"Meron tayong feeling na parang we have all the means and resources and even the time [to help the less fortunate], pero you don’t know where to start."
After some soul-searching, Gawad Kalinga Head for External Relations Mia Navarro, found the perfect place to start - in Barangay Engkanto in Angat, Bulacan. After revelling in all the city had to offer, she wanted to make a bigger, more tangible difference. She wanted to immerse herself in it, to live it, to know each person she was helping by name, by face and by character.
Barangay Engkanto is a community representative of Gawad Kalinga's advocacy to build homes for the homeless as a means to end poverty. Aside from being the location of the 43-hectare Enchanted Farm, Barangay Engkanto also cradles homes for 50 families, as well as the School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED), the world's first farm-village university which provides free tuition, accommodation and meals to poor scholars.
Ms Navarro shares that the farm has become a social enterprise hub where people can learn how to restructure businesses to lean towards both profit and social impact.
Children of Barangay Engkanto Source: Enchanted Farm Facebook
The 43-hectare farm Source: Enchanted Farm Facebook
"GK Australia is very much involved with the farm," she says, "They would send some partners from GK here, to stay in the farm and learn about social enterprise kasi we also have social enterprise camps."
According to Ms Navarro, some participants choose to only stay during the weekend for business camps; while others opt to become interns and make the community their home, albeit if just for a short period.
One of those who has stayed longer than initially intended is Frenchman Fabien Courtielle. First starting as a volunteer for Gawad Kalinga, he found himself falling in love with both the community and the mission of the organisation.
Volunteers at Enchanted Farm Source: Enchanted Farm Facebook
Ms Navarro shares that in an effort to help the community prosper and to further the organisation's mission, Mr Courtielle utilised the sewing skills of the residents to establish a social enterprise.
"Here in Bulacan, noong mga 1900s, sobrang lakas ng textile industry ng China. Nagtayo sila ng maraming factories [and] tinuruan ang mga taga-Bulacan ng manahi ng maramihan...So nagkaroon ng recession, so natanggalan ng employment yung mga taga-Bulacan. Sayang naman yung skills."
Not wanting to waste the skills of the residents, Mr Courtielle sought the help of partners of Gawad Kalinga to purchase sewing machines and tools, and fabric.
From those pieces of fabric and the craftsmanship of the residents, Plush and Play was born.
Bulakenyos are known to be highly skilled in sewing. Source: Plush and Play Facebook
Plush and Play is a social enterprise that sells sewn and hand-stitched educational stuffed toys. One of the prominent collections of the business is their plush produce.
"When I was young, I didn’t really like eating vegetables. Parang alien itsura [nila]," Ms Navarro laughs, "The GK community dito, sobrang daming bata. This would encourage them to eat vegetables and to have a healthier lifestyle."
To further tickle the market, the team involved with Plush and Play opted to name their plush produce after Filipino celebrities. Some of the names include Buko Martin, Sili Crawford, Mais Ganda, Noli de Carrot, Jessica Saging, Anne Kamatis, Manny Pakwan, Ryan Bawang, and Mang Agustin.
"Yung okra, pangalan Okra Aunor," she adds, "At may nunal pa."
The plush toys can be purchased individually or as part of the Grow Kit, which includes a plush plot of land, shovel, rake and watering can.
GK's Mia Navarro shows off some Plush and Play products. Source: Ria Javier
"The kids at an early age, we can spark their interest in farming and also the appreciation of the vegetables," Ms Navarro shares.
A little girl pretends to water Fili Pinya.
For more information about the farm and the toys, visit and on Facebook.
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