MANILA, Philippines — As part of National Women’s Month celebration, wives of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) members were taught how to make baking a sustainable livelihood.
Inaugurated last February 20, “The Bread Camp,” a bakery to be run by PSG Enlisted Personnel (EP) Ladies Club in Malacañang, is now offering “Pan Digong”, a premium goat cheese pan de sal named after President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I heard he loves bread. He is a very simple man and he has a deep love for Filipinos. I think pan de sal would be the best option of bread that he would prefer,” said Cristina Versoza, EP Ladies Club member.
The project was initiated by the Aboitiz Group through its corporate social responsibility arm the Aboitiz Foundation and its food business unit Pilmico.
Around 300 members of PSG-EP Ladies Club will directly benefit in the revival of the once-lucrative bakery business.
“Itong aming bakery, when I reported last 2016, naka-open pa siya, pero medyo naghihingalo na. Then a few months after, it totally closed and it remained so for some time. Mabuti na lang may well-meaning friends like Aboitiz na gustong tumulong sa mga sundalo,” said PSG Commander Col. Jose Eriel Niembra.
Niembra noted that The Bread Camp has a good chance of succeeding by catering to nearby communities.
Last June 2018, Pilmico donated to PSG a bakery livelihood kit consisting of a two-deck oven, spiral mixer, cake mixer, loaf slicer, cooking rack, display chiller, chest-type freezer, as well as Pilmico flour and baking ingredients.
PSG-EP Ladies Club members underwent baking training and learned to bake bread, pastries, cakes, and other goods under the “PAGKAIN (Pagbabago ay Gawin, Kabuhayang Pang-Agrikultura I-aalay Natin) Biyaya ng Pagbabago Bakery Livelihood Program.”
This is not the first time Aboitiz Group has extended baking livelihood program to our country’s soldiers. Last January 2018, Aboitiz Group inaugurated the Noble Bakers Bakery in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, which is run by the Philippine Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM) soldiers who were injured in battle.
Aboitiz also donated bakery to First Scout Ranger Regiment in San Miguel, Bulacan and to Marawi residents who were displaced during the Marawi City siege. /kga