Story by: Edward San Jose, PSFI Program Officer
PASACAO, Camarines Sur. For many families, putting nutritious food on the table is a daily challenge. Rising food prices, limited household income, and a lack of access to sustainable food production often make it difficult for caregivers to provide healthy meals for their children while meeting other essential family needs.
Recognizing that lasting solutions begin at home, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), through the Roots to Shoots Pasacao 2.0 Program and with the support of Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), is equipping child caregivers with practical skills in home gardening and financial management. By empowering caregivers, the program helps families improve nutrition, strengthen household resilience, and build more sustainable livelihoods.
The program currently supports 100 child caregivers from Barangays Sta. Rosa del Sur (78) and Cuco (22), acknowledging their vital role in shaping the health, nutrition, and overall well-being of their children.
Rather than simply providing assistance, Roots to Shoots Pasacao 2.0 invests in building the knowledge and confidence of caregivers so they can become active agents of change within their households. Through nutrition-sensitive agriculture and financial capability development, families are learning how to grow their own food, reduce household expenses, and make informed financial decisions that contribute to long-term stability.
One of the program’s key interventions was the Home Gardening Training, conducted in two batches on February 24 to 25 and May 4 to 5, 2026, at the Faith Assembly of God Church in Barangay Sta. Rosa del Sur.
The first batch brought together 12 child caregivers from Sta. Rosa del Sur, along with representatives from the local senior citizens’ group, personnel from the Municipal Agriculture Office led by Mr. Rolly Cadag and student interns, Barangay Kagawad Dennis Gerona, and a Barangay Health Worker from Cuco. The second batch engaged 17 additional caregivers from Sta. Rosa del Sur and Cuco.
Over two days, participants completed five learning modules on establishing and maintaining home gardens while participating in hands-on demonstrations of proper gardening practices. Each caregiver received a certificate of completion and a gardening kit containing essential tools and five varieties of vegetable seeds to help them start their own gardens.
Today, many participants are cultivating pechay, eggplant, okra, tomatoes, string beans, and other leafy vegetables in their own backyards.
The impact is already becoming visible.
Monitoring conducted after the training showed that caregivers now have greater access to fresh vegetables for their families, spend less on purchasing produce, and are more confident in maintaining sustainable food sources. Several households have also begun selling excess harvests, creating additional income while improving food security within their communities.
Recognizing that resilient households require both healthy food and sound financial management, the program also conducted a Financial Literacy and Enterprise Management Training on June 8, 2026, at the Camarines Sur Institute of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (CASIFMAS) in Barangay Sta. Rosa del Norte, Pasacao.
Twelve child caregivers from Sta. Rosa del Sur participated in the training, which covered budgeting, saving, expense tracking, and basic enterprise management. Participants also received certificates after completing the session.
The lessons quickly translated into practice. Follow-up monitoring revealed improved budgeting habits, stronger financial awareness, and increased confidence in managing household resources. Some caregivers have also generated supplemental income through the sale of surplus vegetables and other small livelihood activities, helping support their families’ daily needs.
By combining nutrition-sensitive agriculture with financial capability development, the Roots to Shoots Pasacao 2.0 Program demonstrates that addressing child nutrition goes beyond providing food. It is about equipping families with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to become self-reliant and resilient.
Through the continued collaboration of local government units, community stakeholders, and institutional partners, and with the support of Metrobank Foundation, Inc., PSFI continues to empower vulnerable families in Pasacao to build healthier children, stronger households, and more resilient communities.
