I.
Introduction
The Volunteer Sharing Session (VSS) is one of
the major activities conducted by PNVSCA to provide a venue to share
experiences, build network and strengthen coordination among
volunteers, the Agency, the volunteer organizations and other program
partners; and develop camaraderie and friendship among local and
foreign volunteers through social interaction and sports activities.
Two VSS are being held every year, one for Luzon volunteers and
one for Visayas-Mindanao.
This year, the Visayas-Mindanao VSS
was held at the Sampaguita Gardens Resort in New Washington, Aklan on
April 18-20, 2007 participated in by 55 foreign and local volunteers
assigned in various organizations from Visayas and Mindanao. The Luzon VSS was held at the University of Northern
Philippines in Vigan City on May 21-23, 2007 with 38 participants.
II.
Highlights of Activities
A.
Volunteer Exhibits
Volunteers were encouraged to set up exhibits
were set up displaying products, pictures, brochures and information
materials to showcase their respective programs and activities. VIDA, USPC, and VSO-Bahaginan volunteers participated in the
exhibit.
B.
Opening Program
On both occasions, the program was
opened with a welcome remarks by PNVSCA Executive Director Joselito de
Vera thanking the volunteers for their attendance in the sharing
session and encouraging them to make the session a fruitful and
productive one by maximizing the opportunity to meet other volunteers
from other organizations. He
further emphasized the need for the volunteers to continue working
with their respective host organizations to make volunteer assistance
something that would benefit especially the poor communities in the
Philippines.
In the VisMin session, Director de
Vera also called for a minute of silence for USPC volunteer Julia
Campbell whose death was confirmed on that day.
Ms. Ela Sarmago of PNVSCA led the
introduction of the participants.
This was followed by a brief overview of the sharing session
citing the objectives, participants, schedule of activities, and the
house rules for the duration of the session.
A thorough familiarization among participants
was done through the ‘getting to know you’ activity via bingo
style. It required them
to fill up bingo sheets with the name and specific information of
their fellow volunteers whose assigned number corresponds to the
number printed on the bingo sheet.
This way, the participants have to mingle with their fellow
volunteers and know their respective projects and organizations.
The first three to complete their bingo sheets were given
prizes during the awarding ceremonies.
C.
Program Updates
One of the major parts of the
program was the update on the accomplishments of the foreign volunteer
program in 2006. Included
in the presentation are the objectives of the foreign volunteer
program namely to provide technical assistance to priority development
projects and to promote socio-cultural understanding/international
cooperation, the statistics on the number of volunteers in service,
its distribution by region, by sector and by Local Partner
Organization (LPO), for 2005-2006.
Concerns and issues resolved and the thrusts for 2007 onwards
were also highlighted in the report.
The thrusts for 2007 onwards are as follows:
1. Adopt a framework for foreign
volunteer deployment for a more focused and aligned
volunteer assistance to the following development
priorities:
a. Accelerate Economic Growth and
Job Creation
b. Improve Social Justice and
Delivery of Social Services
c. Enhance Education and Youth
Opportunity
d. Environmental Sustainability
e. In provinces with more than
30% poverty incidence and 5th to 6th class
municipalities
2. Intensify awareness about volunteerism towards creating
national consciousness
3. Networking and partnership with local and international volunteer
organizations
4. Reinforcing and strengthening PNVSCA as the government focal agency
on volunteerism
D.
Open Space Discussion
The Open Space Methodology was
adopted in the conduct of this year’s VSS.
The idea of this methodology is to give people free space and
time to deal with issues they feel passionate about and discuss it
with people who wish to be there with them.
It allows
participants to discuss topics of interests to them based on the theme
of the VSS. The
four principles of the Open Space are:
1.
whoever comes is the right people;
2.
whenever it starts is the right time;
3.
whatever happens is the only thing that could have; and
4.
when it is over, its over
The participants were
asked to write down on pieces of paper topics they feel passionate
about and want to discuss. Related
topics were grouped together with some participants volunteering as
convenors for the discussion.
The
lead convenors set the time and place where they would want the
discussion to be held. The
other participants who wanted to be part of the discussion signed up
under the topics they chose. In
the open space methodology, one can maximize his/her participation by
signing up to more than one topic.
Topics
in Luzon:
1.
Volunteer Motivation
2.
Sports in Development
3.
Support to Volunteers
4.
Cross-cultural issues in the workplace
Topics
in Visayas-Mindanao:
1.
Volunteer Security (Volunteer, Community, Partners)
2.
Enhance transparency of responsibilities (open mind)
3.
Participatory planning/analysis
4.
How to get business directories
5.
Enhancement of livelihood project
6.
Director of organizations should discuss organization’s
goals and various places
volunteers can be of service so
volunteer can decide where his/her talents best fit
7.
Economic empowerment/prioritization of marginalized sector in
the grassroots level
8.
Genuine peace and development in Mindanao
9.
Provide competency to all the poor children in elementary
school children in
Dumaguete City
10.
Improving natural resource management (both at the farmers
and fishermen ?
decision making levels)
11.
Making sustainable projects/process
12.
How to strengthen relationship between the volunteers in same
speciality
13.
Culture issue
14.
Communication issue
15.
Inter-gendered work relationships or working with
counterparts of the opposite
gender
16.
Eating snacks with partners, to make sure the schedule of
counterpart, promoting
communication between local authorities,
constant communication of partners and
support system
17.
Finding mad dogs (informing community people)
18.
Dealing with political problems and rivalries
At
the end of the day, a plenary was convened to gather the outputs of
the discussions.
The outputs were posted around the session hall and each
participant went around to view the outputs of each group while they
were also allowed to comment and make further suggestions.
(Refer to Annexes A and B for Discussion Outputs)
E.
Socials
Socials were organized on the
evenings of the second day with videoke singing, dancing and group
interactions.
F.
Fun Games
Fun
games was held on the last day.
