Cucumber and carrot ice cream. Broccoli bites. Pickles, several kinds. On August 21, 2026, 11 teams brought their vegetable products to a community park in Canlaon City, Philippines, where people came to taste, vote, and answer one question: would I buy this?
The idea behind the day is simple. Farmers in Canlaon City grow good quality vegetables, and a vegetable that nobody buys in time is a loss. Turn that moringa leaves into crackers, or that broccoli into cookies, and it keeps longer, travels farther, and earns more.
CARE Philippines through the ReLiEF Canlaon (Recovering Livelihoods and Enhancing Resilience of Volcano-affected Farmers of Canlaon) project organized the Vegetable Value-Adding Innovation Challenge. Eleven teams from different project partner communities participated. They cooked at home, filmed how they made their product, designed their own labels, and displayed their finished jars, tubs, and packets at the Children’s Park in Barangay Mabigo.
Judges scored all entries on taste, presentation, use of local vegetables, and whether the product could actually sell. The public voted, too. Anyone who walked through the exhibit tried the products and cast a ballot for their favorite. Between rounds, Tribu Panu-Binal, grand champion of the Pasayaw Festival 2026, performed, and local singers filled the gaps while the judges added up scores.
BeRaChe of Barangay Pula wins the challenge and receives an e-bike for their cucumber and carrot ice cream. Photo: Xyrus Cabonilas/CARE
BeRaChe, a team from Barangay Pula, won first place with cucumber and carrot ice cream, scoring 90.2%. The judges also handed the team three of the five special awards: best packaging, best market potential, and best use of a local vegetable.
The flavor was a deliberate choice.
“We agreed to make an ice cream out of carrot and cucumber because we know some kids do not eat vegetables,” said Faith Shaira of BeRaChe. “Ice cream we can market to all ages, from toddlers to senior citizens. And we can help our local farmers, because we can buy the vegetables they cannot sell.”
Students display their vegetable products entries at the innovation challenge. Xyrus Cabonilas/CARE
Jeno of Barangay Binalbagan placed second with Brocco Bites (87.2%), and Joshua Jay of Binalbagan placed third with Organic Pickle Artisan (83.8%). JBCMHS Main Campus in Barangay Panubigan came fourth with Veggie Viva Pickles (83.6%), and Emanuel of Barangay Binalbagan came fifth with Emans Vegetable Atshara (78.6%).
Two awards did not follow the rankings. Emans Vegetable Atshara was named most innovative product. Veggie Viva Pickles won the People’s Choice Award, decided entirely by the crowd. It was a reminder that the people who buy food have opinions of their own.
Representatives from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Education, and the Canlaon City tourism and agriculture offices came to watch. The city agriculturist had opened the program that morning.
Participants, judges, and partner agencies gather at the close of the day in Canlaon City. Photo: Xyrus Cabonilas/CARE
“As City Agriculturist, our office serves as the primary operational link with CARE Philippines, mobilizing local government technical, logistical, and administrative resources to maximize recovery support for all ReLiEF Canlaon participants,” said Dr. Andrea Canoy.
A jar of atchara or pickles made at home is not yet a business. It needs a consistent recipe, a label that meets food safety rules, a price that covers costs, and a shop willing to stock it.
CARE Philippines plans to connect the winning teams with DTI and the Department of Agriculture, and to hold the challenge again next year.
Some are not waiting.
“I plan to keep growing my organic artisan vegetable pickle business, and I hope it becomes known as one of Canlaon City’s delicacies,” said Joshua Jay, who placed third. “This town is the vegetable basket of Negros Oriental which means I have several choices of what products I can make. What I still need is my DTI certificate and business permits, plus more stable capital.”
Blog, Disaster Response, Featured Stories, Humanitarian, Latest News & Stories, Women and Girls
Ana, 26, leads the youth council of Barangay Batotuling, one of the hardest places to reach in Sarangani, Philippines. Her council was used to bringing help to other villages hit by disaster. Then, in June, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook her community, damaged more than 100 houses, the farms and their sources of water.
Ana never planned to run for office. Her grandmother, barangay treasurer for 20 years, kept telling her she already spoke like a leader. “My grandmother said I was always the one talking about what was wrong in our community,” Ana says. “She told me that if I could see it, I should be the one to fix it.”
