inspiring, the story of how Gawad Kalinga went from a simple community-building organization to the three things they now envision themselves to be: a farm village university, a silicon valley for social entrepreneurship, and a Disneyland for social tourism. Gawad Kalinga has become a beacon of hope for the Filipino people, built on love of country not on a fund-raising mentality.
“Poverty is man-made; hence it can be un-made by man.” | Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga
The organization firmly believes that eradicating poverty in the country is 100% possible. Tito Tony Meloto says that with our rich biodiversity, our hectares of land, and the undeniable talent of the Filipino people, the poverty in the Philippines is a scandal to the world. We have the resources, and we have the means, why don’t we cultivate them?
The weekend at the farm has taught me so much; not just about the work they do, the social enterprises they develop, and the people they help, but also of the story of the Philippines and the Filipino Dream. Their actions are simple but the impact of their efforts is powerful. Create a movement, not just a project. Build an ecosystem, not just a business. Incubate social enterprises that are not just for profit.
With the bloggers and social business campers
Clem Turgeon, French Gawad Kalinga volunteer and organizer of the Bloggers Weekend
Schedule a visit to the farm and be inspired by the Gawad Kalinga story and be enchanted by this provincial oasis, not too far from the busy metro. You can go on a walking tour of the farm, experience the social enterprise demos, eat a buffet lunch of farm-to-table food, and do all sorts of farming activities. You can also stay overnight at the farm and/or avail of their activity/tour packages:
So, remember, kids: support local, patronize social enterprises, believe in the skills of your fellow Filipinos, and escape once to the probinsya once in a while!
Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GKEnchantedFarm
Twitter and Instagram: @gkenchantedfarm
Address: California St., Pandi Angat Road, Angat, Bulacan, Philippines
E-mail Address: info@gkenchantedfarm.com
The GK Enchanted Farm is open to the public from Tuesdays to Sundays, 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM.