Participants
were divided into four teams – blue, green, red and yellow, that
competed in the bridge-building activity, tayakad race, three-legged
race and patintero.
Prizes were awarded to the winning
teams and the winners in the bingo game.
Tokens were also given to volunteers who displayed their
exhibits
G. Closing
Director de Vera formally closed the Sharing Session by
thanking the volunteers for their active participation in the
activities with the hope that they learned from the session, and
enjoyed the activities.
III.
Evaluation
The
VSS became a learning venue for the participants to know that all
volunteers, regardless of nationalities, have similar experiences,
issues and concerns regarding their volunteer work.
All
volunteers responded that it is useful to continue the conduct of the
VSS, for various reasons such as the chance to meet volunteers from
other organizations and learn from each others’ experiences; filling
the gap between local and foreign volunteers; and bonding/friendship
with other volunteers.
Suggestions to improve the conduct of VSS included providing
more time for volunteer’s sharing and allow more interaction among
volunteers. Although
majority of the participants appreciated the open space methodology
since it gives them room to explore and discuss things in a free way,
some volunteers suggested to have more structure in the discussions.
Annex
A
Discussion Outputs (Luzon)
1. Motivation - This
refers to the motivation of the volunteer and what prevent them from
being motivated to work.
Problems:
·
Mismatch
o
No work
o
No appropriate position/designation/work
o
Misunderstanding
·
Lack
of Communication
o
Suggestion is not implemented/followed
o
No feedback (wrong response)
o
No clear plan
o
Indirect attitude towards the volunteer
·
Poor
Surrounding (Equipment, counterpart, budget)
o
Lack of will
o
Lack of facility
o
No appropriate person assigned
Solutions:
·
PNVSCA, Foreign Volunteer Organization (FVO), Local Partner
Organization (LPO) must develop a definite Volunteer Matching System
and make sure the work to be assigned will be matched with the
volunteer’s experience/qualification.
·
There
must be a leveling of expectations between LPO and before the
volunteer commences his/her activities.
·
There
must be a sound site development.
2. Sports in Development – This refers to the problems and solutions identified by the
group
in relation to the country’s national sports system/program.
Problems:
·
Culture (gender issues, community support, education,
enhancers)
·
Interest (funding, scheduling, time, equipment, special
needs)
·
Participation (age issues, native sports, networking)
Solution:
·
Integration of Genders
·
Improve the athletes skills thru skills training rather than
competition based training, wherein you only train when there is
competition.
·
Introduce the sport to a child at a young age where there is
no sexual tension at all.
·
Compilation of Native Sports. Native sports is dying since there is lack of support. Almost
all the sports being competed in the country are foreign sports which
in due time will eliminate any trace of the local sports. To remedy
this, the Government should organize a sporting event featuring local
sports. Advocacy must also be done so that Filipinos will once again
be introduced to the sport their forefathers once played
3.
Support to Volunteers - This
refers to the support provided by the FVO, LPO and PNVSCA to the
volunteers. The essence of this discussion is on how to strengthen
relations among volunteers, local partner organizations and
communities in order to maximize volunteer assistance.
Problems:
·
Dealing
with the present situation
o
Culture
o
Office/Organization Structure
·
Support
of the In-Country Organization to volunteers
o
Financial
o
Cultural Integration
o
Volunteer Orientation
Solution:
·
Leveling
off between the volunteer and partner organization
·
Provide more volunteer bonding (local and international) for
possible networking/linkage
·
PNVSCA
must give updates to volunteers re: issues/concerns identified
4. Cross- cultural issues
in the work place - This refers to the issues identified in relation to the local
culture and the cultural differences between the volunteers and the
local community and how it affects their performance.
Problems:
·
Shy
culture among the locals. Locals know how to speak English but do not
speak up even though they have something to say
·
Inferiority
complex
·
Volunteers
are looked at as financial source
·
Corruption
issues
·
Too
much support or not enough support
Solution:
·
There
must be clear expectations on both side.
·
Provide
project management training to the volunteer and the local
Annex
B
Discussion Outputs: Visayas-Mindanao
- Effective
Communication to avoid misunderstanding.
·
Meetings:
start with delay; talk in local dialect; formal communication
between the volunteers and organizations.
·
Official Trip:
forms to be filled up; instructions
for the office procedures should be clearly informed;
and lacking communications.
Use Counterpart.
·
Auto vs Agri:
Asking more than he can do;
communicate with boss, write letter to agency. We need “enough conversation” before we start.
·
English is my 2nd language:
Using 2nd language is hard and difficult for us;
sometimes ‘writing’ is better than speaking;
Local dialect is our 2nd language, para nami ika-2 o
ika __ nga language and lisud kaayo;
we cannot join conversations nor meetings.
Learn it; Suggest ideas by writing; Ask co-staffs to improve
it.
- Communication
issue
Problem: If we don’t open our mind, we cannot make good
communication and make our project improve.
Solution:
·
learn the local dialect
·
drinking
·
immersion or huntahan
·
keep smiling
·
joking
·
dance, song
·
soroy-soroy
·
understand pinoy culture
- Culture
Issue
Issue: What are the culture differences between Philippines and your
country?
Discussion:
·
How do we address our superior?
o
Ask the office staff
o
Establish at the beginning what to call each other
·
How to answer/accept personal questions?
·
Always food on the mind.
·
Family life (extended families).
- Genuine
peace and development in Mindanao
Objectives:
·
sharing of experiences and knowing about Mindanao
·
project the real situation of Mindanao – grassroots
perspective.
Brief Background (in Mindanao):
·
located in the southern part of the Philippines
·
known as “Land of Promise” because of its productive land
with several kinds of resources.
·
Existence
of the tri-people (Muslims, IPs and non-muslim) with diversed culture,
traditions and beliefs practices
Peace condition:
·
1970s – biases between Muslims (moro) and Christians
(settlers) arose due
to politics
·
conflict erupted resulting to massive displacement especially
the IPs.