She listened. Three years ago, she ran for the office of the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) chairperson in her barangay and she won. The village is small with only more than 1,000 people living there. most of them B’laan, an Indigenous Peoples group. Families grow corn, bananas, and coconut for copra — seasonal work that heavy rain, long drought or any disaster can wipe out.
That uncertainty falls hardest on the young. Many cannot afford college. Some marry early to escape what waits at home.
“When there are no harvest and no money for school, young people stop hoping anything for themselves,” she says. “That is the hardest part to watch.”
Ana’s answer was to give young people something to belong to: a real voice in barangay decisions, and activities like youth weeks that kept them connected. And because their municipality is prone to disasters, her council would set aside part of its funds to bring relief goods to young leaders and their families in affected communities.
Ana assists CARE staff in facilitating the distribution of food kits and solar lamps and street lights at the community. @2026 Mary Therese Norbe/CARE
Then the disaster came to them. On June 8, the ground moved under Batotuling. Ana and the other barangay officials met immediately. People were shaking, afraid to go back inside. More than 100 households lost their homes. Others still had walls standing but would not sleep behind them, watching the cracks widen with every aftershock. The families who lost the most lost twice: the earthquake took their houses, then tore through the farms that fed them and paid for everything else. The worst loss was the water. Landslides buried the springs, the community’s only source of drinking water.
Help began to arrive in waves. The Department of Social Welfare and Development got food packs in after two days. A week later came the helpers Ana recognized best — young people. The Sangguniang Kabataan of Barangay Malandag, in Malungon, arrived with water, rice, canned food, and clothes. For the first time, the young leaders of Batotuling were on the receiving end.
Recovery had barely started when the monsoon rains came, soaking slopes the earthquake had already loosened. The hillsides slid again, carrying off what was left of the crops — and the road, cutting off Batotuling and the barangays around it. Power lines went down too.
On July 15, the CARE Philippines team got through anyway. Each family received a food kit designed to feed a family of four for 15 days: a 25-kilo sack of rice, a tray of eggs, dried fish, mung beans, peanut butter, cooking oil, and canned fish and meat, all packed in a storage box that keeps food dry. CARE also brought solar lamps for families sleeping outside, and street lights for the barangay, so no one has to move in the dark when an aftershock hits.
Ana was in the middle of it. She worked with the CARE team to validate the list of affected families, making sure those who lost the most came first. And when distribution day came, she was one of the officials keeping the line moving and the process fair.
Photo: Residents receive and carry their food kits home to their families who have limited food stock since the earthquake. @2026 Mary Therese Norbe/CARE
“Losing your house is hard, but losing your farm means you do not know what you will eat next month,” Ana says. “So, this support means a lot to those families who have been so worried for days.”
What Ana wants next is water the community can rely on, farms that can feed people again, and young people who finish school before they decide anything else about their lives. “It’s going to take us a long time to recover but knowing that there are people who support us gives us enough hope to move on”, she added.
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The Emergency Response supporting families affected by the M7.8 earthquake is led by CARE Philippines, together with partners in the Humanitarian Partnership Platform (HPP), Philippine Inclusive NGO Network, and the ACCESS consortium, co-funded by the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid, the Tijori Foundation, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Blog, Featured Stories, Latest News & Stories, Press Release, Strengthening Health Systems
Rizal Province, Philippines (August 4, 2026) — CARE Philippines officially launched the B-STRONG program in the Province of Rizal on July 23. B-STRONG is a partnership between CARE and the AbbVie Foundation that trains and equips Barangay Health Workers in Rizal Province to connect communities to critical healthcare services and improve health outcomes, by delivering care through existing government health systems.
In strong partnership with the Department of Health – Center for Health Development Region IV-A (DOH-CHD IV-A), PhilHealth NCR/Rizal, the Rizal Provincial Government, and all its 14 local government units, the program equips more than 3,000 Barangay Health Workers to connect at-risk households to PhilPEN screening, PhilHealth-YAKAP enrollment, and continuous care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Representatives from CARE Philippines, DOH Center for Health Development CaLaBaRZon, PhilHealth NCR, the Provincial Government of Rizal, and 14 LGUs from the province gather for the launch of the B-STRONG Project.
