Stories of inspiration

Growing Health, Growing Hope: Roots to Shoots Deepens Impact in Aeta Communities

February 13, 2026

Since 2023, the Phase II Aeta Family Care Center – Roots to Shoots (RTS) Program has addressed malnutrition, food insecurity, livelihood vulnerability, and limited access to clean water in Bamban, Tarlac and Mabalacat City, Pampanga.

Now in its second year, RTS continues to translate integrated support into measurable community outcomes.

As of 2025, the program has reached more than 2,000 individuals since inception. These include children, caregivers, farmers, and community leaders. Through a coordinated approach that combines nutrition rehabilitation, sustainable agriculture, enterprise development, and water access, RTS is strengthening both households and local systems.

Strengthening Child Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days

Recognizing that early childhood nutrition shapes lifelong health, RTS enrolled 135 underweight children in the Positive Deviance/Hearth rehabilitation program. To date, 59 children have been successfully rehabilitated from undernutrition, with continued growth monitoring in place for the rest.

To reinforce behavior change at home, 462 caregivers completed Go Baby Go parenting sessions focused on responsive feeding, hygiene, and maternal care. In parallel, 84 barangay health workers and volunteers were trained, strengthening community-based health systems that sustain progress beyond program cycles.

Nutrition recovery is no longer limited to short-term intervention. It is now supported by local capacity and community ownership.

Advancing Food Security and Livelihood Resilience

Sustainable nutrition depends on stable food supply and income security.

In 2025, RTS delivered the following:

• 433 farmers trained in Integrated Farming Bio-Systems and provided with farm inputs
• 401 caregivers trained in home gardening and equipped with garden tools
• Three community gardens established and sustained by residents
• 231 individuals upskilled in livelihood development
• Five community-based groups, composed of 224 members, supported in enterprise development

Families are now diversifying income streams through sari-sari stores, livestock raising, rice retailing, and other micro-enterprises. These initiatives strengthen household resilience, particularly amid rising commodity prices and economic uncertainty.

For Gina Sibal of Sitio Burog, livelihood support meant stability. With assistance to establish her sari-sari store, she transitioned from recurring debt to managing a sustainable small business that supports her children’s needs. Her experience reflects the broader program objective: reducing vulnerability by expanding opportunity.

Expanding Access to Clean Water

Infrastructure investment further reinforces health gains.

In Sitio Burog, a deep well water system with 25 distribution points has been constructed and is awaiting electrification, targeted for completion in the first quarter of 2026. Once operational, the system is expected to serve approximately 700 individuals across 123 Aeta households.

A community WASH group has been organized to manage and maintain the system, embedding accountability and sustainability at the local level.

Reliable water access strengthens nutrition outcomes, improves hygiene practices, and supports overall community well-being.

Powered by Partnership

Roots to Shoots operates through a consortium model that leverages sectoral expertise:

• World Vision Development Foundation leads the Mother and Child Care component
• Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. leads Food Security and Livelihood
• Manila Water Foundation leads WASH interventions

Working alongside local government units, national agencies, academic institutions, and private sector partners, RTS ensures interventions are locally grounded and system-strengthening.

In 2025, RTS was recognized as the Most Outstanding CSR Project in Collaboration at the League of Corporate Foundations CSR Guild Awards, affirming the value of multi-sector partnership.

A new collaboration with Thaison Builders and Development, Inc. also launched RTS Light in Sacobia, expanding complementary support in adjacent communities.

Toward Sustainable Community Systems

As RTS enters its final year in 2026, sustainability planning is underway. Capacity-building workshops, strengthened LGU engagement, and structured transition mechanisms are being implemented to embed nutrition, food security, and water access systems within local institutions.

By integrating health, livelihood, and environmental stewardship, Roots to Shoots demonstrates that child nutrition improves when families are economically stable, communities have reliable water access, and local systems are empowered.

More than a project milestone, RTS represents a long-term investment in resilience. Healthier children. Stronger households. Self-sustaining communities.

Through the Bayanihan Bulilit initiative, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), Shell Pilipinas Corporation (SPC), and volunteers from the Shell Pasacao Terminal joined community partners to prepare Child Development Centers in Pasacao, Camarines Sur for the new school year. The collective effort provided learning materials, improved classroom facilities, and created better learning environments for 243 young learners.

Makulay Dahil Bahagi Ka: When Representation Opens Doors and Saves Lives

This Pride Month, PSFI celebrates Basha Cancillar, a community leader whose journey from a young volunteer to an HIV advocate is helping create safer, more inclusive spaces for people affected by and living with HIV. Through PROTECTS UPSCALE and partnerships with community organizations, Basha champions representation, dignity, and access to healthcare, proving that when people are seen, heard, and empowered, lives can be transformed.

More Than a Reunion: Celebrating Four Decades of the SKIL Legacy

More than four decades after receiving the opportunity to build their futures through the SKIL Program, alumni from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao came together to celebrate a legacy of transformation, achievement, and service. Their stories stand as a testament to the enduring power of education, skills development, and the belief that true success is measured not only by what we achieve, but by how we help others succeed.

Project PASA Strengthens Sustainability and Community Impact Through MOA Signing

Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), Shell Business Operations Manila, and Shell Pilipinas Corporation formalized their partnership for Project PASA (Passing Along Sustainably used Assets), an initiative that gives used furniture, mobile devices, and equipment a second life. Through the partnership, pre-loved assets are redirected to underserved communities, advancing sustainability, circularity, and social impact by ensuring valuable resources continue creating opportunities where they are needed most.

Makulay Dahil Bahagi Ka: How Joan dela Cerna is Building a Future Rooted in Care

After years of working abroad to provide for her family, Joan dela Cerna returned home with a renewed determination to build a future closer to her children. Through the Medical Scholarship Program (MSP) supported by Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) and Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, Inc. (BCFI), she is pursuing her dream of becoming a caregiver while balancing her roles as a mother, student, and breadwinner. Her story is a reminder that when people are given the opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute, they can create meaningful change for themselves, their families, and their communities.

RESCUE in Action: Building Fire-Ready and Resilient Communities in Macabalan

Under its RESCUE (Response to Communities Under Emergencies) program, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), together with Shell Pilipinas Corporation, conducted a two-day fire safety and emergency response training in Barangay Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro City. In partnership with the Bureau of Fire Protection and the local government unit, the initiative equipped community volunteers and residents with essential fire prevention and response skills, helping strengthen local preparedness and build more resilient communities.