·
Militarization was experienced several times as option to
resolve the conflict
resulting to
death and damages of livelihood and properties particularly
west
and central Mindanao.
·
Lack of basic social services and poor governance ignited the
Moro people
for right to self-determination.
·
Situation is normal, worsen only upon media recipe –
creating scenario
worst.
·
Mindanawan people are peace-loving people, living together,
respecting
culture, traditions and beliefs difference.
Recommendation:
·
Don’t think Mindanao as tourist hot spot in the
Philippines.
·
Don’t rely on biased information about Mindanao – real
situation of Mindanao
tells only by Mindanawan itself.
- Creating
Network of Volunteers
Purpose:
·
Creating friendship
·
Solving individual problem
·
Improving security
·
Exchanging information about work field of volunteers
·
Future collaboration
Action:
·
Directory of sharing session participants
·
Database of all volunteers in the Philippines
- Improving
Natural Resource Management
Issues:
·
Fishermen are out at sea all day so are not available to be
talked to/include
·
Enforcing policy at the local level is difficult as people
don’t want to “tell on
their
neighbors”.
·
Environmental officers in LGUs do not focus/act on
environmental issues
·
Work has been done on policy but implementation is lacking in
terms of
information dissemination, enforcement and funding
·
People focus on the ‘hunger of today’ and not on
sustainability for future
generations
Some Possible Solutions:
·
Approach fishermen’s wives about issues of sustainability
and alternatives to
bad fishing practices
·
Planting more mangroves to sustain fish populations
·
Volunteer focus on livelihood programs
·
Properly train/provide technical officers and LGU
environmental officers
·
Put pressure on government to filter down more money to
support local
environmental officers and technical staffs
- Economic
Empowerment/Prioritization of Marginalized Sector in the
Grassroots Level
·
Focused on Women and Gender issues many prostituted women are
now exploited and some are affected on HIV and AIDS because of
economic crisis especially here in the Philippines.
To minimize this problem of ours, as a community volunteer, we
must help promote the economic empowerment through conducting
orientation and demonstration about livelihood, it cannot only make
themselves busy but it can also help family needs as the important,
and we should help enhance livelihood projects.
·
One example of the effect of economic crisis is the child
trafficking, which is
very rampant
- Maximize
Volunteers’ Talents
Some
Suggestions:
·
Strong training of volunteer in Filipino culture and protocol
·
Leveling of expectations.
Example: Director, counterpart and volunteer meet
together and
develop objectives and volunteer’s role.
·
Both volunteer and counterpart should work hard on accurate
communication
daily
·
Make friends, build strong inter-personal relationships by
building trust (a
lengthy process).
·
Be sincere in personal and cultural life (admit when you make
a mistake, be
willing to say I’m sorry and always smile).
- Volunteer
Security
Volunteer:
·
It is the volunteers’ personal responsibility/commitment
·
“buddy system”, “discover the risks and challenges in
the community”
·
volunteer’s diary/logbook
·
avoid high risk places
·
build relationships and support groups
·
“blend in” (not too conspicuous) and complacent
Local Partners/community:
·
constant monitoring
·
introductions and courtesy calls
·
physically accompany the volunteer to new places
·
orientation on roles and responsibilities
·
MOA signing
Volunteer
Security Agencies:
·
Security advice/briefing upon arrival in the host country
·
Set of emergency procedure and guidelines
·
Monitoring on a weekly basis/volunteer movement form
·
Security alerts
·
Strict enforcement of all the above through constant
reminders
- Transparency
and Open Mind
Problem/Issues:
·
Lack of knowledge about organizational structure
·
Lack of transfer of knowledge downwards the hierarchy
·
No open-minded feedback
·
Non-availability of person-in-charge
Possible Solutions:
·
Find the right level in the hierarchy to communicate
·
Exchange ideas during private encounters (merienda, cock
fighting, etc.,
show you accept the culture, join life)
·
Concrete designated counterpart on working level
- Sustainability
on the Project and Process
Points:
·
Participatory planning
·
Building/developing relationship
·
Prioritizing issues
·
Motivating people to adapt change
·
Creating/developing appropriate resource support system
·
Awareness of the political scenario
·
Educating people
·
Respect the pace of others
·
Sensitizing people about their rights.
- How
to deal with Politics
Questions:
·
What to do if I have no counterpart because of Politics?
Solutions:
·
Try to look for another one
·
Enforce my organization to clear that I have counterpart
before coming
·
Just wait, relax, stay calm, avoid pressure
- Livelihoods
·
Need initial capital, but it is very hard to get
·
Lack of market research or other pre-project research
·
Importance of training local people with necessary skills and
leadership
·
Providing/Education on support systems for livelihood
projects (ex. Vet.
Med.)
·
Education, Environment and Livelihood are interrelated
·
The story of the goal
·
Chicken raising vs goats, pigs and other animals
·
Sometimes to be effective, we cannot work with the poorest
– instead with
those who can survive
·
ANYONE HAVE A FOREIGN BUSINESS DIRECTORY?
- Finding
Mad Dogs
Issue:
·
How to communicate people
Recommendation:
·
Using media (ex. Radio, newspaper, billboard, posters)
·
Seminars to inform consequences of rabies
(ex. Reward including free
vaccines or inoculation)
·
Bounty for heads of suspected animals
20
September
2007
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Goodbye,
Julia
The
necrological services for US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell was
held at the US Embassy on April 21, 2007. The ceremony was led
by US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and USPC-Philippines Country Director
Karl Beck.
The
service, a solemn and touching tribute to the Julia as a friend and a
volunteer, was attended by representatives from American and
Philippine agencies and a host of US Peace Corps volunteers. The
volunteers shared memories of their experiences with Julia starting
from their arrival in the Philippines in 2005 to various activities
that encompassed their volunteer life in the country.