“In Rizal alone, thousands of people are living with high blood pressure and diabetes, and most have never been screened,” said Reiza Dejito, CARE Philippines’ Country Director. Despite this reality, she expressed optimism: “Here’s what’s giving me hope – the care already exists. YAKAP already covers the medicines. The health centers in the LGUs already do the screening. The piece that we can strengthen together is the connection between them. And this is the whole point of B-STRONG, the connection, the bridge, so when a Barangay Health Worker finds a family in need, they help connect them to the care that is already there.”
Photo: DOH Center for Health Development IV-A and CARE Philippines sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Representing the organizations are (L-R): Glenn Bede Benablo, B-STRONG Project Manager; Dr. Marie Beatrix Duzon, NCD Cluster Head, DOH CHD IV-A; Reiza Dejito, CARE Philippines Country Director; and Jerome Lanit, CARE Philippines Development Portfolio Coordinator.
CARE Philippines also formalized their partnership with DOH-CHD IV-A, PhilHealth Regional Office NCR, and the Provincial Government of Rizal through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing. Vice President of PhilHealth NCR, Dr. Bernadette Lico remarked:
“Through the B-STRONG program and its synergy with PhilHealth YAKAP, we are strengthening a more coordinated and sustainable approach – one that emphasizes prevention, health promotion and accessible care at the community level.” She added, “as we launch this program today, we reaffirm our collective commitment to stronger health systems and more empowered communities, where every Filipino has the opportunity to live a healthier and more productive life.”
“This is our north star: to reduce premature mortality due to cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus by 20% by 2028. B-STRONG will reach 10,000 high-risk patients – ensuring that NCDs are diagnosed early, referred timely, and controlled effectively,” CARE Philippines B-STRONG Project Manager Glenn Bede Benablo emphasized.
The event was attended by over 100 health workers, government partners, and development partners at the municipal, provincial, and regional levels.
By embedding the model directly into local health infrastructure, B-STRONG helps ensure access to critical services remains sustainable after the program concludes. The program is designed to last beyond the project period and potentially expand to other locations.
“The AbbVie Foundation is committed to driving transformative change in communities, and we are proud to partner with CARE to advance this innovative program that is designed to strengthen local health systems and connect people to the care they need,” said Keya Milla, President, AbbVie Foundation; Vice President, Corporate Responsibility & Global Philanthropy, AbbVie. “We look forward to seeing B-STRONG’s impact on health outcomes in the Philippines ─ and its potential to serve as a blueprint for communities around the world.”
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls. Equipped with the proper resources, women and girls have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. In 2024, CARE worked in 121 countries, reaching 53 million people through 1,450 projects. In the Philippines, CARE has been supporting the most vulnerable communities during times of crisis while also fostering community resilience and development since 1949. To learn more, visit www.care.org and www.care-philippines.org.
About the AbbVie Foundation The AbbVie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to driving transformative change in communities worldwide and advancing health equity so that every individual can realize their full potential.
Blog, Featured Stories, Latest News & Stories, Women and Girls, Women and Girls
Analyn Añonuevo, 37, is a mother of five from Virac, Catanduanes. She and her husband relied on abaca farming for their family’s income. But Catanduanes, the country’s top producer of abaca fiber and often called the “Land of the Howling Winds,” faces destructive storms almost every year. Abaca takes years to mature. So, a single typhoon can erase years of work and investment. This became reality for Analyn when Typhoon Goni, locally known as Rolly, struck in 2020. It destroyed her family’s entire abaca farm. With four children in school and a toddler at home, the loss was staggering.
Rather than giving up, Analyn chose to focus on the possibility of a fresh start.
“What we lost could not be recoveredbut we believed that starting over was still possible”, Analyn said.
In late 2024, Analyn joined CARE Philippines’ Women and Youth Economic Empowerment (WEE) project. While her husband later moved to Manila to work in construction, she stayed behind to manage their farm and lead their local farmers group. Through the project, Analyn realized that relying only on abaca left her family at risk, since the crop takes years to recover after a major storm.
