30/09/2025
On September 29, 2025, Sagup Negros Inc. marked the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste with Unwrapped: The Official Launching of the Sagup Digital Toolkit at Negros Residences, Bacolod City.
The program opened with a talk by Genrick Catalonia, Project Officer of the Sagup Food Circles Project, who highlighted the urgency of addressing food loss and waste as both an environmental and livelihood concern. This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Gwen Encolesio, Finance Officer of Sagup Negros, with panelists Romar Nava of Brgy. Nayon, San Enrique, Carl Ryan Villa of KAISAHAN, and Ms. Charmaine Talagon of Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation. Together, they shared insights and experiences on how local communities, particularly youth, women, farmers, and fisherfolks, are innovating to reduce food waste and ensure food security.
The symbolic launching of the digital toolkit followed, signaling a step forward in providing communities with practical solutions to food waste. The toolkit will soon be made available online.
In the afternoon, participants engaged in hands-on demonstrations which started with the Bokashi Composting Demo led by Carl Ryan Villa, showcasing step-by-step methods of transforming food scraps into nutrient-rich compost. Chef Eden Cadusale of Slow Food Community in Bago prepared a grazing table highlighting value-added food from slow food byproducts such as fruit peels and seeds. Finally, Tuloy Heroes Kevin, Mah Raj, and Archie demonstrated fish value addition through the preparation of Bang!ganisa (Bangus Longganisa), while also sharing their journey as young innovators in fisheries and the blue economy.
The event concluded with the awarding of two subgrants to Sagup Negros, provided through the Sagup Food Circles Project of NYLI Inc. and KAISAHAN, to further expand the operations of the Sagup Carinderia, Community Pantry, and its other programs and services.
The launch brought together students, youth leaders, representatives from civil society organizations, as well as fisherfolk and farming communities from Victorias and Bago. More than a celebration, it was a collective call to action, affirming that food waste reduction is not only a sustainability effort, but also a path toward resilient, food-secure communities.
The event was supported by the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Provincial Youth Development Council, and in partnership with Slow Food Negros, Slow Food Youth Bago FRESH, Negrosanon Young Leaders Institute Inc, KAISAHAN, and 3Zero Club Negros Occidental.
