04/05/2026
๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ
๐ป๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐
โIn 2020, at the height of the global pandemic, a heavy cloud of uncertainty hung over the homes of Brgy. Palingon, Brgy. Napindan, and Brgy. Sta. Ana in Taguig City. Families and Peopleโs Organizations (POs) alike were left echoing the same urgent question: When will this struggle end?
Yet amid fear, loss, and isolation, the partner organizations of Community Organizers Multiversity - CO Multiversity (COM) chose a different path, not withdrawal but collective action. Among them was the Maralitang Nasa Baybayin of Sta. Ana, Pulong Kendi 2 Neighborhood Association Inc. (SAMANA), a peopleโs organization rooted in an urban informal settlement. Faced with limited space, economic insecurity, and the sudden disruption caused by the pandemic, they mobilized.
What began as an organization grounded in urban gardening soon expanded into broader livelihood initiatives. As the demand for face masks surged during the pandemic, the women collectively developed a small-scale production of cloth face masks affordable, reusable, and environmentally responsible. This was not just a response to a market need but a survival strategy rooted in solidarity.
With the support of the Huairou Commission, their idea was transformed into a functioning livelihood program. Sewing machines, materials, and technical support were provided, enabling women to turn shared skills into a source of income.
As the initiative grew, other COM partner organizations such as Tagigueรฑo Akong Dakila Habang Akoโy Nabubuhay Neighborhood Association Inc. (TADHANNA) and Kalinga sa Taong May Kapansanan joined the effort. What emerged was a collective response to the crisis to women supporting women, communities supporting communities.
The initiative was further strengthened by the Jaime V. Ongpin Microfinance Foundation, Inc. which provided additional equipment, expanding production capacity. Eventually, they became part of the Mask for All initiative, producing masks using katsa fabric, reinforcing both livelihood and environmental responsibility.
For a time, production flourished and supported daily needs. But as the pandemic situation evolved and demand declined, the organizations faced another challenge: sustainability.
Instead of ending their efforts, they adapted once more. The organizations shifted to producing other essential household items such as curtains, bedsheets, and cleaning rags products that continued to generate income and meet organizational needs.
Their resilience did not stop at adaptation.
SAMANA became part of a Livelihood Recovery Program supported by the Huairou Commission and Misereor. Through this, livelihood support expanded into innovative community systems, including vending machines offering basic goods such as cooking oil, dishwashing liquid, and fabric conditioner at affordable prices.
This initiative not only generated income but also contributed to reducing single-use plastic consumption in the community.
Alongside this, additional small-scale lending mechanisms for women were introduced, allowing members to access. While resources were limited, the impact was deeply meaningful, often bridging the gap between crisis and stability.
In 2024, another challenge struck when Typhoon Carina devastated parts of Taguig. Once again, livelihoods and homes were affected.
Through support from Oxfam Pilipinas, several peopleโs organizations (POs) including SAMANA, TADHANNA, Kalinga sa Taong May Kapansanan, PUNNAI, PENAI, and Maligaya Neighborhood Association received assistance to rebuild their livelihoods and restart their community initiatives.
It was not just recovery, it was rebuilding from loss, together.
Today, these community-based enterprises continue to operate. While some livelihoods have slowed due to inflation, rising costs, and shifting market demand, the organizations remain committed to sustaining their initiatives.
Their earnings continue to support essential organizations such as land and housing advocacy, accessing basic services, infrastructure repairs, and emergency support for members facing medical or educational expenses.
And recently, through the Workshop on Participatory Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment and Seasonal Livelihood and Income Mapping, the organizations deepened their understanding of climate change and its direct impact on livelihoods. They identified risks, vulnerabilities, and developed adaptive strategies to ensure long-term resilience in the face of environmental and economic uncertainty.
For these peopleโs organizations and their communities, every cent carries weight far beyond its monetary value.
It becomes food on the table, medicine in times of illness, tuition for children, repairs for damaged homes, and support in moments of crisis. It circulates within the community, strengthening both survival and solidarity.
In the end, their story is not just about livelihood.
It is about persistence in the face of uncertainty.
It is about women building systems of care in the middle of a crisis.
And it affirms a quiet but powerful truth:
๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ธ COM
