Aboitiz, ABS-CBN Foundation tech initiative to boost Tawi-Tawi fishing sector
SIMUNUL, TAWI-TAWI – To further promote enterprise development nationwide, the Aboitiz Group’s social development arm Aboitiz Foundation turned over last February 19 to local social enterprise Palamigan Co. a high-technology micro-ice plant that will aid in the storage and selling of fish and potentially expand the community’s means of livelihood.
In partnership with ABS-CBN Foundation’s Investments in Loving Organizations for Village Economies (iLOVE), the Aboitiz Foundation reached out to the local community of about 35,000 residents whose main source of income is fishing.
According to one of the residents and a member of the Sahaya Mongkay, Maruwa, and Tonggusung Fisherfolk Cooperative, the micro-ice plant will create a positive impact on their current livelihood setup.
“Yung mga fisherfolk dito, hindi na mahihirapan. Malaking tulong ang yelo sa amin kasi dati nagpupunta pa sila sa malayo at mag-gasolina pa [para makakuha ng yelo]. Maraming salamat, Aboitiz Foundation (The fisherfolk will not have difficulty any more. The micro-ice plant will help a lot because before they would go to far places and spend on gas just to get ice. Thank you very much, Aboitiz Foundation),” said one Simunul fisherfolk.
The micro-ice plant, powered by social enterprise Palamigan Co., will use an easy-to-install, low-cost, and fast-freezing brine immersion ice machine that will provide more income opportunities to budding entrepreneurs on Simunul Island. With the micro-ice plant, fishermen will be able to freeze more fish for storing and selling and explore other ice-based livelihoods.
“The Aboitiz Foundation continuously explores initiatives that can positively change the lives of community members. We want to help create employment opportunities for our assisted communities in support of our promise of advancing business and communities,” said Maribeth L. Marasigan, Aboitiz Foundation President and Chief Operating Officer.
iLOVE Project Coordinator Celina C. Rotea said the new micro-ice plant will also allow the local community to look for alternative livelihood.
“It is our goal to uplift the quality of lives of our partner communities by providing them with opportunities for sustainable enterprise development. The micro-ice plant is perfect for the fishing community in Simunul – it not only provides them with a way to extend the freshness of their everyday catch, but allows them to venture into other ice-based enterprises.” she noted.
Aside from enterprise development projects, iLOVE is also looking at developing eco-tourism initiatives for communities in Tawi-Tawi. iLOVE is now conducting assessments on the viability of sustainable tourism opportunities in the area and two- to three-day “Earth Warrior ” training, planning and visioning, team building, and values formation toward environmental awareness.
Enterprise development is one of the Aboitiz Foundation’s three focus areas, the other two being education and environment.
Since its inception in 1988, the Aboitiz Foundation’s corporate social responsibility interventions have evolved from one-time donations to carefully-designed programs that empower its beneficiaries to pursue their aspirations.
In 2019, the Aboitiz Foundation disbursed over P200 million in microfinance loans through the Adopt-A-Branch (P154 million) and Wholesale Fund (P52.8 million) programs in partnership with the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, Inc., benefiting 6,434 customers and 27 partner cooperatives and associations, respectively.