Analyn checks the eggplant from her diversified farm in Virac, Catanduanes. By growing vegetables alongside abaca, she has strengthened her family’s food supply and income in a province regularly affected by typhoons.Analyn makes abaca twine out of fibers harvested from her abaca plants. Abaca remains their primary source of livelihood.
The project’s training encouraged her to diversify their livelihood. While she continues to make twine from abaca, Analyn began growing vegetables such as chilies, squash, eggplant, and string beans. The vegetables provide food for the family and regular income from selling what they do not consume. Meanwhile, abaca remains a long-term source of earnings. Since December 2024, she has harvested several times, creating a steady cash flow that was not possible when she depended on a single crop.
As a farmer leader, Analyn now shares her experience with others. She manages the community demonstration farm and encourages fellow farmers to adopt diversified farming. When challenges arise, the results from the demo farm remind the group that they are no longer dependent on one harvest. Their farms are becoming productive, multi-crop spaces that support both their families and the local economy.
About the project
Supported by the Tijori Foundation, the WEE project aims to improve women’s economic empowerment and the social well-being of abaca and root crops farmers, processors, traders, and workers. It is being implemented by CARE Philippines in 17 barangays in Bato and Virac municipalities in Catanduanes province to help rebuild livelihoods and support local abaca farming communities.
Roseline Jimenez holds up a seaweed line she just checked for diseases. A good harvest for their livelihood group, economic security for their family in the coming months. Photo: Kathleen Limayo for ACCORD
Story by Detsy Uy/ACCORD; Photos by Kathleen Limayo/ACCORD
While many see Palawan in the Philippines as a tropical paradise of pristine beaches, lush forests, and abundant seas, for locals like Roseline Jimenez and Rovelyn Espinoza, it is more than a destination – it is home. It is where they earn a living, sustain their families, and help produce food that reaches communities far beyond its shores.
One of these is seaweed, farmed in coastal waters and central to local livelihoods. Once a lucrative source of income, seaweed cultivation has been impacted by strong typhoons and a changing climate, making it difficult to ensure a good, healthy yield.
Seaweed farming under pressure
Like many in their community, Roseline and her husband have experienced the highs and lows of farming seaweed. Rovelyn, who has been cultivating seaweed for 14 years, has faced the same uncertainties, having to find ways to earn during periods of low production – from taking on additional work such as tying seedlings for replanting to selling homemade rice delicacies.
Rising water temperatures leave seaweed vulnerable to “ice-ice” and “siring-siring,” conditions that turn it white, brittle, and unfit for harvest. A good season once meant stability even during lean months. In recent years, incomes have become less predictable, while the cost of living continues to rise.
Rovelyn Espinoza tying seaweed lines, a vital step in cultivation that ensures healthy growth and sustainable harvests for her family and community. Photo: Kathleen Limayo for ACCORD
Finding new income sources, support through the Farmer Field and Business School
Roseline was among the first women to join the Farmer Field and Business School (FFBS) for Fisheries Program – implemented by ACCORD and CARE Philippines in Palawan – which helps small-scale fisherfolk, especially women, through hands-on learning, climate-resilient practices, and basic business skills. Alongside fellow fisherfolk like Rovelyn, she attended training diligently, sharing her experiences and struggles to find ways to strengthen and protect their livelihoods.
One strategy her group developed was forming a collective to help each other diversify their income sources. Now, apart from improving their seaweed farming practices, the women are exploring other income-earning activities such as aquaculture.
Roseline Jimenez (left) and an FFBS staff member check a seaweed line on their farm. Regular monitoring helps detect and address crop issues early, improving overall yield. Photo: Kathleen Limayo for ACCORD
Moving towards collective action
They’ve also shifted how they work: instead of each family managing their own farm alone, they now share both the burdens and the rewards of their co-managed farms.
This shift toward collective action has strengthened not only their livelihoods but also their relationships within the community. As Rovelyn shared, “Before the seaweed demo farm, we worked individually. Now, we have an association where we work together for our livelihood. Before, we didn’t really pay attention to our neighbors. Now, we know who needs help.”
Growing in confidence and leadership
Once shy and hesitant to participate, Rovelyn is now an active member, gaining confidence and renewed motivation to improve her family’s income.