Representatives from Donsol National Comprehensive High School in
Donsol, Sorsogon and Divine Word College 
in
Legaspi City, Albay where Julia was assigned for the past two years
also gave testimonials. Julia’s assistance focused on English
teaching, library development and setting up a marine ecology and
learning center in Donsol. Another milestone in her volunteer
work was her assistance to the victims of the mudflow in Albay in
December 2006.
The
messages conveyed how Julia fully lived her life in the service of
others – as a passionate writer, as a big sister or “ate” to her
co-volunteers, as a mentor to Filipino teachers and students, as a
staunch advocate of environmental preservation, as a student of
culture.
Ambassador
Kenney read the message from President George W. Bush and a letter
from the family of Julia. Acting DFA Secretary
Rafael Seguis gave the message on behalf of the Philippine Government.
Julia Campbell went on a trip to Ifugao to see the world-famous Banaue
Rice Terraces during the Holy Week. She was reported missing on
April 13. After several days of search, her body was found in
the area of Banaue on April 18. She was allegedly a victim of
robbery.
Julia’s
volunteer work will always be remembered as another legacy of the
United States commitment to peace and development.
3
May 2007
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WORKING
TOGETHER FOR TOMORROW'S GENERATION
By
Jamie Davies, VSO volunteer
As
VSO volunteers, we are asked to write an exit report that asks us to
"...describe the most meaningful change for other people that you
contributed to during your placement." This is a tough
question, but after chatting with my counterparts we decided I should
write about the formation of the Matarinao Bay Management Council (MBMC)...
hopefully a meaningful change.
Matarinao
Bay is a beautiful 7000 ha semi-enclosed Bay on the Pacific coast in
south Eastern Samar, Philippines. Extensive areas of coral reef,
seagrass and corals abound, and the two palm-fringed white sand
islands arouse the perception of a tropical paradise. However,
on my arrival in May 2005, if you were to spend more than five minutes
snorkeling this seemingly serene island paradise you'd notice a
distinct lack of fish and witness large plains of dead corals.
Within the next half an hour, it'd be highly likely you'd experience
one of the reasons why - dynamite blasts echoing around the Bat.
The use of dynamite, poisons and fine mesh nets were rampant.
Add this to the hundreds of fisherfolk leaving their fragile 'nipa'
huts every morning to try and eek a living out of the over-exploited
natural resources and it didn't take me long to realize why VSO was
focusing its efforts here. A closer look at previous resource
assessments and poverty surveys clearly presented the severe
degradation of the coastal ecosystem and the chronic socio-economic
difficulties faced by the communities' dependent upon it.
The
Local Government Units responsible for the Bat were well aware of this
situation had taken positive steps to address it. Based on the
provisions of the "National fisheries Code" (Republic Act
8550), General MacArthur and the two other Municipalities with
jurisdiction over the majority of the Bay had made a commitment to
disregard political boundaries and work together to rehabilitate the
Bay and implement poverty alleviation measures. With assistance
from the Associates in Rural Development Inc. - Governance and Local
Democracy (ARD-GOLD/USAID) Program the Matarinao Bay Strategic Action
Plan (2000-2005) was developed and the foundation for progress was
laid. The Matarinao Bay Management Council (MBMC) as a concept
had been established. Unfortunately however, due to limited
technical capacity, organizational development and financial resources
within the LGUs, the Program was not sustained and the majority of
activities not realized.
Despite
these challenges, the commitment amongst the Local Government Units (LGUs)
remained and working with VSO volunteer partners they were attempting
to re-energized their partnership for progress. I was one of
those volunteers. Based in the Municipal Planning and
Development Office on the LGU, General MacArthur, my prioritized task
was to institutionalize and strengthen the capacity of the MCMC to
sustainably manage its coastal resources.
Following
consultation with my colleagues and an assessment of the prevailing
management environment it was clear the MBMC lacked a management
mechanism that allowed for the development or implementation of an
integrated policy framework. Our response was the formation of
an inter-municipality, multi-sectoral technical working group, or the
MBMC Joint Technical working Group (JTWG), in August 2005.
This
Group, made up of relevant LGU employees, Sangunian Bayan Committee
members, community representatives, Government Agency staff, the
Police and NGOs were given the responsibility to develop the formal
policies, laws and work programme of the MBMC. My role was to
facilitate this process, providing guidance and additional office
based assistance when required.
Since
the formation of the JTWG the level of communication and partnership
work by stakeholder partners has greatly increased. Regular
meetings have been the basis for a productive evolution of the
partnership, through which the formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoA),
uniform legal policy and revised strategic action plan were developed.
The
MoA provided the basis for the formation of the board of directors and
the election of a Chairman and other Officers. This in turn
resulted in the registration of the MBMC as a legally recognized
non-stock, non-profit organization, with its own bank account and
ability to issue Official Receipts.
Through
the work of the Center for Empowerment and Resource Development the EU
SPF funded "Good Governance, Community Participation and Resource
Management in S.E. Samar" was implemented. This provided
the basis for empowering coastal community members to actively
participate in the management of their natural resources.
Through their efforts, the JTWG expanded its membership to include
women and youth representatives and following the necessary process,
it became the Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management
Council (IFARMC) as provided for in the National Fisheries Code.
In
recognition of the commitment of the LGU partners a Project Management
Office has been established and staff employed. The Office acts
as the coordinating hub, facilitating the continued partnership
between partners and progressing prioritized activities of the
Strategic Action Plan. One such activity is the
operationalization of the inter-municipality Baywide Enforcement
Team. Composed of deputized fish warden volunteers from the
community and the Police, the Team patrols the bay on a regular basis,
resulting in the destructive illegal activities, so common in 2005,
have been significantly reduced. Those that choose to persist
are arrested, fined and their gear confiscated.
These
are some of the 'major' organizational development outputs that have
occurred during my time as a volunteer. Through the process of
forming and strengthening the MBMC all stakeholder partners have
recognized the potential and need to work together to address their
shared issues. While there is still a huge amount to do,
progress has not been constant, and many challenges have, and continue
to arise, the MBMC exists, the framework for progress has been
established and there is greater hope for the future than when I
arrive in 2005. This is the most meaningful change that has
occurred in my time.
