Villar celebrate partnership with East-West Seed foundation on the latter's 10th Anniversary

On its 10th Founding Anniversary celebration, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar lauded East-West Seed Foundation and cited its strong partnership with Villar SIPAG to augment incomes of farmers through better seeds, organic fertilizers from composting kitchen and garden wastes,and teaching vegetable garden through Villar SIPAG Farm schools in Luzon,Visayas and Mindanao.

This significant event at the BCG Community Garden in Taguig was attended by; Simon N.Groot -East West Seed Foundation founder and honorary Chairman (via zoom); Hon. Monique van Daalen-charge d'affaires, Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands; Dr. Mary Ann F.Sayoc-EWS Group Treasurer and Corporate Secretary; Juan B. Santos-EWSF-President,Ma.Elena van Tooren-EWSF Managing Director; Jose Marie Lopez-EWSF General Manager and Louie Guttierrez-Social Entrepreneur and founder of Urban Farmers.

As the corporate social responsibility arm of East-West Seed Philippines, Villar noted that East-West Seed Foundation envisions healthy Filipinos through increased appreciation, availability, and consumption of vegetables. This is enabled by sharing of knowledge on vegetable production and health benefits.

The senator, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said the partnership with East -West Seed started when their family established in 2015 the Villar SIPAG farm schools to give free training in agricrops production.

"East-West Seed Foundation and our farm schools have a special role in making our farmers competitive and profitable through training programs that will help them produce more and earn more with the help of modern and applicable technology."

Villar acknowledged that East-West Seed Foundation has always been with them even in their Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao farm schools.

The Villar Sipag began with two farm schools in Luzon--one in Las Piñas-Bacoor that opened in 2015 and the other one- in San Jose del Monte City that opened in 2016.

Since 2020, these two farm schools produced more than 2,000 graduate trainees a year. It stopped its operation in March 2020 due to quarantine restrictions, but resumed in October 2020 training programs for agricrops production, again conducted by East-West Seed.

In the same year (2020), two additional Villar farm schools were built in San Miguel, Iloilo in the Visayas and in Buhangin, Davao City in Mindanao.

Villar said, she also promotes urban gardening and community gardens in the homes, schools and community, by giving them vegetable seeds and organic fertilizers.

"I give away vegetable seeds and compost to promote home gardening nationwide. The seeds came from East-West Seed and the compost from our 67 composting facilities in Las Piñas and 50 composting facilities in Vista Land/Camella locations nationwide," said Villar.

She further emphasized that vegetable production and consumption is a component of a healthy lifestyle, nutrition awareness and food security in the community through vegetable gardening training.

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Villar, ipinagdiwang ang partnership sa East-West Seed foundation sa 10th anniversary nito

Sa pagdiriwang ng kanilang 10th Founding Anniversary, pinuri ni Sen. Cynthia A. Villar ang East-West Seed Foundation at kinilala ang malakas na partnership nito sa Villar SIPAG upang madagdagan ang kita ng mga magsasaka sanhi ng mas magandang buto (seeds), organic fertilizers mula sa kitchen at garden wastes at pagtuturo sa vegetable gardening ng Villar SIPAG Farm schools sa Luzon,Visayas and Mindanao.

Dumalo sa mahalagang okasyong ito na idinaos sa BCG Community Garden sa Taguig sina Simon N. Groot -East West Seed Foundation founder and honorary Chairman (via zoom); Hon. Monique van Daalen-charge d'affaires, Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands; Dr. Mary Ann F.Sayoc-EWS Group Treasurer and Corporate Secretary; Juan B.Santos-EWSF-President; Ma.Elena van Tooren-EWSF Managing Director; Jose Marie Lopez-EWSF General Manager and Louie Guttierrez-Social Entrepreneur and founder of Urban Farmers.

Bilang corporate social responsibility arm ng East-West Seed Philippines, iginiit ni Villar na nais ng East-West Seed Foundation ang malusog na mga Pilipino dahil sa pagkain ng gulay. Naibabahagi rin nito ang kaalaman sa vegetable production at health benefits nito.

Sinabi ng senador, chairperson ng Senate committee on agriculture and food, na nagsimula ang kanilang partnership sa East -West Seed nang itayo ng kanyang pamilya noong 2015 ang Villar SIPAG farm schools para magbigay ng libreng training sa agricrops production.

"East-West Seed Foundation and our farm schools have a special role in making our farmers competitive and profitable through training programs that will help them produce more and earn more with the help of modern and applicable technology."

Ani Villar, palagi nilang kasama ang East-West Seed Foundation sa kanilang Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao farm schools.

Sinimulan ng Villar Sipag ang dalawang farm schools sa Luzon--isa sa Las Piñas-Bacoor na nagbukas noong 2015 at isa sa San Jose del Monte City na nagbukas 2016.

Simula 2020, mahigit sa 2,000 graduate trainees kada taon ang nagsisipagtapos dito. Nahinto ang kanilang operasyon Marso 2020 dahil sa quarantine restrictions. Pero muling binuksan angtraining program sa agricrops production noong October 2020 na isinasagawa ng East-West Seed.

Sa naturang taon (2020), dalawa pang Villar farm schools ang itinayo sa San Miguel, Iloilo sa Visayas at Buhangin, Davao City sa Mindanao.

Ayon kay Villar, isinusulong nila ang urban gardening at community gardens sa mga bahay, paaralan at komunidad sa pagbibigay ngvegetable seeds at organic fertilizers.

"I give away vegetable seeds and compost to promote home gardening nationwide. The seeds came from East-West Seed and the compost from our 67 composting facilities in Las Piñas and 50 composting facilities in Vista Land/Camella locations nationwide," sabi ni Villar.

Binigyan diin niya na kabilang ang vegetable production at consumption sa healthy lifestyle, nutrition awareness at food security sa komunidad sa pamamagitan ng vegetable gardening training.