26 May 2022
At the end of April, the MSC Centre for the Poor in the Philippines marked their first General Assembly, where 270 members of the co-operative committed themselves to the Centre, to its ethos, and to being “Food Security Frontliners” in the ongoing struggle to feed the hungry while protecting the earth and its natural resources.
At the MSC Centre for the Poor in Butuan, the MSC community use natural resources to give struggling families the chance to build a life of self-sufficiency and dignity, while protecting and nurturing the local ecosystem. Their core values focus on sustainable farming, environmental advocacy, zero-waste management, fair trade, and promoting a simple lifestyle, with emphasis on the value of sharing and spirituality of the heart.
The MSC Centre for the Poor Agriculture Cooperative (MSC-CEPAGCO) “is bound by the spirit of generosity and resilience, working towards a healthy, sustainable, and empowered society,” according to the centre’s vision and mission. “Together, we are building communities that care for the environment and look towards a better, more holistic growth of society as stewards of God’s creation.”
“Together, we are building communities that care for the environment and look towards a better, more holistic growth of society as stewards of God’s creation.” ~ MSC Centre for the Poor, Philippines
“Together, we are building communities that care for the environment and look towards a better, more holistic growth of society as stewards of God’s creation.” ~ MSC Centre for the Poor, Philippines
“Together, we are building communities that care for the environment and look towards a better, more holistic growth of society as stewards of God’s creation.” ~ MSC Centre for the Poor, Philippines
With current projects including a rainwater filtration system, their “Be a Food Security Frontliner” programme, livestock and vegetable farming, a Living Museum, their Farm to Table system, a scholarship programme for local youths, and several Typhoon Odette relief projects, the community at the Centre are going from strength to strength in their mission. Their most recent developmental plan encompasses several expansion programmes, incorporating the establishment of three greenhouses, an organic farm supplies store, an eco lab, a co-op office, a classroom for students, an organic fertilizer production scheme, and improved post-harvest facilities. Their current goals include:
- Caring for the earth, as our common home.
- Continuing in the development of farming systems that use sustainable practices.
- Transforming and inspiring lives.
- Encouraging participation through community engagement.
A total of 23 local youths are currently availing of the Centre’s scholarship programme, with studies in a wide variety of subjects including Accounting, Education, Environmental Science, Psychology, Business Administration & Marketing, Tourism Management, Computer Science, Civil Engineering, Information Technology, Agriculture, Mathematics, and Nursing. In addition, the Centre’s “Farm to Table” scheme is providing local employment and encouraging small businesses in the establishment of a fair-trade system based on an inclusive economy, whereby nobody will be left out through “farm to table connections” that bypass large commercial traders.
Established in 2018, our MSC community at the Centre for the Poor have since been working in harmony with nature to bring hope to vulnerable families and individuals living in areas rife with poverty and unemployment.
“As long as there are people who believe and trust us and regaining one’s relationship with the environment, this work will sustain,” reports Fr Richie Gomez, community leader at the MSC Centre for the Poor. “We are an emerging social enterprise that allows individuals to create regenerative livelihoods that nourish the soul and take care of the planet.”
