About 118 million Filipinos depend on the country's estimated 9.22 million agricultural workers for sustenance. These agricultural workers are among the most marginalized groups in the country. Despite their valuable role in ensuring access to food, they lack access to resources that can help to improve and enrich their quality of life.

Bayer in the Philippines advocates for Filipino farmers and supports them in their livelihood and life resources through the Bayer Kubo program, together with implementing partner the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST Asia).

Through the Bayer Kubo program, smallholder farmers and their families get expert-led capability and capacity-building seminars combining health and agriculture by tackling family planning, self-care, and even basic financial literacy and tools that they can apply to ensure wellness and productivity outside of the fields. Launched in two pilot locations in Luzon, it has reached out to farming communities in Dolores, Quezon, and Manaoag, Pangasinan.

"Bayer is here to help grow healthy crops and healthy communities. Since the launch last year, we've already reached more than 5,000 farmers in both sites. The Bayer Kubo and the network of demo farms and learning centers will continue to host programs on both health and agriculture — as part of our mission to achieve Health for All, Hunger for None," Angel-Michael Evangelista, managing director and country division head for pharmaceuticals at Bayer Philippines Inc., said.

"Bayer Kubo is a unique and holistic program which integrates the CSR programs of Bayer's three business units. By delivering health training and awareness campaigns, as well as financial literacy for farmers, their wives, and families, Bayer Kubo positively changed the lives and health of communities in Quezon and Pangasinan," Francis Macatulad, executive director of ASSIST Asia, said. "Bayer Kubo is a good example of how business can effectively work with civil society to create long-lasting social impact among marginalized and underserved sectors. ASSIST is proud to have been partnered with Bayer for this initiative," he added.

Growing farms, communities, dreams

The farmers of Dolores, Quezon have already begun to see an improvement in their lives since the Bayer Kubo initiative was launched in their community. Riza Carabio and Rosemarie Tomacera, both farmer's wives, have planted the seeds from their financial literacy seminars and are looking forward to reaping the rewards of their savings initiatives.