Hunger is a prevailing issue in the Philippines. In March 2009, the proportion of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months was at a high of 15.5%, or an estimated 3 million households (Social Weather Survey, Q1 2009). This percentage has been in the double-digits for over four years, since June 2004.

Gawad Kalinga, a national movement committed to eradicate poverty, knew this pressing problem of hunger and understood that it needed to go beyond its first mission of providing homes for the homeless. Hunger needed to be addressed with a simple model that can be replicated and sustained. This gave birth to the Bayan-anihan program.

Bayan-anihan gained learnings by launching 20 model farms in partnership with Selecta, Globe, Shell and Wyeth. A simple farming model was piloted and was proven to provide sufficient food for the families involved. It was confirmed that teaching people to farm will allow them to be more self-sustaining and will ensure that their families will not go hungry.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) became the first founding partner of Bayan-anihan. It committed to provide the necessary farm inputs and implements. The Agricultural Colleges Association of the Philippines (ACAP) later committed to assist in the training requirements of the program through its member’s students and faculty.

OUR VISION

Empowering communities, transforming lives towards a hunger-free nation.

OUR MISSION

Food on the table.

We are committed to eradicate hunger in the Philippines by establishing sustainable food sufficiency programs through multi-sectoral partnerships.

Help us fight hunger in the Philippines. For more information visit www.bayan-anihan.com