The Davao Agricultural Ventures Corporation (DAVCO), a member of the Anflo Group of Companies, producing high quality del Monte pineapples now a 100% GLOBAL GAP compliant!

GLOBAL GAP is a private sector body that sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe.

The GLOBAL GAP standard is primarily designed to reassure consumers about how food is produced on the farm by minimizing detrimental environmental impacts of farming operations, reducing the use of chemical inputs and ensuring a responsible approach to worker health and safety as well as animal welfare.

Poor implementation of GAP among agricultural producers in the Country lessen their competitiveness in the global market.

GLOBAL Good Agricultural Practice (G.A.P.) penetrates anywhere in the world.

BRAVO to DAVCO! It continues its credence as the best pineapple fresh producing company in the country complying the GLOBAL standards!

The members of the Nutrition Committee of Brgy. A.O. Floirendo.

From left: Nenita Moncada, Ma. Divina Cambarihan, Alice Sumatra, Hon. Norberto Acedo, Hon. William Agustin, Hon. Miguel Niez, Hon. Edito Cayanong, Hon. Rito Roque Gatal, Hon. Restituto Granada Jr., Ma. Enone dela Cueva, Hon. Emmanuel Patriarca, Eugenio Pejera, Hon. Ruel Tan, Helen Degamo and Julita Goma.

The effort and perseverance of dela Cueva was untiringly supported by TADECO Inc. and A.O. Floirendo Foundation in terms of supplementary feeding to the malnourished school children. Other elements that cemented TADECO’s and Barangay A.O. Floirendo’s place among Philippines’ most healthy communities include communal, purok and school gardens as well as vegetable nursery. Moreover, Vermiculture was introduced to the barangay thru the purok leaders by TADECO Agro/Soils Department to help increase the production of vegetables through application of locally produced organic fertilizers.
The formulation of a nutri-bread filled with vegetable concoction was prepared as one of distinctive nutritious foods to serve especially to the affected underweight school children. Sustaining the malnutrition-free barangay among preschoolers, this nutrition innovation had extended to the affected school children resulted to the reduction of prevalence from 15.12% of SY 2007-2008 to 1.81% of 2008-2009.

The effective means of extending nutrition advocacies is through the existence of Nutrition Advocacy room which is located at the A.O. Floirendo Hospital. This project greatly serves as the venue for the mothers' classes and caregiving classes using the 'Pabasa sa Nutrisyon' information materials. Likewise, the said venue is also utilized in conducting bench classes and nutrition counseling to the mothers during the weekly immunization of the children and pregnant women. Apart from that, the room also served as the setting for livelihood skills training like food processing.
Intensifying campaign and promotion of breastfeeding among mothers is one of the tenacious tasks especially to the working mothers. The realization of TADECO Breastfeeding Center – the country’s first breastfeeding center located inside a plantation (visited by World Health Organization during its launching) – in A.O. Floirendo Hospital remains as a milestone in the drive towards exclusive breastfeeding in the barangay.

To address lifestyle diseases, the Barangay Nutrition Committee and the BNS, also supported by the Management of TADECO, spearheaded the Healthy Lifestyle campaign in conducting Free Aerobic Exercises twice a week. This is participated by all barangay and company officials, workers and mothers.
Brgy. A.O. Floirendo in coordination with TADECO is also a consistent awardee of the National Sandugo Awards for its commitment and support to the National Voluntary Blood Services Programs (NVSBP), elevating the said barangay to the Hall of Fame.

“Dako akong pasalamat sa mga tao nga ningsuporta sa ako kay dili nako ni mabuhat tanan without their support. Gusto nako pasalamatan una sa tanan ang TADECO Management, Brgy. Officials sa A.O. Floirendo, sa akong mga kaubanan sa Brgy. Nutrition Committee ug sa atong Nutrition Coordinator for Region XI nga si Ma'am Ma. Teresita L. Ungson,” dela Cueva said.

This prestigious award is based on the unwavering support and services of the BNS extended in the implementation of health and nutrition plans, programs and activities in her barangay. The awarding will take place on October 15, 2009 in Manila.

The City Council of Panabo extended its warm congratulations to Brgy. A.O. Floirendo for bringing another distinct citation which contributed to the over-all success of the City in improving its health and nutritional status.

It is undeniably true that TADECO is a big contribution in attaining safe, healthy and livable communities with its health and nutrition programs and has been true to its goal in helping the lives of the people.

Damosa was the ultimate Friday hangout as Samsung brought Parokya ni Edgar to rock the night with the crowd. The famous rock band played their hit songs like Buloy and Picha Pie, gamely taking requests from their fans.

