MANILA – Food manufacturer Universal Robina Corp. (URC) has ramped up its community support specifically in the areas of livelihood, sustainable farming, food availability and security, as the country grapples with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Our company is building its sustainability roadmap alongside the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This includes responsible sourcing, production, consumption and developing the capabilities of communities for better livelihood,” said Laurent Levan, URC’s senior vice president for corporate development and external affairs.
URC’s Agro-Industrial Group has rolled out its Kabalikat Village Hub, wherein anyone can start their own business by running a “hub” that a neighborhood can turn to for their food needs.
URC supplies these hubs with its wide range of premium-quality products, including fresh meats and eggs, processed meats, and even pet care needs.
These hubs, in turn, become a source of livelihood for households. They likewise provide communities around them access to products that can be ordered online and delivered quickly. This lessens health risks to everyone.
Late last year, the company’s Flour Division partnered with GMA Kapuso Foundation for its Bike for Good campaign.
Bicycles, as well as Baker John bread business start-up packages, were awarded to several families who were nominated to be new community sellers.
Under its Sugar and Renewables Division (SURE), URC’s Project Salig aims to help address needs and challenges faced by sugar cane farmers in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Batangas, Iloilo, and Cagayan Valley.
The program offers farming assistance and support to planters –from land preparation, to planting, to harvesting.
These include providing fertilizer assistance, cane hauling trucks, tractor services, and other farm equipment needs; conducting seminars on good farming practices; distributing high-yield variety cane points in the dispersal program; and setting up sugar cane nurseries in mill sites.
In partnership with the government, URC provides potato farmers with quality seeds, training and research access to increase their yields. That has helped tide them over amid disruptions in food supply chains and guaranteed a stable supply of potatoes for consumers.
In addition, it has been supporting initiatives that promote health and conservation. URC had repurposed parts of its production line to manufacture some 100,000 reusable face shields, which the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) donated to frontline health workers. (PR)