If
you'd like any more information about the MBMC, please feel free to
contact me at jamie_g_davies@yahoo.co.uk.
Thanks for the interest, regards to you all. - Jamie
23
April 2007
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TAMING
WATER, WIND AND FIRE
By
Efren Antiporda
Sometimes
the right man for the job at hand is a woman. SIBAT learned
this when Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) sent a woman engineer who
has extensive knowledge in project management and expertise in gas
turbine plant. Jean Teresa Billingsley from Warrington,
United Kingdom left a high paying job as a fulltime Commercial Manager
in UK and decided to volunteer her skills to SIBAT to assist in
uplifting the conditions of rural communities in the Philippines which
cannot afford the cost of conventional sources of power and energy.
SIBAT’s Community-based Renewable Energy Sources (CBRES) project
offers alternative sources of renewable energy through its Project
through the application of low cost, sustainable appropriate
technology that seek to harness water wind and fire as natural sources
of energy for domestic and commercial consumption.
Jean
came to SIBAT last September 22, 2006 to continue the works of her
other VSO colleagues who has assisted SIBAT in the past. Previous
volunteers works largely focused on surveying or site appraisals,
Pre-Feasibility Study, Feasibility Study writing, designing,
fabrication, construction, supervision, testing and installations,
post installation training and monitoring. Jean is the eleventh
volunteer and will continue the works in SIBAT’s Small Wind Project
Phase 2 needing additional refinements and innovations and
replications in new sites. There are at present 8 sites
requesting assistance for the Small Wind Project located in Northern
and Western Samar, Palawan, Negros Occidental and Mindoro. By
April a small wind project is expected to be installed in the island
of Lubang in Mindoro.
Jean
was able to integrate herself with SIBAT within a short period in view
of her familiarity with the technical details of the projects she will
work on because of her being an engineer. She said that
appropriate technology is not much different with large-scale
technology applications since the engineering principle is basically
the same.
During
the last six (6) months, Jean saw herself working mostly on project
management. As member of the Management Team, her concerns
covers all the facets of the projects be it pin wind, microhydro or
sustainable agriculture. She form part of the decision making,
designing of CBRES systems, Micro-Hydro Project (MHP), feasibility
studies, urban agriculture, NGO development, evaluation of various
projects, development of proposals for grant applications and
development of processes and new technologies such as electronic load
controller for microhydro generator and alternative fuels.
One
of her major concerns is the Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP)
Project. GVEP is a 10-year USAID/UNDP initiatives that seeks to
increase access to modern energy services to those in developing
countries around the world in a manner that enhances economic and
social development and reduces poverty. GVEP
partners include around 300 members from developing countries and
industrialized governments, multi-lateral organizations, private
firms, NGOs and other interested stakeholders. The
Philippines is part of the GVEP partnership. GVEP was launched
at the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in
August 2002. One of its goals by year 2012 is the provision of
access to modern energy services to over 300 million incremental
people and about 50,000 communities serviced with electricity.
SIBAT supports this goals through its CBRES Programs.
Jean
is busy working on the preparation for the conduct of CBRES Conference
this March 30, 2007. The conference expects some 150 partner
NGOs to share experiences on renewable energy system issues and
challenges. The gathering seeks to consolidate the best
practices and learning experience of partners involved in CBRES and to
confront its pressing issues and challenges and determine the course
of actions to address them.
Jean
finds her works at SIBAT challenging every step of the way.
While there is so much work to do, it is an exciting job for her for
its novelty and excitement. She learned to work with minimal
resources through and have adjusted to Filipino ways of conducting
business such as long and frequent meetings and a little different
concept of time. She enjoys the teamwork and collective
responsibility of the management team and the support provided by her
five (5) counterpart workers and other volunteers working in SIBAT.
She said that her added value to the team is her extensive experience
in project management particularly in the aspect of budget management.
Jean believes that the Philippines has a very high potential for
renewal energy prospects because of our rich and diverse natural
resources ready for harnessing. It is a tall order and requires
extensive research, studies and collaboration from the stakeholders.
12
April 2007
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PNRC
Sec-Gen. Alma de Leon Speaks about Volunteering
"...volunteerism
is believing and trusting that we have the power, the freedom of
choice and the possibility to bring out the goodness in all of us to
help improve lives whether during disasters or crises or even in
silent emergencies. Volunteering is sharing with your hearts, hands,
minds and pockets."
This
is how Phil. National Red Cross Secretary-General Corazon Alma G.
de Leon explained volunteerism when she was speaking as the
Keynote Speaker during the ICTP on Volunteer Resource Development Year
2 Batch 3 at University Hotel, UP Diliman Campus, last January 16,
2007.
Ms.
De Leon had long history of being a public servant since she started
government service on April 1967. She became a strong advocate as
member of volunteer groups namely: Philippine Association of Volunteer
Effort; and a number of NGOs like Kilos Bayan, Caritas Manila, Pondo
ng Pinoy, Alay Buhay Community Foundation. She became the faculty of
known universities like Ateneo de Manila University and Asian Social
Institute. Her message mainly tackled "Volunteerism in Nation
Building".
She
delivered numerous stories detailing her volunteer experiences. She
even recalled the first time she volunteered to teach a classmate to
read when she was still a Grade 4 pupil. From then on, she developed
that habit of helping in her own volition which she carried on until
her later years. She even recalled when she was in UP Health Services
working as volunteer in National Mental Hospital where she sold
newspapers just to finance the undertakings when they tried to bridge
these patients to their immediate family and relatives. She initiated
the "Spirit of 100 Hours" in Civil Service Commission,
allotting 2 hours a week to volunteer at any cause.