With Wilma Doesnt as host of the night, Samsung also gave away prizes and raffled free brand new Samsung cellphones to lucky individuals.

It was surely the ultimate gig of the night, made possible by Samsung and Damosa Land Inc., an affiliate of the Anflo Group of Companies.

The Don Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr. Foundation turned over financial assistance to the Davao Museum last May 26, 2009 at the Don Antonio O. Floirendo Gallery of the museum.

This donation aims to support the undertakings of the Davao Museum as well as deepen and continue the gathering and preserving of information of the history and roots of Davao. This has been reflected by the exhibits done in the museum like the current display of historical details and artifacts of the renowned Battle of Ising.

“Don Antonio believes in the importance of preserving our culture and heritage and one way of doing this is to bank on our museums that showcase informative and educational presentation of our past, which we can all relate to what is contemporary,” said Russell U. Barrizo, Programs Director of Floirendo Foundation.

The check worth Php 650,000.00 was handed over by Barrizo to the Board of Directors of the museum Patria G. Montemayor, President, Dr. Julian P. Rodriguez, Jr., Vice President, Delia E. Dango, Trustee, and Sylvia C. Lorenzana, Museum Director who all graced the turnover.

Davao Museum has named the gallery in the first floor after Don Antonio Floirendo, Sr. It features the permanently displayed timeline of Davao that starts with the pre-Colonial times towards the present days. This offers a detailed account of Davao's history which we hear only little things about. This gallery, including the financial assistance, forms part of the legacy of Don Antonio Floirendo, Sr. in Davao City.
 

Summer is about to end. People going on vacation are coming home from their long trips abroad or at famous tourist spots around the country. A few more sleeps and we’ll wake up to bid goodbye to sunny days, giving way to rainy schooldays.

But wait! The sun is still up and outdoor activities still abound.

That's why the energetic Anflocor employees took the last few days of this year’s summer season to bask in the heat of the sun, feel the sand on their feet, and enjoy the cool blue waters of IGACOS seas on their annual company outing at Pearl Farm Malipano Island last May 23.

Taking a break from the daily office works, employees of Floirendo-owned Anflocor were treated to a fun-filled whole day affair that included team-building games, scrumptious lunch and snacks, and all-day frolicking at the beach. And having it at the world-famous Pearl Farm Beach Resort made the event more special.

Snapshots from the entire day reflect the bright and excited mood that everybody in the group felt. While coordination and teamwork were evident in each team in playing the games, without dismissing the idea that everything was still for the spirit of pure fun and camaraderie.

Sun... Sand... Sea... These words describe the best summer experience one can definitely have. And Anflocor employees surely did not miss any of these delights!

Among the graduates of 2009 are the scholars of Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr. Foundation in various University of the Philippines units.

Cristina Y. Deña and Jan Kristel B. Saligan both earned a degree in Agribusiness Economics at UP Mindanao last April 22.

Marchie V. Pacol completed her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Major in Horticulture at UP Los Baños last April 25.

Marianne P. Salmasan also received her diploma as Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from UP Visayas – Iloilo last April 28.

All four were with their parents and Floirendo Foundation Programs Director Russell U. Barrizo during the respective graduation ceremonies.

“Mapasalamaton kaayo mi sa Floirendo Foundation sa ilang dakong tabang sa edukasyon sa akong anak. Tungod sa scholarship, nagmalampuson usab sa pag-eskwela ang anak namo diri sa Iloilo (We are very thankful to Floirendo Foundation for their assistance in the education of my daughter. Because of the scholarship, my daughter has successfully finished her studies here in Iloilo), said Neria Salmasan, who was with her daughter Marianne on the latter's graduation day.

“The foundation and its benefactor Don Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr. are more than happy for having assisted these hardworking students in finishing their studies, which is a stepping stone towards fulfilling the career that they want,” remarked Barrizo.

Other previous scholars, like Richell Argones, Abbeah Rebuta, and Angelie Vitor, who were also graduates of various UP units, have now been working with ANFLOCOR and its sister company Tadeco.

Recently, the foundation has just welcomed its newest batch of scholars for SY 2009-2010. The scholarship shall cover the students' tuition and miscellaneous fees, book and transportation allowance, and monthly stipend according to bracketing system.

The Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr. Foundation and Southern Fresh Products, Inc. (SFPI), an exporting company of fresh Del Monte Gold pineapples, joined hands with the 29th IB of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to give dental services to the students of San Nicolas Elementary School in Don Carlos, Bukidnon.