Roseline has become one of the group’s leaders. Through practical knowledge, a deeper understanding of environmental degradation and climate change, and a new appreciation for collective action, she and the other women feel more confident and secure – ready to sustain their families and communities despite uncertain seasons ahead.
On March 25, 2026, representatives from government, civil society, and humanitarian organizations gathered to discuss how to better support communities facing overlapping risks.
Photos by Cindy Aquino for CARE Philippines
The Philippines faces increasingly frequent, overlapping, complex risks, even as aid budgets tighten globally. To keep up, humanitarians need to move faster and work more closely with each other and the people they serve.
Against this backdrop, the Nexus Forum 2026 gathered more than 150 representatives from government, civil society, humanitarian networks and coordination bodies, technical experts, and the academe to discuss how the country’s humanitarian system can adapt.
Convened by the organizations behind the EU-funded ACCESS and BRIDGE Projects, together with the Philippine Inclusive NGO Network (PINGON), the March 25, 2026 event featured plenary presentations, panel discussions, the launch of a data analytics platform, and an interactive exhibit space.
Reiza Dejito, CARE Philippines Country Director, opened the forum with a candid reflection: “The Nexus Forum is not a celebration or a showcase. It is a reckoning. It is a deliberate, honest, overdue conversation about whether the way we work is good enough for people depending on it. And if we are being honest, the answer is ‘not yet.’”
Reiza Dejito, CARE Philippines Country Director, delivers the opening remarks at Nexus Forum 2026.
Global shifts, local impacts
Following a message of solidarity from Théo Prestavoine of EU Humanitarian Aid, Office of Civil Defense spokesperson Emerito Junie Castillo set the stage with a Philippine humanitarian situationer, highlighting how climate extremes and global disruptions make local communities more vulnerable, and why humanitarian response needs to be more locally led and focused on resilience, not just reaction.
Théo Prestavoine, Desk Officer for Bangladesh and the Philippines, EU Humanitarian Aid
Office of Civil Defense Spokesperson Emerito Junie Castillo
This set the tone for a panel discussion on the future of humanitarian aid, which explored global and regional trends shaping local contexts.
Moderated by DRRM Specialist Juan Blenn Huelgas, the session drew insights from Director Christopher Mathay (Disaster Response Management Bureau – Department of Social Welfare and Development), Arnaud Peral (United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines), Pascal Arthaud (PINGON and People in Need), and Noemi Cabaddu (St. Paul University Philippines – Community Development Center Foundation).
The speakers emphasized three priorities: communities must lead, preparedness needs greater investment, and coordination across actors must improve.
Christopher Mathay, Director III, Disaster Response Management Bureau, DSWD
Juan Blenn Huelgas, DRRM Specialist, Nexus Forum 2026 moderator
Pascal Arthaud, Country Director of People in Need and Vice-Chairperson of the Philippine Inclusive NGO Network (PINGON)
Noemi Cabaddu, Executive Director, St. Paul University Philippines – Community Development Center Foundation
Arnaud Peral, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines
Lessons in coordination, anticipatory action, and peacebuilding
Panel discussions on key topics centered around gaps, challenges, and ways forward.
On coordination and information management, Hannes Goegele (World Food Programme), Jeonoah Kali Fornoles (UNICEF), Francisco Vassalo Monteiro (IFRC), Jennifer Furigay (ACCORD), and Ma. Lourdes Eudela (Monday.com Foundation) examined how organizations and systems are adapting to changing risks and coordination mechanisms.
A separate discussion on anticipatory action, with Ruth Honculada-Georget (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Criselda Longga (Philippine Red Cross), Arvin Caro (Start Network), and Erica Chester Bucog (CARE Philippines), focused on the realities of turning forecasts into early action, including challenges in data, financing, and coordination.
In a session on peacebuilding, Noraida Abo (United Youth of the Philippines – Women), Betcheba Ellorico Prochina (Department of Education, Agusan del Sur), Maricar Tiban (South Upi National High School), and Mai Lagman (Oxfam Pilipinas) shared how indigenous and Bangsamoro communities navigate conflict and natural hazards, and how women, youth, and culture can bridge humanitarian, development, and peace efforts.
