Barangay Biangan is one of the communities that are still trying to recover from the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit their region last Oct 2019. When they tried to launch the Biangan Farmers Agriculture Cooperative to help their local farmers sell their whole nuts (peeled raw coconuts) and earn income, the COVID-19 pandemic happened and ceased economic operations all over the country for several months. In effect, instead of using their capital to develop a sustainable livelihood program for their community, they built a sari-sari store within their premises to provide basic needs for the residents and lessen the need to travel outside.
Despite going through these challenges, the residents of Barangay Biangan is determined to recover. Through this fundraising effort, they wish to raise enough resources to be able to support their local coconut farmers and resume shipment to their customers, such as Franklin Baker (one of the most established manufacturer and exporter of processed coconut products). They are currently utlizing a borrowed van for transportation which is maintained by the residents as well through pooled funds within the cooperative.
Barangay Biangan is one of the poorest communities in the area. Through this opportunity, they are aiming to recover from both the earthquake and the pandemic as a community by providing a more stable income stream, especially for its farmers.