SPOTlight : Binalot's Dahon Program - Uplifting the Lives of Banana Farmers

Binalot’s Dahon Program : Uplifting the Lives of Banana Farmers

One of the most successful fast food chains went a notch higher in their mission to really help the marginalized farmers in the true sense of the word.

Filipinos are by nature fun-loving and generous. This is most exemplified by our Fiesta culture when the entire community works together to make this yearly event a success. This type of community spirit best exemplifies Binalot’s DAHON Program.

Binalot started as a small food delivery service in 1996 and since then, has grown to a full-fledged fast food restaurant. Culled from the Filipino term that means “wrapped,” Binalot serves classic Filipino fiesta foods like inihaw na liempo and dinuguan wrapped in banana leaves just the way they would do it in the provinces. It brings to mind the fiesta atmosphere of fun dining and the great taste of home-cooked or lutong bahay meals. Binalot’s President Rommel Juan said he got the idea for Binalot from the meals his grandmother used to prepare when he was a child.

One of the reasons why Binalot has been very successful is because of the humble banana leaf. The banana leaf has been an integral part of Binalot’s image being its primary food wrapper. The banana leaf, aside from lending a distinctive ambience to Binalot, also represents the company’s commitment to the environment. Banana leaves produce fewer wastes compared to styrofoam or plastic. The leaves also have the added benefit of being biodegradable. As with any enterprise which requires vast quantities or perishable materials, keeping Binalot’s 35 branches supplied was a problem that Rommel needed to solve. Initially they relied on middlemen that kept them supplied with the leaves. However, quality and reliability problems soon led him to look for another source.

After much searching, Juan finally found suitable suppliers in Laguna. There he found a community of around 28 farmers who agreed to supply him with the banana leaves. But beyond just establishing a source of livelihood, Juan wanted to improve the lives of the farmers. This is why he established the DAHON or Dangal At Hanapbuhay para sa Nayon Program. The program was initiated by Binalot to help the banana farmers. The DAHON program’s primary beneficiaries are the banana farmers in the Southern Tagalog region from where Binalot gets its banana leaves. The program also allows Binalot to care for the environment and promote Philippine culture.

Banana leaves are the primary source of income to a community of farmers in Southern Tagalog. These farmers are locked in a vicious cycle of poverty. The farmers get up early in the morning to work in the banana plantation and go home late at night. For a whole day’s work of harvesting banana leaves, farmers earn just enough for the basic necessities of life. The hand-to-mouth existence they find themselves in forces some farmers to try their luck in the city tearing families apart.

Under the program, Binalot buys banana leaves directly from farmers. To ensure that the leaves comply with their specifications, the company trains farmers to cut the banana leaves according to their specifications and sanitize them as well. Binalot also provides the farmers with tools and equipment. The farmers earn an average of Php200 per day. The leaves are picked, cleaned, and processed by the farmers who then sell them to Binalot per piece. This has enabled farmers and their families to earn more since they now cut the leaves and not just sell the whole bundle. This also eliminates the intermediaries thus, maximizing the farmers’ income. It also eliminates added costs on Binalot because the leaves are delivered to Binalot ready for use. “Our DAHON program shows that a CSR program can be win-win situation for all stakeholders,” said Binalot President Rommel T. Juan.

The program is not only boosting the farmers’ income, it is also touching and changing the lives of the people in the community. “The women in the community now feel especially empowered as they earn about Php200 a day from their cutting activities. They no longer just hang around at home or play cards,” said Juan. The elders in the community gained a new sense of purpose in life making them feel productive again. “Thanks to the DAHON Program, we have a new reason to live.” says one of the elders in the community. It has also helped prevent the youth in the area from leaving the area to search for job opportunities. Joel, who used to go to Manila to work no longer has to leave his family because of the program.

Aside from just making the programs beneficial to the farmers, steps have been taken to make the program more sustainable. In this light, Binalot has been trying to introduce modern and sustainable harvesting techniques for bananas. One of the sustainable practices it has introduced is a rotation system in cutting the leaves where only select trees are harvested at a time to allow the trees time to regenerate. To ensure that more farmers would be benefited by DAHON, Binalot has enticed two other fastfood restaurants that make use of banana leaves to join its CSR program. By linking directly with the farmers, Binalot is now able to get a steady supply of freshly cut and cost-efficient banana leaves. Farmers, in turn, are assured of a ready market for their produce. This system has also enabled the company to reduce its garbage since the trimmings are disposed of in the province and are used as compost materials.

Aside from livelihood assistance, the program has also been involved in community development. The DAHON Program has helped in the renovation of the community’s school and parish. It is also helping the farmers get the most out of their banana plants. Binalot can be considered a role model for other corporations to follow. The success and impact of the DAHON program can be considered as proof that even small companies can make a difference if they set their hearts into it.

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