BAYANIHAN in the time of COVID-19: BPI Foundation supports farmers in Pampanga

BPI Foundation, the social development arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), recently extended assistance to over 50 farmers and 250 of their family members who are greatly affected by the enhanced community quarantine by providing them access to markets for their produce. Together with its program partner RiceUp, an agri-tech social enterprise that empowers farmers through innovation, entrepreneurship, cooperative farming and education, more than 2,000 kilos of fresh produce have been recently sold through online orders from residents in Pampanga as well as bulk purchases from institutional and local government unit buyers.

“It is our goal to uplift the lives of our farmers by giving them better opportunities to earn a decent living—a fitting compensation for the backbreaking work that they do for us. We need to continue supporting our farmers especially in these trying times. They produce food which is essential to our survival,” said BPI Foundation Executive Director Owen Cammayo. BPI Foundation also gave relief packs to over 300 rice farming households in six barangays in Pampanga.