"It
does not matter how much riches you accumulated, but how you will be
remembered by the people, "she stressed. Volunteerism for her is
freedom and trusting, thus, sharing "hearts, hands, minds and
pockets. "Through years, she hoped to professionalize the
volunteer service. By embarking on the success stories (Gawad Kalinga,
UP Ugnayan ng Pahinungod and a number of corporate-based NGOs), this
endeavor is not far from fully realized.
"We
need volunteers now, more than ever!" she exclaimed. She said she
came to disturb each one's peace by spreading the virus of
volunteerism. She expected everyone must do something with this cause.
2
April 2007
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HOME
BUILD HOME
By
Efren Antiporda
Leaving
the country at age three and growing up in Australia has created a
deep longing in the hearts of Therese Santos to feel once again what
it is like to be in the arms of your mother country. She wanted
to retrace her roots and feel the warmth and friendship of the country
she dearly love.
It
was not long when she chanced upon the Australian Youth Ambassador For
Development (AYAD) which at that time was looking for volunteers to
work in the Philippines. It was the moment she was waiting for.
Through
the AYAD Program in the Philippines, Therese found herself in Gawad
Kalinga (GK), a church-based movement that answered her desire to help
her countrymen. It was the perfect time to renew old ties and build
friendship and share her time and skills for others.
Therese
started to work in GK in March 27, 2006 in GK’s Child and Youth
Development Program under its SIGA Project. SIGA in the Filipino
language means “to light.” Through the SIGA program,
scholarships are provided to youths with the mental aptitude to pursue
higher education. SIGA also implements a strong youth rehabilitation
program where juvenile delinquents are provided with a range of
activities and counseling sessions to help them live productive lives
without committing them to rehab institutions. They are then
integrated into the social mainstream and are eventually gainfully
employed. SIGA participants ranges from age 13 to 24. They are
mostly OSYs and juvenile toughies or bystanders or “tambay” in
local parlance.
Therese
was posted in two SIGA sites - in Baseco in Manila and Bgy. Arkong
Bato in Pasig City. Arkong Bato is a former squatter
community with some 700 families living in slums for the past 25
years. The area was forsaken land for many years, with a slippery,
sloping narrow path that served as the easiest point of entry to the
area. Baseco (Bataan Shipyard Corporation) Compound is a 300
hectare squatter community of about 60,000 residents.
Therese
visited these sites twice a week. She attended to about 22 SIGA
participants in Arkong Bato and about 30 in Baseco. The SIGA
activities runs for about 5-6 months of youth formation starting with
Initiation, Barkadahan (camaraderie), Youth Camp, Spiritual Formation,
Tutorials and Sports activities. Therese handled orientation on
Values Formation. She also developed an Evaluation Form for the
use of the GK National Team in evaluating GK SIGA Project.
Therese
also assisted the GK’s partnership building program. She was
asked to handle alliance building with various educational
institutions in Metro Manila and enroll their participation in GK
Programs. She was able to engage schools like Assumption, UST,
Ateneo, La Salle and UP Manila. The scheme involved tying up the
NSTP Program with GK Program and harness student volunteerism to
support the GK site in Baseco. The arrangement was covered by a
Memorandum of Agreement with each school for six (6) months.
Therese’ role in the activity was the conduct of negotiations with
these schools. She personally visited each school to introduce
GK. She developed a manual for student leaders handling each
team of students. She oriented them on subjects like information
on GK, models for volunteering, managing volunteers, and identifying
volunteering opportunities. She did this twice a week either in
the school or at GK sites.
Her
partnership building was not limited to schools. She coordinated
the participation of volunteers from the World Youth Alliance and
Catholic Youth Services for a ten (10) GK immersion.
Therese
also found time to assist other GK Programs such as the Bayani
Challenge last April 2006 in St. Bernard, Guinsaugon, Southern Leyte.
The five (5) day challenge is attended by around 300 volunteers who
are competing to build 100 houses in one week. She also acted as
a resource person during the Cebu Child and Youth Development Training
for SIGA youths where she talked about “How To Deal With Young
People”. At one time, Therese also attended the GK Batang
Bayani Workshop in Europe where she gave orientation to around 100
kids about GK. The event is part of GK global efforts to
advocate the GK.
Perhaps
one of her most important achievements is the development of a program
called “GK Builders Corps” intended for local and international
volunteers who wish to work in GK for six (6) months to two (2) years.
The program is just starting and will be sustained by her GK
counterparts.
Therese’
experience in GK has indelibly imprinted her consciousness the
realization that her Australian citizenship and her long alienation
from her cultural roots has not diminished her being a Filipino.
She felt immense fulfillment working with the poor people and somehow
contributed her time and skills to give them a place they can call
home. In the act of assisting in building a home for these poor
people, Therese has found herself home which she missed for so long.
28
March 2007
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A
POSITIVE STEP TOWARDS CHANGE
By
Efren Antiporda
Compared
to other countries in the world, the Philippines has a fairly low
incidence of AIDS cases. 3, 700 cases have been documented
so far and these figures constitute 35% from our overseas Filipino
workers which were required by their receiving country to undergo HIV
test as a pre-employment requirement. The other 65% are from
reported cases in the Philippines. The statistics does not
include the undocumented cases which were not reported to DOH due to
social and psychological stigma suffered by the people living with HIV
if they come out in the open.
Mr.
Joshua T. Formentera, Chief Executive Officer and President of
Positive Action Foundation Philippines, Inc. attributed this low
incidence to several factors such as the dominant religious character
of Filipinos and natural and geographical isolation of provinces.
But
he warned though that things have changed and these socio-cultural and
natural barriers are gradually imperiled by the onslaught of
modernization and information explosion in the cyberspace and
mostly low use of
condoms. In a survey made in 2000 to young adult population,
Filipinos engaging in pre-marital sex are frighteningly getting
younger between the ages of 13-24. This practice poses a serious
influence on the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people. This is
also confounded by drug abuse using intravenous means and increasing
volume of our overseas workers.
