Women are great. In fact, in that of the realm of greatness, women stand as a rather extraordinary force—and even that’s an understatement.
On that note, have you ever wondered what happens when these women channel that of their greatness into a common cause?
Simple, a greater greatness emerges—take it from the Pistola Women’s Planters Association (PWPA).
Amidst that of the awe-inspiring backdrop of Mayon, in the tranquil barangay of Pistola in Oas, Albay, the PWPA is a thriving community association of women who came as one and transformed what in the past was a piece of empty land into a flourishing oasis of abundance and camaraderie.
Furthermore, beyond that of their verdant garden and communal plots, said association is not, in any way, grounded to just that of their agricultural endeavors; what they have created stands also as a tangible testament to the greater greatness of women within their community.
The base and its summit
It was in 2015 that the Pistola Women’s Planters Association was established by Carmelita “Let” Balde, Pistola’s visionary barangay captain, who has dedicated her commitment to community development, exemplified by the PWPA’s mission to establish a livelihood program benefiting the women in their barangay.
At the moment, PWPA has 30 members composed mostly of stay-at-home mothers, female 4Ps members, and even senior citizens who want to extend that of their time and strength to the cause. It is these numbers that have transformed a 500-square-meter, once-empty lot into that of a lush haven—cultivating eggplants, bottle gourds (upo), peppers (sili), root crops, and local vegetables—all while embracing organic farming techniques and environmental sustainability.
On top of that, PWPA’s commitment extends beyond cultivating vegetables; they are also sowing education-inclined seeds, providing its members leverage in applying for initiatives like Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) to alleviate the financial burden of educational expenses.
Reflecting that of the association’s efforts, it secured the top spot in the barangay communal vegetable garden (BCGV) category of the G4AP Go Green, Grow Green Albay Program (G4AP) just this 2023.
Moreover, out of the 720 barangays in Albay, it is thanks to the PWPA that their barangay was deemed the “cleanest and greenest barangay” in the province.
The only redundancy I’ll honor
Women really are great. There’s no doubt about that.
I mean, as stated earlier, take it from PWPA—a force of greatness that started off as a mere sapling but now blossoms into a garden of boundless possibilities, just as the vegetables they’ve so wholeheartedly nurtured.
It is from nothingness that they create and to greatness that they aspire. | Kimberly Palenzuela, Kian Kirby F. Florano
Photo: Carmelita Balde