Laguna-based Cirtek Electronics Corp. on Wednesday said it will continue its community garden and community pantry initiatives, which augmented the needs of its employees amid the pandemic.
“After four months of collective effort and labor in nurturing what used to be an idle garbage dump area of land, the dedicated employees now gathered the fruits of their cultivated garden,” the company said.
Cirtek said the produce of its garden were sold to employees “for a very cheap price.” The proceeds were donated to those who were required to undergo quarantine.
The project, dubbed quarantine pantry, contained produce from the garden and donations from employees and management.
Cirtek’s pantry is open to employees seeking aid for their daily needs. It also provides financial relief to those who have to leave work and not earn temporarily to follow the health protocols imposed by the government. An employee can choose from whatever is available on hand for their daily needs. The supplies are then replenished by internal and external donors.
“The community pantry benefits both ways—the employees feel they are nurtured by the company and consequently returns the gratitude with loyalty, higher productivity and efficiency,” the company said.
“The Garden of Life and Quarantine Pantry shall be continued for as long as their existence has value, or yet may be turned over later into another form of a charitable program for whatever crisis the company might face in the future.”
Mangroves
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said Wednesday its CSR initiatives continue to gain recognition as its mangrove project at Brgy. Kulasihan, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte has been transformed into an ecotourism site and declared a protected area through a Sangguniang Bayan Resolution.
In partnership with the Lanao Aquatic Marine Fisheries Center for Community Development, Inc. (LAFCCOD) and Kulasihan Fisherfolks Association (KUFA), the mangrove reforestation project is part of NGCP’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.
In 2018, members of KUFA were engaged to plant an initial of 50,000 seedlings on the waters of Panguil Bay, occupying an area of approximately 7 hectares.
The project is unique from other tree planting programs as it adheres to a more holistic approach to ensure sustainability. Prior to the project’s commencement, LAFCCOD organized trainings to orient KUFA members on the importance of mangroves to the environment and the people. They also conducted research to determine the most suitable varieties to plant in the area.
“Our partnership with LAFCCOD and KUFA enabled us to integrate nursery establishment, planting, growing, parenting, and nursing of mangroves into our strategy. This gave us the confidence that we would reach our target of at least 80 percent survival of the mangroves, which we exceeded after our assessment,” the company said.
After three years of continuous management and monitoring, the site is now home to more than 46,000 mangroves of 3 different species. From previously being a dump site, the protected mangrove area will also serve as the community’s natural sea barrier and a sanctuary for commercially valuable fish and other marine life. The host community also transformed the area into an ecotourism site after building a boardwalk and cottages for visitors.
Image courtesy of www.cirtek-electronics.com