Carmen, Bohol - The global organization Women's Federation for World Peace International, UN Office and its partners in Cebu and Bohol concluded a successful and promising Permaculture Education Summit and Immersion Tour in January 2026.

With a renewed commitment to localized, institutionalized environmental action, the future may be abundant with the return to regenerative technologies. When local people buy into permaculture, a thousand food banks and compost pits could flourish.

In the quiet serenity of Carmen's Chocolate Hills, a UNESCO Geopark, rural women leaders have gathered to reinvigorate their lives by intensifying sustainable farming practices. They have started the campaign to create food banks to nourish their school children with organic food.

Through the municipal agriculture office, led by the indomitable municipal agriculturist Arlene Cabusao, farmer leaders have been trained to apply permaculture on their own patches of land.

Cabusao was one of the scholars of Women's Federation for World Peace International, UN Office who trained for permaculture through the University of the Philippines.

The mind shift to transform the Earth through permaculture has been remarkable.

A recognized leader at the Department of Agriculture, Cabusao has stirred Carmen's rural folk to go back to the forgotten sustainable farming practices.

"Murag sayon ra kaayo tan-awon ang among kakugi. Pero lisud kaayo ning akong buhat sa sinugdanan," Cabusao confided. (It looks like we are doing an easy task. But it was difficult in the beginning).

In her over 30 years of work with farmers, Cabusao said that sustainable farming makes life abundant. "Dili na gyud nila mahurot og kaon ang ilang abot, makabaligya or makapanghatag na sila." (With sustainable farming, farmers won't be able to consume all they have produced. They will have to sell or share food.)

In a recent campaign, Cabusao's team chose three farmers to have designed the best permaculture farms. Virginia Sernada, Victoria Anino, and Fernando Oyangorin were trained and won the best designs from among their group called D'Achievers. They received $500 each from WFWPI for their efforts, without knowing of a cash reward.

Agriculturist Jayrell Adanza, also a WFWPI permaculture scholar, said the farmers group will create food banks from their farms and share organically grown crops to local schools.

Victoria Anino and Virginia Sernada were happily surprised by the cash awards they received. Both their designs met the criteria of Earth care, fair share, and people care. "Nalipay gyud ko." "Salamat kaayo. Makapadayon gyud mi ani." They said.

In Cebu, long-time permaculture experts Roberto Bajenting, Joel Lee, and Rey Balatayo are rolling their sleeves for partnerships with the Cebu Institute of Technology University to educate young people on regenerative sustainable technologies.

WFWPI UN Relations Director and Vice President of Administration Merly Barlaan, a native of Carmen, said that her organization is forging partnerships in the localities to create a larger impact for environmental action.

WFWPI is set to institutionalize permaculture in Hawaii and Ecuador this year. It has 128 member organizations worldwide and has a General Consultative status with the UN's Economic and Social Council.

WFWPI, Partners Conclude a Successful, Promising Permaculture Education Summit and Immersion Tour in the Philippines