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.

Once a PSFI scholar, Louise Victoria Zaide has come full circle as a Program Excellence Officer who helps preserve the lessons, stories, and knowledge behind the Foundation’s work. Through her quiet but meaningful contributions, she reminds us that lasting change is built not only in communities, but also through the people and systems that help every opportunity grow into greater impact.

The Opportunity That Changed Everything: How Cheilo Padilla Found Her Calling in Helping Others Thrive

From rebuilding her life as a single mother to helping scholars, entrepreneurs, and communities in Palawan pursue better futures, Cheilo Padilla’s journey reflects the transformative power of opportunity. As PSFI celebrates 44 years of service, her story reminds us that meaningful change touches not only the people we serve, but also those who dedicate themselves to making it possible.

EJ’s Calling to Serve: A Life Dedicated to Community Empowerment

Driven by a passion for working with communities, EJ San Jose finds purpose in helping families strengthen their livelihoods, improve food security, and recognize new possibilities for their future. Through every home visit, training session, and conversation, he builds the trust that turns opportunities into meaningful and lasting change. As PSFI celebrates its 44th anniversary, EJ’s story reflects how its mission continues to move forward through people who choose to listen, serve, and empower others.

Where Bayanihan Lives: Maezel Cardel and a Community That Chose Hope

As PSFI celebrates its 44th anniversary, Maezel Cardel’s journey reflects the spirit of “Driven by Purpose. Powered by People.” From earning the affectionate nickname “Mae-Shell” to inspiring communities to take ownership of change, her story shows how trust, collaboration, and bayanihan can transform a shared purpose into lasting impact.

Growing Food, Growing Futures: Roots to Shoots Pasacao 2.0 Helps Caregivers Build Healthier, More Resilient Families

Through the Roots to Shoots Pasacao 2.0 Program, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., with the support of Metrobank Foundation, Inc., is empowering child caregivers in Pasacao with practical skills in home gardening and financial management, helping families improve nutrition, strengthen livelihoods, and build more resilient communities.

Mula sa Maliit na Tindahan Patungo sa Mas Matatag na Kinabukasan: Ang Kwento ni Alma Cajan

Sa pamamagitan ng Roots to Shoots (RTS) Pasacao 2.0 Program, na ipinatutupad ng Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. sa suporta ng Metrobank Foundation, Inc., unti-unting nababago ang buhay ni Alma Cajan. Mula sa masustansyang pagkain para sa kanyang anak hanggang sa pagpapalago ng kanilang sari-sari store, ipinapakita ng kanyang kuwento kung paano ang kaalaman at oportunidad ay maaaring magbukas ng daan tungo sa mas matatag na kinabukasan.