AMID PINEAPPLE fields at our Plantation in Bukidnon, pockets of quaint houses emerge from the scenic landscape. These clusters of houses are home to Plantation workers and their families. Camp Phillips, at the heart of the Plantation’s agri-operations, has the largest population with modern facilities serving families in Camps JMC, Camp LFL & Camp 14, home to the East, Fresh Fruit, West and North Operations, and Operations units beyond these camps.
Camp life is a unique experience. For many employees, the Plantation is not only a workspace. It is home sweet home. Camps bustle with life – from dawn to dusk. At daybreak, housewives prepare “baon” for children going to school and spouses bound for fields afar — across nearly 10 towns of Bukidnon — to prepare the land, plant, grow, harvest and pack fruits. Throughout the day,
vehicles crisscross roads to bring men and equipment to the fields. At night, everything stands still. From the fields, folks go home and rest early – for next day’s work.
It has been this way for some 90 years now. In the 1920s, Plantation pioneers built nipa huts for their families not far from fields they tended, taking on many shapes – from bamboo shacks to today’s concrete-and-wood ‘simplex’ houses — while retaining its old charm. Located in Camp Phillips are the 100- bed Phillips Memorial Hospital, multi-purpose hall, private elementary and
secondary schools, employees’ Cooperative Mall, and ATM machines. Internet and cable tv services connect residents to the ‘outside’ world. All told, each camp is a tightly-knit vibrant community.
Beyond being pillars of our business, camp families embody the CHOICE Values. Employees who qualify for free housing – through employment-based metrics – carry the responsibility to grow teamwork and cooperation, and ensure order within their communities. Camp LMCs (Labor Management Council) in partnership with Camp Administration Officers (CAOs) organize programs and activities that promote solidarity, values development and teambuilding. The spirit of volunteerism grows strong, with family members helping in all camp activities – from sweeping yards and segregating waste at home to planting trees in nearby eco-parks.
The charm of camp life is hard to capture. Many things can’t be seen, but can certainly be felt most deeply. As most residents say, the Camp Spirit lives on, long after one moves out upon retirement. It’s doubly hard to leave — after spending one’s best years with Del Monte. Here, one truly feels at home. Here, you grow a deep passion for Del Monte and what it stands for. And Del Monte will forever be part of every family’s story.
