In the coastal municipality of Pasacao, meaningful change is taking shape in the most essential ways: through healthier children, empowered caregivers, and communities learning to grow their own future.
What began as a response to malnutrition has grown into a multi-layered effort to strengthen community resilience. Through the Roots to Shoots: Pasacao 2.0 program of Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) with the support of Metrobank Foundation, Inc., and in partnership with World Vision Development Foundation and Manila Water Foundation, families are addressing immediate health needs while building pathways toward long-term well-being.
At the heart of the program lies a simple but critical truth: a child’s first 1,000 days shape the foundation for lifelong health and development. In 2025 alone, 50 children under five years old were enrolled in targeted nutrition interventions, with 20 successfully rehabilitated from undernutrition. Behind these figures are stories of steady progress. Mothers learning improved feeding practices. Children gaining strength. Communities coming together to support their youngest members.
Yet the program recognizes that nutrition cannot stand alone.
Across Barangays Santa Rosa del Sur and Cuco, caregivers are turning knowledge into nourishment. Home gardens now thrive in backyards, while a community garden in Zone 1A and a school garden at the Sta. Rosa del Sur Child Development Center provide shared sources of fresh produce. These gardens are more than plots of land. They represent practical, community-driven steps toward food security.
At the same time, livelihoods are taking root. Forty-three caregivers have been supported to start small enterprises, including sari-sari stores and livestock raising. One community group has taken the initiative further by launching an eco bag production project, creating both income opportunities and a shared sense of purpose.
For caregivers like Sally Abestro, the transformation has been deeply personal. What began as an effort to improve her child’s nutrition gradually expanded into something more sustainable. Today, she manages a home garden and a small livelihood that allows her to provide for her family with greater confidence. Her story reflects a core belief of the program: when families are empowered, change lasts.
Equally important are improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene. Through technical support and close collaboration with the community, initiatives ranging from water system support to sanitation planning are being integrated into local development efforts. These measures help protect and sustain the health gains achieved through nutrition interventions.
The program’s impact has also gained wider recognition. In 2025, Roots to Shoots received the Most Outstanding CSR Project in Collaboration award at the LCF CSR Guild Awards, highlighting the strength of partnerships working toward a shared vision of healthier communities.
Now in its second year, the program continues to expand its reach using data-driven insights and local knowledge. The inclusion of Barangay Cuco, identified through community nutrition data, reflects a commitment to bring support where it is most needed.
Because in Pasacao, progress is no longer measured solely by the number of interventions delivered. It is measured by what communities are able to sustain long after the program ends.
Here, growth is not only visible in gardens.
It can be seen in stronger families, more resilient livelihoods, and the quiet confidence of communities who now know they can build a better tomorrow, one seed, one child, one step at a time.
