Messengers of Humanity: Rochelle R. Bantigue

As we celebrate World Humanitarian Day this month, we honor the people we work with in reducing poverty in the Philippines. They are our Messengers of Humanity:

“I consider my work here in PBSP to be a haven for my desire to help people uplift their living conditions. It is more fulfilling when I see hope in their smiles.”

As a marketing, events, and communications officer for three years for Business in Development (BiD) Challenge, I had the opportunity to meet innovative people who are just as passionate to help other people. Through this, I was able to witness and understand the situation of poor communities.

For example, in the hinterlands of Bukidnon, most of the people there are backyard farmers of cassava because that’s the crop that is easier to grow in limited space and uneven land. They sell their cassava produce to a consolidator, but before they could sell, the cassava should be cut and cleaned accordingly, then transported for several hours. They get very little after all the work they done, and is not even enough until the next harvest. The good thing here was one entrepreneur thought of a mobile cassava processor to help make the work of the poor cassava farmers easier. There are so many more inspiring situations like this, meaning there’s so much work for us in the development sector to do, so lets hurry and reach all of those in need of our help,” said Ms. Rochelle Bantigue, the marketing, events, and communications officer for the Be Secure project (a USAID funded project).

Ms. Bantigue is responsible for implementing the business plan writing competition for small water service providers.