Rolling hills in every direction, a crisp breeze, blue skies, warm welcomes of song and dance, an air of endless gratitude, and happy hearts and tummies.
Such was the atmosphere for the #PalmoliveSeedsHOPE event held in General Santos City. The day was dedicated to celebrating and culminating HOPE and Palmolive’s meaningful, first-ever partnership!
The Palmolive ‘Gandang Natural Gandang Panalo’ raffle gave away 5 million pesos worth of cash prizes to its lucky winners, but the celebration did not end there as all promo joiners were part of a bigger and more meaningful purpose! On top of gaining a chance to win in Palmolive’s promo, all entries also served as a contribution to the special Coconut Tree Planting Project in partnership with HOPE. This special initiative highlighted the importance of helping our environment and uplifting the coconut farmer community.
A total of 9,500 coconut seedlings were distributed to 95 farmers in General Santos City, South Cotabato, particularly the barangays of Lutay, Malungon, and San Jose–a fitting gift to signify Palmolive’s 95th anniversary in the Philippines.
Representatives from Palmolive and HOPE flew to General Santos City for the special tree-planting event, along with Palmolive celebrities Angelina Cruz, Bianca Umali, and Vivoree Esclito. Through fun games and heartfelt speeches, the day was filled with good vibes and kindled newfound friendships. Throughout the day, the spirit of camaraderie and service to the environment and local communities hummed through the souls of all who were present! To cap it all off, everyone planted a number of coconut seedlings together with the farmers.
One celebrity endorser, Bianca Umali, shared how meaningful the event was for her and the Palmolive team. “Napatunayan natin na ang isang Palmolive girl ay hindi lang tungkol sa pagkaroon ng magandang buhok o magandang kutis. Ang isang tunay na Palmolive girl ay mahalaga sa kanya ang kalikasan, ang kabutihan ng mga tao, at ang kinabukasan ng mga tao sa paligid niya.” [We’ve shown that a Palmolive girl doesn’t just mean having beautiful hair or great-looking skin. A true Palmolive girl values the environment, cares for the welfare of others, and the future of those around her.] She ended it on a sweet note combined with a call to action. “Kung nagawa natin tulungan ang isa’t isa, kaya din nating tulungan ang buong mundo nang sama-sama.” [If we are able to help out one another, then we can make a difference in this world by working together.]
Coleen Ducusin, Associate Marketing Director, Personal Care Products of Palmolive stressed that this could only be the start of lasting change, hope, and positivity. “Kami sa Palmolive ay umaasa na ito ay simula lamang ng mas marami pang pagkakataon na kami, tayo, tayong lahat ay makapamahagi ng positivity at hope hindi lang dito sa General Santos City, kung hindi sa bawat sulok ng Pilipinas nating mahal.”
Abel Sague, Purok Chairman of Bagong Silang, expressed his indescribable gratitude with tears in his eyes: “Naiyak ako kasi ngayon lang nangyari ito. Ang masasabi ko lang sa Palmolive ay maraming maraming salamat sa inyo sa pagbigay ng ganitong kabutihan sa mga susunod na henerasyon.” [I’m crying because this is the first time something like this has happened. All I can say is, thank you Palmolive, for this gift you’ve given to succeeding generations.]
“When Kuya Abel took the opportunity to be heard by his community, the HOPE team, and the Palmolive team – he spent every second of it ensuring that every person present knew that what we had collectively done together to serve will change the lives of the T’boli community for decades to come,” chimed in Mia Parma, HOPE’s Chief of Staff of Founder and Chairperson.
The coconut trees will serve as long-term sources of income for the farming communities of General Santos and future generations. One of the farmer recipients, Delna Flang, shares that her family’s main source of income at the moment is crafting barbecue sticks out of bamboo shoots. She is very thankful for the donated coconut seedlings, saying that her children’s futures are now financially secured.
#PalmoliveSeedsHOPE was truly more than a planting activity–it was a way for people to come together to spark change that can create a lasting impact. This is one milestone we’ll never forget and it’s all thanks to you, #HOPEHeroes!