Strengthening existing systems
Across all discussions, common challenges emerged:
Systems struggle to keep pace with increasingly complex and overlapping risks, with data often fragmented and difficult to share and use to make timely decisions
Preparedness is widely recognized as essential, but remains unevenly resourced and not consistently institutionalized
Local actors already lead response and recovery efforts, but are not always adequately supported by coordination, financing, and decision-making structures
These point less to a need for new systems, and more to making existing ones work better through stronger coordination, sustained investment in preparedness, and decisions grounded closer to communities.
Launch: Nexus Tracker
The forum also marked the introduction of the Nexus Tracker, a platform that uses data analytics to understand hazards – such as typhoons, flooding, and conflict – and displacement across the country.
Originally built for use within ACCESS, with ACCORD leading its development, the tool is being shared with the wider humanitarian community to support shared situational awareness and timelier, coordinated interventions.
Jennifer Furigay, Program Quality Lead at ACCORD, presents the Nexus Tracker
Learning and exchange at the Nexus Space exhibit hall
At the exhibit area, forum participants tested the Nexus Tracker at a hands-on booth, set up alongside exhibits from Action Against Hunger Philippines featuring the EU-funded EARTH Project and other initiatives, Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI) highlighting the “rights of nature” movement, CARE Philippines featuring the Emergency CARE Package, PINGON, Plan International Pilipinas, and Start Network/Humanity & Inclusion Philippines.
‘A checkpoint, not an endpoint’
Reflecting on what comes next, Mark Brayn Yaung, CARE Philippines Humanitarian, Disaster Resilience, and Peacebuilding Coordinator, emphasized that the work continues beyond the forum: “This is not an endpoint but a checkpoint for all of us. Communities cannot wait for perfect systems, and we can never be perfect. But we can always practice so we come in with progress.”
Mark Brayn Yaung, Humanitarian, Disaster Resilience, and Peacebuilding Coordinator, CARE Philippines
Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children Philippines
To close the event, Atty. Alberto Muyot, CEO of Save the Children Philippines, called on fellow humanitarians to move forward with purpose: “Let us continue to build a humanitarian system that acts earlier, learns continuously, and is firmly anchored in the needs and strengths of the communities we serve.”
ACCESSis multi-year, multi-sectoral humanitarian and disaster preparedness initiative funded by European Union Humanitarian Aid and implemented by a consortium of 14 local and international organizations: ACCORD, Action Against Hunger Philippines, CARE Philippines, Community Organizers Multiversity (COM), Humanity & Inclusion Philippines, Integrated Mindanaons Association for Natives (IMAN), Kadtabanga Foundation for Peace and Development Advocates, Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress (MOSEP), Oxfam Pilipinas, People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network (PDRRN), Plan International Pilipinas, Save the Children Philippines, United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD), and United Youth of the Philippines – Women (UnYPhil-Women).
BRIDGE
The BRIDGE Project is funded by the European Commission and implemented by ACCORD Incorporated, CARE Philippines, Community Organizers Multiversity, and Oxfam Pilipinas.
PINGON
PINGON serves as a venue to coordinate the provision and delivery of humanitarian aid by international, national, and local NGOs in times of major disasters and emergencies in the Philippines, ensuring that basic humanitarian principles are firmly upheld.
Blog, Featured Stories, Latest News & Stories, Women and Girls, Women and Girls
Before the sun rises over the busy streets of Antipolo, the aroma of sautéed garlic and fresh ginger begins to waft from a small, brightly painted storefront. For Emelyn Dije and her three close friends, this scent is more than just the promise of a good meal; it is the smell of a hard-won independence that once felt out of reach.
Emelyn spent 16 years working as a restaurant cook in Quezon City before she stopped to raise her six children in Antipolo City. To keep her family afloat, she balanced an exhausting schedule of selling balut (fertilized duck eggs) at night and taking on laundry and ironing jobs during the day. Her story was mirrored by her friends Sheena, Sherine, and Cristhaline. All of them struggled to make a tight weekly budget last, often worrying if they could provide the basic needs of their families, especially, their children.
