Negros Occidental—The Pagtipon: Volunteer Training Program successfully capacitated 74 women and youth volunteers from agro-aqua communities across the Negros Island Region during its rollout in Kabankalan City on August 22–24. The program’s first batch was conducted on August 1–3 in Bacolod.
Participants, known as Sagup Super Heroes, received training in Circular Economy and Climate 101, Volunteer Management, Communication Campaigns, and Community Care, equipping them to take on leadership roles in building sustainable food systems in their communities.
Volunteers are central to the Sagup Food Circles model, operating SAGUP Centers that rescue surplus and unsold produce, ensure safe handling, and convert these into nutritious meals. They will also support Agro-Enterprise Clusters by helping farmers and fisherfolk reduce post-harvest losses, access markets, and manage community kitchens and food banks.
Beyond operational roles, volunteers will serve as advocates, leading education sessions and campaigns to encourage communities to reduce food waste and adopt sustainable practices.
Trained volunteers from Negros Island Region will help expand SAGUP Centers, form 38 Agro-Enterprise Clusters across Negros, Leyte, and Dinagat Islands, and sustain the Food Circles Network linking local governments, farmers, fisherfolk, women, youth, and private partners to strengthen a circular food economy and enhance community resilience to climate change, disasters, and food insecurity.
Genrick Catalonia, Sagup Food Circles Project Officer, shared, “We look forward to working with our trained volunteers. Through the Sagup Food Circles project, we aim to reimagine how food is produced, shared, and valued, moving towards a resilient and sustainable future for our communities.”