Rollyn John Cabaluna, one of the pupils who availed of free tooth extraction, was grateful for the timely dental service as he was always suffering from toothache.

Grade I teacher Donna Nguho emphasized the benefits of the said dental activity. “Dili na o ma-minimize na ang absences sa mga bata kay naa'y dental services nga gihatag diri (The children will avoid or minimize their absences in school because of the dental services given)” said Nguho. She added that the pupils receive dental and even medical attention only when the medical team of Department of Education visit their school twice a year.

As compared to paying for a dental service that would cost them much, Nguho advised the students that “Chance na ni ninyo kay kita na'y gi-anhian, wala na'y rason nga dili ninyo dawaton kay gihatod na sa inyo [ang serbisyo] (This is your chance so you have no reason not to avail the services because they made an effort to come here and bring these services)."

Before this last week's activity, SFPI and Floirendo Foundation were also in the same school recently to distribute pairs of toothpaste and toothbrush to the pupils, in strengthening their advocacy for dental care among kids. Similar with the civil military operations of the 29th IB of AFP, this forms part of the community outreach activities of SFPI and Floirendo Foundation that they have been always doing in depressed areas in Bukidnon.

Southern Fresh Products, Inc. (SFPI), a Mindanao-based exporting company of fresh Del Monte Gold pineapples under the Del Monte label, emphasized its commitment to the livelihood program of the community women's group of Brgy. San Nicolas, Don Carlos and in Quezon, Bukidnon Province.

Since the reorganization of San Nicolas Women's Livelihood Organization in Don Carlos and the establishment of a similar group in Quezon through the initiative of SFPI, women-members have been getting seminars and trainings, courtesy of the company, to give them or boost their skills in harnessing the success of their livelihood activities.

These women-members who are dependent wives, mothers, or sisters of landowners or employees of SFPI get their source for their daily consumption out of their earnings from the livelihood project. Otherwise, they are plain home-buddies with no income to support their families.

The program includes bag- and stuffed toy-making, food processing, pillow- and curtain-making, as well as vegetable gardening. They get orders, which have been growing larger, from neighboring communities and nearby towns in Bukidnon. Meanwhile, they sell the vegetables, which they harvest from their garden, to nearby neighboring communities.

SFPI has also facilitated the participation of the livelihood group to various local trade fairs and product showcases where the women-members were able to share trainings to other participants and, at the same time, get more orders for their products and exposure to other possible alternative livelihood activities.

Contributions of SFPI range from materials like PE foam and plastic straps from the company's packing house, which the women use in their pillow- and bag-making activities, to technical assistance through skills training and development. As for the group's food processing activity, SFPI provides them pineapples to make pineapple jams for sale. Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr. Foundation, a non-stock organization working in close ties with SFPI in its community projects, also reached out to the group with 2 units of sewing machines.

The increasing number of members of the livelihood group suggests that more women are getting interested in this project, which proves effective in giving the members opportunity to earn for themselves and support their families.

With this, SFPI vows to look into ways of helping the women-members improve their products and venture into more alternative yet profitable livelihood activities. Besides this, the company is also eying for other possible communities where they can tap domestic women to organize their own livelihood group.

The Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr. Foundation has announced its new set of scholars for the school year 2009-2010.

Programs Director for the foundation Russell Barrizo met with some of the scholars in TADECO to orient them with the scholarship guidelines.

The foundation, especially its benefactor Don Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr., are as happy as the new scholars are that another set of brilliant and deserving students will study through the aid of this scholarship program,” said Barrizo.

One of the new scholars, Claudine Hayag, has more reason to thank for her scholarship grant beyond the mere assistance it can give for her college education.

“Dako kaayo nga tabang [ug] privilege [ang scholarship] kay nag-expect [ko] nga dili makaskwela [sa college],” told Hayag. Her mother said she already reserved a spot at the market where Claudine will sell goods, had she not qualified for the scholarship.

“Dako ko'g pasalamat sa kompanya (TADECO) kay naa mi diri kay kung wala ang kompanya, dili ma-scholar ang akong anak,” added Claudine's mother. Her husband Beltrud Hayag is with the Plant Deleaf section.

The foundation will handle the tuition and miscellaneous fees of the scholars while, according to bracketing system, some scholars will receive book and transportation allowance and monthly stipend. Other than that, scholars are free to choose whatever 4- or 5-year course they would like to take up. The scholars and all qualified applicants for the scholarship grant should be dependents of employees of ANFLOCOR and its affiliate companies like TADECO.

Meanwhile, the result at hand as to the list of scholars for SY 2009-2010 is yet partial as more applications for the educational grant are still on process.