OPERATION KAJO:  A Student-Led Disaster Response for Farmers in Benguet

In the spirit of Binnadang and Aduyon, the traditions of the indigenous peoples of the Cordillerans in the Philippines to voluntarily help and reach out to others in need, particularly during disasters, CCDC coordinated with the Benita and Catalino Yap Foundation and the Pilipinas Shell Foundation for an activity to help farmers affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Maring in October 2021.

The valley was flooded affecting largely the agricultural areas, for strawberries and vegetables, and even residential areas.  

The La Trinidad Agricultural Office forecasted that 34 hectares’ agriculture land, including the strawberry Farm was affected by Typhoon Maring in the whole of La Trinidad.  Hence, with the support of the school extension office, students gathered data to assess the damage and list priority needs of farmers affected by the typhoon for a disaster-relief response activity.

This student-led disaster-relief response focused on assisting farmers’ avail of new planting materials to help them recover from the crisis while allowing themselves to learn from actual experiences through volunteerism.  This activity was also an opportunity to value partnerships and collaborations with various organizations and groups.