“It’s difficult because odd jobs are not sustainable,” Emelyn shared. “Sometimes, people are not buying balut. Washing and ironing just happens when the client needs you.”
The turning point came through the Households Economic Resilience Strengthening (HERS) project by CARE. This project helps women and youth across Rizal province build better livelihoods by providing training in how to manage their finances and run a small businesses. Equipped with new skills and a cash grant, the women saw an opportunity in a vacant space at the front of Emelyn’s house.
They transformed the empty space into “Momshies Hapag Kainan,” a vibrant eatery that opened its doors in September 2025. The grant allowed them to repair the leaking roof, apply a fresh coat of paint, and install a professional cooking counter.
Located near a tricycle terminal and the local gym, the shop quickly became a favorite spot in the neighborhood. “I am happy because I can use my cooking skills to earn money,” Emelyn said.
The change in their workspace was only the beginning of a deeper shift in their lives. The team now starts their day at 3 a.m. to buy the freshest ingredients, ensuring they are ready to serve breakfast by 6 a.m. to workers starting their day. Because the meals are both nutritious and affordable, they consistently sell out by noon. This schedule provides them with a steady income while still leaving them time to care for their families in the afternoon.
Emelyn cooks chicken while Sheena attends to customers buying food at their eatery. Photos: @2026 Mary Therese Norbe/CARE
By the end of 2025, the group had doubled their original savings. This success led to a Christmas celebration unlike any they had experienced before.
The profits turned into real milestones: Emelyn and Cristhaline bought laptops for their families, Sherine made a down payment for a motorcycle to help her husband earn more, and Sheena bought a washing machine to save time on chores.
Sheena loads laundry to her new washing machine while Cristhaline checks her online shop on her laptop. Photos: @2026 Mary Therese Norbe/CARE
For these women, the success of Momshies Hapag Kainan is measured in more than just money. Sherine feels a profound sense of relief, noting that “everyday meals are no longer a problem.” Emelyn no longer fears the days her husband is out of work, explaining, “I no longer need to borrow money when my husband loses work, because I now have my own source of income.”
They have built a bond of trust and a safety net that gives them the freedom to make their own choices, even when it comes to simple joys.
“We can eat in restaurants, and go to the mall together without asking our husbands for money,” Sheena shared.
What began as a small eatery has become proof of what is possible when women have the tools to lead. Together, they are cooking up a future that sustains their entire community.
The HERS project is implemented by CARE Philippines in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with support from the Tijori Foundation.
Nina Rica Calapati, a 25-year-old mother from Agoncillo, Batangas, wakes up every day with one goal: to build a secure future for her daughter. Growing up in a home where money was scarce, she learned early to work hard to help her family thrive.
Before joining CARE Philippines’ EMPOWER Project, Nina’s income was unpredictable. She sold vegetables door-to-door and worked as a laborer on a mango plantation, but the money was rarely enough. Her husband’s seasonal construction work offered little stability, and their small fruit-vending business often stalled when their motorcycle broke down or monsoon rains kept customers away.
“I wanted to build something more stable—something that would help my daughter grow up with fewer struggles than I had,” Nina says.
New Skills, New Opportunities
When her sister told her about the EMPOWER Project, Nina saw it as a major opportunity to improve her business. She joined the project and immediately appreciated how it supports women’s participation in the local economy.
Through hands-on training, Nina learned how to manage money, plan for the future, and build a resilient business. She realized these were the same areas she had struggled with before. These new skills gave her the tools and confidence to turn her small shop into a lasting livelihood that can support her family.
Growth and Leadership
Nina’s husband Joseph paints the new motorcycle sidecar they procured from their New Year’s sales. Photo: Mary Therese Norbe/CARENina sells a customer fruits at her new mobile fruit-vending shop. Photo: Mary Therese Norbe/CARE
Using a cash grant from the project, Nina improved her “Fruit on Wheels” business. She and her husband, Joseph, turned their motorcycle into a mobile shop to reach customers in nearby areas, selling fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, and fish. They also set up a stall twice a week at the local market to help their sales grow even more.
