Shell Instapave links people to Gawad Kalinga’s Enchanted Farm

Roads connect, support and help communities. With Shell Instapave, more people can now benefit from Gawad Kalinga’s livelihood programs at the GK Enchanted Farm, helping to improve the quality of life in local communities.

“We recognise that everyone should have access to basic services and livelihood opportunities. This is why we develop paving systems which are designed to meet the social, economic and environmental needs of local communities,” Chiro Yap, Shell Instapave Manager said.

During the inauguration of the Enchanted Farm last June 24, 2011, GK Chairman Tony Meloto expressed his appreciation for Shell’s contribution to promote community development. “Staff from Shell have helped us greatly,” said Meloto, “I thank Shell for their support in paving our roads.”

Shell has been a staunch partner of GK since the inception of GK villages for the homeless, supporting four Shell-GK villages in the Batangas, Southern Leyte and Camarines Sur Provinces. Shell is also working with GK for Bayan-Anihan (Community Harvest), GK’s food sustenance program that aims to eradicate hunger one family at a time by empowering GK communities to produce food for themselves. Twenty-three Shell-GK Bayan-Anihan farms have been established in the Bicol region since 2009. In 2010, on the occasion of GK’s seventh anniversary, Shell staged “The Gift of Art”, an art sale for the benefit of GK that showcased the masterpieces of renowned Filipino artists who are past winners of Shell’s long-running arts programme, the Shell National Students Art Competition.

This year, Shell further expands its partnership with GK by supporting the GK Center for Social Innovation (CSI), which produces affordable and high-quality Filipino products using organic Philippine-grown ingredients, promoting the culture of entrepreneurship among the new generation of social Filipino entrepreneurs and aims to establish socially relevant and high impact businesses that will promote an environment of healthy competition.

One element of the GK CSI, the Enchanted Farm transforms a once idle land into a landscape of vast opportunities by creating sustainable communities through education, entrepreneurship and social tourism. It is the first of 24 CSI sites in the Philippines.

President Benigno Aquino III graced the inauguration of the Enchanted Farm and lauded GK and its partners for their efforts to uplift the lives of many Filipinos from poverty by providing houses, livelihood and encouraging entrepreneurship in the country. “Walang dudang ang paglulunsad ng Gawad Kalinga Center for Social Innovation ang magbubuklod sa mga pribado at publikong sektor upang maglatag ng makabuluhang programa at napapanahong edukasyon dito sa ating bansa, (There is no doubt that the launch of Gawad Kalinga Center for Social Innovation will unite the public and private sector towards sculpting the bedrock of significant programs and timely, substantial education here in our country)” President Aquino said.