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I arrived almost a month ago in the Philippines. I have decided to spend a few months as a volunteer in Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm. Gawad Kalinga is a Filipino NGO that aims at ending poverty for 5 millions families by 2024.
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The Enchanted Farm is located in Bulacan, 50km North from Manila.
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It is a 35 hectares Farm, an incubator for Social Business, and a Social Entrepreneurship university.
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It is a platform that connects and empowers stakeholders to accomplish the vision and mission of the NGO, in a very simple and human way. Through the power of presence. With the will to build intentional communities.
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I discovered the Enchanted Farm in Paris through my network.
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Friends or mentors who had come here and who recommended me to live an experience within this very special organization.
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It seemed really relevant to me to come here because Gawad Kalinga (GK) aims at ending poverty through the empowerment of each individual.
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Empowerment. Here was the magic word for me.
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It took me some time before starting to write about the Enchanted Farm – because it is such a unique, infinitely rich, and complex ecosystem.
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I have spent the last weeks discovering the place, exploring its multiple facets, meeting the management team and some of the social entrepreneurs, sharing with the interns and volunteers, starting spending time with the Filipino community living here.
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……….What I discover and experience goes far beyond what I imagined. It is different. And I can feel that this place is transforming me.
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Today I feel ready to share what I learnt and understood – and I choose to stop time to write.
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Get ready to discover an extraordinary and powerful story.
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The Farm was created thanks to the dream of Toni Meloto, « Tito Toni ». He is the founder of the organization. He has devoted a major part of his life to transform his dream of ending poverty into a reality. A reality embodied by the Enchanted Farm.
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5 years ago, the Farm did not exist. There were wild fields in a very poor area – a dangerous rebel zone. There was no water, no road, no electricity… Only a community of around 50 families.
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That’s what people would say to Tito who was promoting an amazing Silicon Valley of the Philippines. « Hum, Tito Toni, but there is nothing here ?! ». He would say : « Build it, and they will come. »
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I see the Enchanted Farm as a miracle that came true thanks to the vision of Tito Toni, and the efforts and dedication of an inspired team who wanted to use their talent to have a positive impact on the world. More specifically, on their country.
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It is necessary to understand better the Filipino history and culture so as to understand what is happening here.
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Here is what I understood.
The Philippines were colonized by Spain (16th to 19th century) and then governed by the US – from 1898 to 1946.
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It developed what is called here « the colonial mindset ».
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The conviction that what comes from abroad is better. People, food, any consumer goods. There is a rooted feeling of inferiority.
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I experienced it here at the Farm when Filipino people were coming to visit. They were looking at us French people and listening to us as if who we were and what we thought was better.
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I thought that it was very sad and unfair. I was shocked, in a way.
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As a French person, I am happy and comfortable with being French. Yes, I can say I feel a form of pride (and I know we also have our weaknesses). I feel confident. I don’t compare myself to others, I don’t belittle myself. I don’t even think about it : it is not an issue.
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(Well. I wrote this sentence before the results of the regional elections – first round. At the moment I don’t feel proud, I feel worried about what is happening. Fear creates such a vicious circle. My reaction is to try to contribute to build the world I would like to live in. And I can tell we are so many already to do so, and this is really encouraging and energizing !)
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Here, I understood that there is no proud of being Filipino.
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There is no Filipino identity, no sense of belonging. No unity.
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And so there is no trust in Filipino brands. A Filipino told me that when people wanted to buy a product in a shop, they would not buy Filipino brands because they do not trust the quality of these products.
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There are huge social and economic inequalities in the society.
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Few very rich people and a majority of very poor people. 70 to 80% of the richness is owned by 10 families.
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And there is a lot of corruption.
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Rich people are raised with a Western way of life.
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Their dream is to leave the Philippines to settle a life in a more developed country.
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Or to climb the corporate ladder in big international companies.
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They are disconnected to the reality of their country. They do not care.
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It seems that the political and economic elites are not concerned or efficient about trying to solve the vast issue of poverty.
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On their side, poor people try to earn a living to raise their family, day after day.
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There is a lot of criminality.
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And above all, there is a « learned helplessness » mindset.
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The deep conviction that whatever you try to do, it is useless and you will never get out of poverty. So, why try ?
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Learned helplessness generates fatalistic passiveness.
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However, there is a real potential in the Philippines.
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Especially from the natural ressources. There are many unexploited fields that could bring sustainable revenue to farmers.
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Let’s take the example of milk.
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When you buy milk in a carton or bottle here, there is 95% probability that it was imported from abroad.
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5% of the milk sold in the Philippines comes from Singapore.
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Mmm… WHAT ? Wait a minute. There are no cows in Singapore !
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In Singapore, companies buy milk in powder from abroad and then produce liquid milk out of it, and sell it to the Philippines.
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And in the meantime, there are hectares of Filipino fields here that are unexploited. Hectares where there could be cows producing quality local cheaper milk. And this could bring wealth to the poor people.
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Sounds terribly absurd, right ?
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GK is about building intentional communities. It empowers people to develop a new mindset. GK helps the poor to develop the belief that they can change their life through decision, discipline and action.
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Here at the Farm, poverty is not considered as an economic problem only.
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Poverty is « in the mind and heart ». And as a consequence, poverty becomes an economic problem.
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From the moment people live in a positive and valuing environment – communities – in which they find dignity, usefulness, work to support their family, there is no more poverty.
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So everything starts with values and mindset.
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Values and mindset are embodied by people. Everyday, consistently. People living together in intentional communities.
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And this is what the Enchanted Farm is all about.
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Une réflexion au sujet de « The Enchanted Farm – Filipino culture insights »
Bonjour Julia,
Que de belles rencontres et découvertes depuis ton départ !
Nous sommes heureux pour toi et te souhaitons une belle continuation pour tout ce que tu réalises.
Bonne fêtes de fin d’année !!
A bientôt. Bise
Pascale et Patrick
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