PAFPI
was created in 1998 with the objective to facilitate, assist and
provide basic care and support services to Persons Living With
HIV/AIDS and their affected families; to provide STI-HIV/AIDS
information to OFWs through pre-departure orientation seminar;
establish support group mechanism and to provide avenues for personal
growth and development to its partners. Its major programs include
basic care and support services; education and advocacy and capability
and skills building. PAFPI hopes to mitigate the impact of
HIV/AIDS, restore self-respect and dignity of PLWHAS and involve them
in AIDS prevention and advocacy.
PAFPI
operates three (3) Drop In Centers, the Silungan Drop In Center in
Iloilo and the Bahay Kanlungan and Abot Kamay Drop In Center in
Manila. In 2006 the Bahay Kanlungan Center in Manila has catered
to around 131 primary beneficiaries i.e. directly availing services of
the centers. The center provides services such as orientation on
ARV Treatment, workshop on livelihood activity, awareness workshop on
Peer Education on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS, rights
orientation of PLWHAS, family support for PLWHAS, orientation on RA
8504 also known HIV and AIDS Prevention Control Act of 1998, etc.
PAFPI
has a current workforce of 28 paid staff 60% of which are PLWHAS.
The rest are concerned professionals and health service
providers from various organizations. It is assisted by 25 volunteers assisting PAFPI in running
its various programs and activities.
The volunteers are trained speakers for the Pre-Departure
Orientations Seminars (PDOS) to OFWs about HIV/AIDS which PAFPI
conducts daily at manning agencies recognized by the Overseas Workers
Welfare Agency (OWWA). They
have oriented around 200,000 OFWs since 1998. The volunteers are given
a very modest allowance of roughly Php 2,000 for 15 days of service.
Facing the need to strengthen PAFPI as an umbrella organization
on care and support responses for PLWHAS and their affected families
in the Philippines, Mr. Formentera realized the need to re-tool PAFPI
staff and volunteers to upgrade their skills and develop a stronger
organization in the process.
Help
came from Australian Youth Ambassador for Development (AYAD), Susanne
Monte, who was assigned with PAFPI last June 13, 2006 to support
its’ organizational development efforts. The AYAD program involves
the sending of skilled young Australian volunteers for short-term
assignments in developing countries within the Asia-Pacific region and
is funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Agency
for International Development (AusAID). Susanne assists PAFPI in the
development of project innovations in the area of project strategies,
monitoring and evaluation, assists in the development of project
proposals, access to international funding institutions and networking
and linkage building.
For
almost a year now since June, Susanne has accomplished the following
tasks:
between the months of September to December, she has conducted
a series of writing exercises and a full day workshops on proposal
writing with the staff of PAFPI.
From this March, the staff core team is expected to develop a
project proposal as a culminating activity.
Side by side with this is her support to the PAFPI management
in developing an organizational development plan. She also assists
PAFPI tasks in the development of performance indicators and design of
questionnaires for individual staff interviews.
Susanne
also assists PAFPI’s monitoring, advocacy and network building
activities. Last November, she facilitated a World AIDS Day feature
article on a PAFPI PHA with the Manila Times.
In December she wrote a media release on the achievements in
obtaining free Anti-retroviral medicine in the Philippines.
To mainstream PAFPI’s work and activities, she updated and
edited its’ brochures and worked also on the documentation of
various PAFPI events and activities such as the ASEAN Task Force
Meeting, UNPFA workshops, training on sexually transmitted infections
(STI), consultative meetings etc.
She
has also visited Bohol, Eastern Samar and Iloilo to assist in
monitoring and evaluation.
Susanne
finds her work at PAFPI challenging.
She has developed better skills in communicating with people
and how you approach and solicit ideas from people.
She has developed greater cultural sensitivity and learned to
work with people with different cultural backgrounds.
She has acquired patience on top of it.
She learned to wait, allowing the process to unfold.
Professional skills also have improved, in line with conducting
workshops, advocacy techniques and have adjusted to work with minimum
resources compared to her previous volunteer engagement in Australia
and the office dynamics and decision processes at PAFPI.
PAFPI
has extended her
six (6) months assignment to one (1) year because of the extent of her
work. Susanne reasoned that her familiarization with the
organization and the social and cultural adjustment and observation
alone has eaten much of her early months in PAFPI. It is her
first time to work with this project type and with PLWHAS. Her
background in organizational development and social welfare though has
prepared her for the task.
Her
remaining months in PAFPI will be devoted to
the completion of her OD Plan and work overseeing and mentoring the
core team.
Mr.
Formentera cited Susanne for her ability to cope with PAFPI’s
timetable despite her short term assignment with the organization.
Indeed, Susanne has made a positive step towards building the
organizational capability of PAFPI.
9
March 2007
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DHL
Young Entrpreneurs for Sustainability (YES) Awards
2007
marks the half-way point in the bid to realise the UN Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) which range from halving extreme poverty to
halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary
education by 2015 - a good time to re-energise efforts towards
realising the UN MDGs and to celebrate the many successes that have
already been achieved.
DHL is proud to support the work of the United Nations and the
realisation of the MDGs. We are a signatory to the UN Global Compact
and have global humanitarian partnerships with UNICEF, UNDP and UN
OCHA.
Today,
85% of the world's young people live in developing countries with
approximately 60% of all young people living in Asia. The challenge
that young people face in sustaining their organisations, particularly
in developing economies, is evident. This is why the DHL YES Awards
focus on unleashing the potential of young social entrepreneurs
between the ages of 18 and 40 who are working to realise the UN
Millennium Development Goals.
The inaugural DHL YES Awards take place in 2007 in five countries:
Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The
plan is to expand the programme to other countries in the future.
The
DHL YES Awards are guided by the DHL YES Awards International council
(IC) which consists of respected leaders from the development, social,
business and social enterprise sectors. In addition, each
participating country has a National Jury (NJ) of prominent national
leaders which will select the national winners.
The DHL YES Awards have been developed with the support of Partners In
Change-an advisory partner to DHL for the inaugural year, 2007.
