Photo credit: Department of Foreign Affairs
FYLPRO delegates put aside their business attire and rolled up their sleeves as they tried their hand at farming and tree planting during their visit to the Ayala Foundation Inc. livelihood project site in Calauan, Laguna.
The 10 next-generation Filipino-American leaders interacted with the local community and learned about sustainable farming from residents of Southville 7, a 107-hectare relocation site in Calauan for families displaced by Typhoon Ondoy and the Pasig River rehabilitation, during their visit last July.
As a token of appreciation, the delegates turned over farming/gardening tools to the community. “They welcomed us with open arms and shared their lives with us, even for just a few hours. This magnanimity is something we truly appreciate. We hope to visit again in the future and see their farming endeavors grow and their community prosper,” shared Mark Jimenez, a legislative aide for a U.S. California Representative living in Washington, D.C.
One of the highlights of the visit was a boodle fight with residents of the community. Sam, one of the members of the community, said “I am very thankful for the chance to be able to interact with you all today. I hope you can come back to visit our community to see that we are growing.” To cap of their trip to Laguna, the delegates visited the historic Rizal Shrine in Calamba before returning to Manila.
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News story courtesy of Asian Journal