Julyan’s Farm in the sprawling ranch estate of Zambawood in Zambales started with a dream to create a place for Julyan, the second child of the owners, who was diagnosed with autism. Away from the fast-paced city life, Julyan found a sense of security and routine at his farm where he plants flowers, fruit trees, and vegetables and tends to fowl and livestock. The farm now not only serves as a haven for Julyan but also for the community and other people with special needs.
Touched by the story of Julyan and his farm, 23 Globe employees carried the company’s advocacy to bring a Globe of Good by giving the farm a helping hand. The employees happily planted sunflower seeds, not minding the scorching heat of the summer sun. Sunflowers are not only beautiful ornamental plants but its oil and seeds are extensively used in the food industry as highly-nutritious energy food.
“As part of its employee engagement, Globe encourages its employees to do volunteer work so they can collectively share their time and effort to do a Globe of Good,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications.
“Julyan’s Farm was an ideal place to do our annual volunteer time off (VTO) as not only did it provide the opportunity to volunteer but also a place to relax and reinvigorate ourselves amid the busy grind of everyday work life,” she added.
Zambawood is open to everyone who wants to visit a place of tranquility. It boasts of a breathtaking view of the Zambales mountain ranges, the scent of pine trees and the calming sound of the sea. The farm meanwhile is only a short walk from the lovely Beach House where visitors can rest and spend the night in comfort. One can also enjoy the simple pleasures of the countryside as well as the fresh and healthy food cooked by the in-house chefs, with ingredients coming from Julyan’s farm.
“As much as we value our customers and clients, we also value the well-being of our employees. The Globe VTO is a chance for everyone to care for others especially those who are less privileged than our employees,” said Crisanto.
Globe nurtures its employees desire to help by giving them the opportunity to volunteer for a day. This includes activity-based and skill-based volunteering to support work with a partner group or community, organizing people who want to join various advocacies and provide pro bono services, capacity building, or skills transfer.
In 2017, volunteerism in Globe reached an all-time high of 52.8 percent of total employee base, with 3,803 employees volunteering for various social development causes.
The employee volunteerism activity at Julyan’s Farm is in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 15 which aims to conserve and restore the use of terrestrial ecosystems given that agriculture is an important economic resource and means of development.