Last year, they earned a 10,000.00 profit during the New Year celebration. They used this income to improve their mobile shop, buy a sow that has already produced piglets for sale, and cement their kitchen floor. Beyond running her business, Nina has taken on a leadership role as the chairperson of her local Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) group. She now encourages fellow members to practice financial discipline, build savings, and support one another.
A Vision for Tomorrow
Nina cleans the pigpen where the sow they bought from their sales are with her piglets. Photo: Mary Therese Norbe/CARE
Today, Nina’s business does more than just cover daily needs—it has opened doors once thought closed. She has already achieved a major goal: sending her child to a better school.
Looking ahead, she is focused on protecting her home. Because they live near Mt. Taal, falling ash often damages their roof; she plans to use her future earnings to replace it with more durable materials. With her growing piggery and the success of her mobile shop, she is no longer just working to get by—she is building a legacy of strength and independence for the next generation.
This Women’s Month, we celebrate Nina—and all women who keep rising, rebuilding, and leading with strength and hope.
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The Empower and Mobilize Potential Opportunities for Work, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience (EMPOWER the Youth Project) is an initiative by CARE Philippines, in partnership with the Tijori Foundation, dedicated to strengthening the livelihoods and resilience of young people in Batangas.
The Department of Health (DOH) and CARE Philippines recently held a round table discussion to study if the HEAL Hub app can become an official learning platform for Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) across the country.
The meeting brought together key representatives from DOH offices, including the Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service (KMITS), the Bureau of Local Health Systems Development (BLHSD), the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB) Cancer Division, and CHD CALABARZON, and the PhilHealth.
The discussion focused on the viability of the DOH adapting the app to provide standardized training on critical health issues, including new modules on cancer awareness. Unlike traditional information systems, the HEAL Hub is a digital learning tool that allows BHWs to watch educational videos and complete lessons at their own pace, even in areas with limited internet.
Key highlights from the discussion:
Scaling through Partnership: CARE Philippines shared plans to transfer the HEAL Hub to the DOH through a deed of donation. This ensures the government can manage and update the app to reach more health workers.
Support for Frontline Workers: Representatives from the participating bureaus explored how the app’s animated lessons and offline features make learning more engaging and accessible for BHWs.
National Alignment: The group discussed how to align the app’s content with the BHW Reference Manual and national health goals, ensuring every community receives accurate and consistent health advice.
By exploring this digital partnership, the DOH and CARE Philippines aim to provide community health workers with the best tools to further enhance their capacity. These tools will help BHWs increase their confidence and knowledge, allowing them to provide quality health care and accurate health information to the wider community.
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Scaling through Partnership: CARE Philippines shared plans to transfer the HEAL Hub to the DOH through a deed of donation. This ensures the government can manage and update the app to reach more health workers.
Support for Frontline Workers: Representatives from the participating bureaus explored how the app’s animated lessons and offline features make learning more engaging and accessible for BHWs.
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For Gina Billones, 53, life along the Bago River in Murcia, Negros Occidental, is shared with her two children, ages 24 and 17. They are one of several families settled in a community along the riverside.
Recent flooding in the area caused by the heavy rains by Typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi) significantly damaged Gina’s house, forcing the family to evacuate. Since the disaster, they have been relying on food packs distributed by the social welfare office to meet their basic needs.
Access to safe and reliable water remains a pressing concern. The flood overflow contaminated the household’s shallow well, which they typically use for daily needs, making it unsafe. The family must now source their drinking water from a refilling station, at a cost of PHP 135 ($2) per container.
The flood has also interrupted the family’s income. Gina works in the nearby sugarcane fields, but the flooding temporarily halted all work on the plantation. This sudden stop in work affects multiple households in the riverside community, many of whom share a similar dependence on plantation-based labor.
Gina shares her story to CARE Philippines Country Director and her team during their assessment in the community on November 9, 2025.
“We have no income but we have to buy what we need”, she shared.
At present, the family’s priority needs include continued food support, safe drinking water, and materials for shelter repair. The early resumption of their livelihood, or alternative options for earning an income, is essential for them to sustain their daily living and begin recovery.
CARE Philippines is currently assessing the needs of affected communities like Gina’s. The organization is preparing to provide support, focusing on delivering essential items and assistance to help families meet their immediate needs and cope with the effects of the flooding.
