Bayan-anihan: Filipinos in Australia supporting farmers to end cycle of debt

Filipinos in Australia are supporting farmers in the Philippines to end cycle of debt.

'That connectivity, solidarity has given many Filipinos the much needed hope for a better life' GK Chair Jose Luis Oquinena on the significant role Gawad Kalinga Australia plays in helping build better opportunities for Filipinos Credit: Gawad Kalinga Australia - M Vedar

Key Points

• Majority of the poorest in the Philippines are farmers and fisher folk
• Bayan-anihan is organized by the Gawad Kalinga Community
• A CEO, Community Enterprise Organizer will assist a group of 10-12 farmers in planting, harvesting and selling their products

Farmers need to organise themselves and unite to be able to achieve the needed economy of scope and scale.

"Firstly, farmers are very hardworking people; the challenge they face is that hard work is not enough. They need an enabling ecosystem that will support them in achieving their goal of ending poverty," says Jose Luis Oquinena, Chair of Gawad Kalinga