Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Rosita Balunto is a public-school teacher. She was the first teacher at Colot S. Aligado IP School, which educates the indigenous Blaan community of Barangay Bawing, General Santos.
Having no electricity and a makeshift classroom were some of the many challenges they faced. Despite this, Teacher Rosita remained dedicated to her students, a commitment that flourished when their first-ever HOPE classroom was built. Her service led to her recognition as one of the most outstanding school heads in region 12.
‘5’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:998628d9-7a4e-4bd4-8e60-d64918f24af1’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘In photo: (Left) Teacher Rosita Balunto in front of the old makeshift classroom of Colot S. Aligado IP School; (Right) Full-fledged building
HOPE has been building classrooms through the sale of HOPE in a Bottle since 2012. It was stories like Teacher Rosita’s that inspired the social enterprise to go beyond education and tackle other issues. Ten years after its founding, HOPE has built 122 classrooms and evolved from a social enterprise into a full-fledged impact organization that addresses agricultural and environmental challenges.
Community-based projects
Agricultural initiatives began in 2014 when HOPE learned firsthand the state of smallholder coconut farmers, approximately 60% of which live below the poverty line. This propelled the organization to provide them with free access to inputs, equip them through training to improve farming practices, and increase market access. To date, HOPE has managed to plant more than 1,104,000 coconut trees, provided free access to inputs to around 22,000 small holder farmers, and boosted the farmers’ income by 247%, helping the nation’s food providers support their own families.
’12’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:d4997c2c-11a7-44f0-a6cc-6093873f85f1’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘Editha Balunto, a farmer from Brgy. Blaan, Malungon, Sarangani Province, received 100 seedlings last December 2021 from HOPE. Photo from
In 2019, HOPE saw the need to be actively involved in fighting the growing plastic pollution crisis and started offsetting its own footprint–becoming the first Filipino company to do so. To get people to participate at the grassroots level, it established the Aling Tindera program, the first program of its kind in the Philippines.
Aling Tindera is a plastic waste-to-cash program that enables women micro-entrepreneurs to manage collection stations and serve as sustainability champions in their communities. This not only creates an incentive for the community to turn in their plastic waste but also inspires everyone to be more mindful of their waste management.
’17’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:b0862f81-99e9-4013-a6bd-c501d6c2bed3’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘Aling Marita of Brgy 770, Manila. Aside from being an Aling Tindera under the HOPE’s plastic waste collection program, she also operates
The organization now has 122 Aling Tindera plastic waste collection stations across the country which have collectively diverted 1,254,606.95 kilograms of plastic waste to date.
HOPE Hero Awards
HOPE believes that impact transcends numbers. At the heart of it are stories that not only fuel HOPE’s mission as an organization but inspire other individuals to pay it forward.
To unveil more of these positive narratives and the people behind them, HOPE is launching its first-ever HOPE Hero Awards. HOPE Heroes are people who have dedicated time, possible resources, and creativity towards enriching the lives of others, earning them well-deserved recognition as true champions for good.
\”We have the opportunity to come across so many inspiring stories in our work. We feel it is important to not only honor and support these unsung heroes but also inspire a nation to hope,\” says founder Nanette Medved-Po.
Transcending geographical boundaries, the awards are open to Filipinos and individuals of any nationality to highlight the universal spirit of commitment that selfless individuals have in common wherever they are in the world.
HOPE Hero Awards is still accepting nominations via its official website www.hopeheroawards.com. Read more stories of HOPE Heroes here.
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