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Tuesday, November 04, 2003
Projects for poverty reduction
By Leticia Suarez-Orendain
The nighttime affair on Oct. 27 was, at face value, more like a festive reunion of non-government organizations (NGOs).
It was actually a casual check turnover totaling P4,648,500 and a book launching.
This was cause for joy but hard work is ahead for the four recipients of the financial grants from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (or Canada Fund).
Canada Fund is a Canadian Embassy program undertaken on behalf of the Canadian International Development Agency (Cida).
Cida aims to contribute to poverty reduction through equitable, sustainable development.
They use three key areas: promoting responsible governance, building private sector capacity to create jobs, and strengthening social development.
“Canada is committed to supporting the Philippine government’s agenda of sustainable development anchored on growth with social equity,” said Canadian Development Counselor Gérard Bélanger.
This year, the blessed NGOs from Central Visayas were Pundok sa Higalang Kababayen-an (PHK, in Balamban, Cebu); Unlad Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation, Inc. (Unlad Kabayan, Bohol city);
Oslob Multi-Purpose Cooperative (OMPC, Poblacion, Oslob); and the Albert Schweitzer Familienwerk Foundation Philippines, Inc. (AS Phils., Cebu city).
PHK (featured here on Aug. 19) received P1,301,000; Unland Kabayan, P862,500; OMPC, P985,000; and AS Phils., P1,500,000.
The substantial grants will be used in the projects they submitted to Cida.
Reno Gravino, vice chairman of OMPC, said, “Dili mag-buot ang Cida sa project nga among pilion. We identify it.”
There is no room for misapplication. Two of the fund guidelines are safety nets: all projects are required to submit financial and narrative reports at mid-project and on completion.
Monitoring and evaluation may include auditing of management and financial systems.
As to how Cida taps the NGO, “It is a reactive funding, meaning the NGO has to apply for the grant. They have to submit a project proposal which Cida will study,” said Ellen Grace Z. Gallares, social development department manager of the First Consolidated Bank Foundation, Inc. (FCBFI). It is based in Tagbilaran city, Bohol.
Although it is a past recipient, she was at the affair for a follow-up on their project.
“Our focus is micro-finance. We develop unbankable enterprises into bankable ones,” like the Cambuhat River Village Tour and business development of traditional cottage industries (e.g. raffia loom weaving and patikan palm carving).
In its fund brief, PHK submitted to Cida a livelihood project for disadvantaged women. It will benefit 200 members.
Sister Ma. Belen “Mabe” Alcoseba, ICM, said it will cover their five chapters in Buhisan, Cebu city; Bitoon, Toledo; Poblacion 1, Carcar; and Arpili and Buanoy, Balamban.
Its core activities are livelihood (e.g. soap making); capability building of project participation; organization development and strengthening; and project administration.
Unlad Kabayan executive director Ma. Angela “May-an” Villalba, said that the NGO was established in “1996 to respond to the urgent need of migrant workers to plan and organize their return.”
Their programs are education and training, social entrepreneurship and enterprise development services, advocacy, and migrant savings for alternative investment.
“Migrant workers create a savings association in the country where they work.” The savings may be used to invest in existing businesses or invest in personal enterprises.
One goal is to instill migrant workers and in the local community the value and culture of savings, investment, and entrepreneurship.
Their grant will go to the Kinampay Ubi Enterprise in Tagbilaran, Bohol. They expect that it will improve the socio-economic life of 140 ubi farmers and 90 women confectioners.
Victor Armada, OMPC general manager, said, “The coop is a Plan International-assisted NGO established in 1988. The Oslob Apiculture for Sustainable Initiative Support Program has survived the years.”
Gravino, on the other hand, said “The grant is a big help. It will also benefit the women and out-of-school-youth.”
About 150 beekeepers and 50 new beekeepers will benefit from this to be used in the development of queen bee breeding and the production of beeswax. It will also support the expansion of the apiculture to Santander and Samboan.
Martiniana Mercado, AS Phils. executive director, said that when it started in 1997, it undertook its first project, the community-based family foster care home for abandoned, neglected and other children needing protection.
A former Department of Social Welfare and Development director, Mercado added that the grant will be used for the provision of counseling services, organizing of counselors, and the reproduction of manuals.
In addition, there will be knowledge enrichment and skills enhancement on counseling to service providers such as social workers, probation and parole officers, jail rehabilitation staff, and guidance counselors for them to become effective in the rehabilitation of offenders.
For example, the counseling program would be conducted for wife batterers, child beaters and verbal abusers of children. It will benefit 19,000 counselees, and 85,000 prisoners, youth offenders, probationers or parolees, students, parents, children, and women.
This project covers national and local government in adopting and implementing the policies and programs on Batterers Intervention and Perpetrators Counseling and Rehabilitation.
The NGOs were one in saying that the assistance is helping them make a difference in the community.
(November 4, 2003 issue)
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