(Day 3) #Pagsibol2025: This morning’s session brought together local leaders, corporate partners, and community stakeholders to share inspiring stories and practical models for strengthening food systems through urban agriculture and agribusiness collaboration.

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Empowering Communities through Urban Farming

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Ms. Cristina L. Perez, Head of the Joy of Urban Farming Program in Quezon City, emphasized that building resilient communities begins with empowering people to grow their own food. “The idea is simple, but the task is not,” she noted, drawing a parallel between governance and gardening: just as one cannot command plants to sprout, leaders cannot compel citizens to care. Instead, they must cultivate the right conditions—trust, dialogue, and support—for people to bloom.

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Corporate Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture

Ms. Fleurdelis Rosales, Program Manager of the Jollibee Group Foundation, shared how the corporation’s social responsibility arm has been helping build stronger agricultural communities. Through its flagship initiatives, the foundation ensures sustainable food access, supports youth development, and strengthens smallholder farmers by integrating them directly into Jollibee Foods Corporation’s supply chain. To date, 30 farmer groups have been accredited as JFC suppliers, collectively delivering *11,000 metric tons* of produce. The program requires farmers to meet volume and quality standards, which is why the foundation implements the Agri-Enterprise Clustering Approach (AECA). This self-paced, three-phase process—organizational information gathering, planning, and implementation—equips farmers with the skills to manage farms as businesses, consolidate clusters, and practice collective marketing.

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Challenges and Opportunities: Insights from the Panel Discussion

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The panel discussion shed light on both the progress made and the persistent challenges in advancing urban and peri-urban agriculture. In Quezon City, resilience is not only seen in its people but also in the promotion of indigenous vegetables—nutritious, practical, and vital in sustaining communities during crises. Meanwhile, in the JFG (JFG), clustering has proven effective, but its success depends on strong organizational cohesion and governance, which remain areas of concern.

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Panelist Mr. Alfonzo T. Fores, COO of Hijo Fresh, emphasized that encouraging the younger generation to enter farming requires modern technologies, flexible practices, and stronger market linkages. He noted that young farmers must not only know what to grow, but also understand where and to whom to sell.

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Today, the LGU of QC’s efforts are underway to institutionalize urban farming through procurement policies and ordinances that allow certified beneficiaries to use idle lands in villages for food production.

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Mr. Fores further highlighted the need for stronger government support—particularly in financing, access to technology, greenhouse development, and building sustainable connections between farmers and markets willing to pay fair prices.Participants also shared recommendations, including supporting farmers in developing project proposals and simplifying requirements, expanding training through Farm Business Schools by ATI, strengthening access to financing via ACPC credit programs and conduit partner and adopting international best practices and tailoring them to local contexts.

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The session revealed that urban farming and agribusiness initiatives are more than programs—they are movements. Driven by local governments, private sector partners, and empowered communities, these efforts cultivate more than just crops: they grow resilience, leadership, and hope.

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