By Michael John Marquez

In the midst of one of the most challenging times our world has ever faced, we, the Baptist pastors, felt the harsh reality that our lives were hanging by a thread. The global pandemic exposed our vulnerability and reliance on others for our daily needs, a situation we never thought we’d experience. It was a wake-up call that moved us deeply.

We yearned for a day when we could be the ones extending help to those in need rather than being the ones pleading for assistance during times of crisis. This deep desire and our unwavering faith in God’s providence gave birth to the idea of Kabash.

Kabash is about stewardship, about learning to manage the resources God has placed around us, whatever form they may take. The road has been far from easy; we’ve encountered trials, errors, and demanding episodes, but our determination and God’s grace kept us going.

Finally, our hard work and dedication have borne fruit – the establishment of Kabash Century Agriculture Cooperative, a project organized and actively participated in by Baptist pastors, their families, and members of Baptist churches. Our vision is that, in the future, all pastors, their families, and our church members will become part of this cooperative. We’re gradually transforming our dreams into reality.

Our goal is to reduce our dependency on community support and learn how to harness resources for sustainable endeavors that will help us all. We envision turning the narrative of struggle into one of inspiration, abundance, and tranquility.

We are still at the beginning of our journey, and we pray for the strength to carry on. Currently, we’ve initiated income-generating projects within Central Philippine University. With the support and compassion of the administration, we’ve opened a bakeshop, a coffee and milk tea outlet, and an agricultural store at Gate 3, where affordable yet quality products are available from Monday to Friday. We fondly refer to them as K-Hesed, K-Coffee and Milk Tea, and K-Market to closely associate the businesses with our cooperative.

For K-Market, we accept pre-orders for various agricultural products, ensuring they are fresh from the market when delivered. Some of these products are cultivated by the farmers who are members of our cooperative, and it’s our ultimate goal to make this 100% reality.

Currently, we serve a few tenants, the University Dining Hall, a number of CPU teachers and staff, and our community is gradually growing. You can be part of this endeavor by patronizing our livelihood activities, and we promise to offer quality service at all times. Come, see, taste our bread, coffee, and teas, and most importantly, let K-Market put your daily food on the table. Together, we can sow the seeds of hope for a brighter future.