Partners in Change is an India-based not-for-profit organisation
working in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The
Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency is a partner
of DHL in its YES Awards.
Link:
www.dhl.com/yesawards
15
February2007
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Environmental
Volunteers Recognized
The
recognition of volunteers was the culminating activity of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the
National Volunteer Month in December. Volunteers engaged from
June 2005 to December 2006.
The
awardees are volunteers who participated in the rehabilitation of
denuded areas inside the Angat-Ipo watershed both covered by
Proclamation Nos. 509 and 391 and designated by DENR as Bayanihan
Legacy Site of the Department's Bayanihang Bayan Program.
The
individual awardees are heads of families residing adjacent the
Bayanihan Legacy Site who have been assisting tree planters.
They were oftentimes involved in land preparation activities prior to
planting and also in the maintenance of the entire area.
Ten
(10) out of thirty four (34) group volunteers were engaged by R-3 and
MWSS while the remaining twenty four (24) were directly engaged at the
Bayanihan Legacy Area.
The
CEMEX Philippines Foundation in addition to having participated in the
tree planting at the Legacy Site was awarded a special in line with
their contribution in the foundation's focus on environmental issues
and was the subject of the recently held 2nd National Art Competition
for children.
To
date, the plantable areas of the Legacy Site had been fully planted
with narra, mahogany, banaba, gmelina, and some fruit bearing
trees. Majority of the seedlings planted were donated by
volunteers and site preparations were also done with the help of
volunteers from the local residents. A total of 1,783
individuals representing 20 organizations have volunteered in the area
from June 2005 to December 16, 2006. From January to
December 2006, there were 985 volunteers engaged at the Legacy Site.
Several
business establishments including the Land Bank of the Philippines
have adopted portions of the Angat-Ipo Watershed to ensure sustainable
development of the area. The adoptors have reserved funds for
the maintenance of their adopted areas.
Key
officials who attended and recognized the volunteers included the
following:
-
Sr
USec & Chief of Staff Francisco S. Bravo
-
USec
Teresita S. Castillo - Special Concerns/Social Mobilization
-
Director
Nilo B. Tamoria - Special concerns Office
-
Sofio
Quintana - Regional Technical Director for Forestry, R-3
-
Nelson
Gorospe - PENRO Bulacan
-
William
Dela Cruz - CENRO Tabang
Message
on
Volunteerism recognizing the efforts of DENR in installing the
Bayanihang Bayan Program was delivered by Executive Director Joselito
C. de Vera of PNVSCA.
19
January2007
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New
USPC Country Director
Peace
Corps Philippines and PNVSCA welcomes the appointment of USPC-Philippines
new Country Director. Mr. Karl Beck received the rein of
leadership from Mr. Bill Benjamin who completed his tour of duty last
February this year. Mr. Beck served as USPC Country Director in
Ukraine since 2000 and has assumed his Philippine assignment last 30
April 2006. USPC-Ukraine is the largest Peace Corps program.
A
former volunteer himself, Karl started as USPC teacher trainer in
Africa in the 1960s and served as Associate Peace Corps Director and
eventually as Country Director in that region in the 1970s. Over
the past thirty (30) years, he has served as US diplomat, university
professor, and international civil servant. In the span of his
career, Karl has worked in 51 countries either on long or short term
appointment. Karl is fluent in French, German, and Sesotho and
speaks conversational Spanish.
Karl
brought with him his long years of experiences particularly in Ukraine
where he has been extremely effective in fostering relationships with
ministries, local organizations and international agencies in order to
foster awareness of Peace Corps and place volunteers in responsible
and productive assignments.
Karl
is a graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina and completed
graduate studies in Germany and Lesotho.
26
June
2006
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Teaching
Hangul to Filipinos
“You
can imagine the kindergarten when they first learn the English or the
Tagalog. My students started with learning the vowels first,
then the consonants. I made use of picture cards to show them what the
words mean then they hear me say the words so they get the idea how it
is used.”
Kyung
In Min, an elementary teacher in Korea, came to the Philippines last
year to volunteer at the Asian Center in UP Diliman as a Korean
Language instructor. She found it unusual at first to teach her native
tongue as foreign language to foreign students. Eventually, after she
had adjusted to the Philippines, she thought of using the materials
she brought from Korea to make learning Korea easier.
“I
tried to use many. Last semester, I had my classes on Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday. Monday was for Korean Culture Day, Tuesday was
Korean songs day where I taught them Korean songs that they like.
Example was the official sound track of Full House. Thursday was
Korean newspaper reading day so they could learn higher level Korean
aside from the basic lessons I teach them. Friday was Korean movie
day. My students really like the different activities,” Min said.
Hangul
now available in 12 and 13 levels
Through the efforts of the Asian Center, Ms. Min and another
Korean Overseas Volunteer Ms. Hyo Jin Jeong, Korean language is now
being offered in advanced levels. The UP Linguistics Department used
to offer only basic levels because there was simply no demand for
advanced Korean language.
“Hangul
was offered before as elective to complete the South East regional
picture. In order to justify our move to have Korean language
recognized as part of the curricular offerings of the Asian Center,
and not just an extension of the Linguistics Department, we have to
develop this through KOV, otherwise UP will not have a budget for this
program. It was formerly an elective subject, we now offer Korean
12-13. In a way, it is good for our students who are majoring in
Korean,” Ms. Lily Ann Polo, Associate Professor and local
counterpart of Min, said.
Ms.
Jong also initiated to offer a series of Korean courses to non-UP
students. Seven have signed up for the course to just be
exposed to the language.
Korean
proposed to share same level as Nippongo and Mandarin
At present, Ms. Polo, the two KOVs and Asian Center Dean Aileen
Baviera are crafting a proposal to bring Korean in the same level as
Nippongo and Mandarin.
“We
want to regularize Korean, chances are higher if presented in tandem
with our other proposals,” Ms. Baviera said.
The
interest in Korean language and culture may have been sparked by the
Korean novelas and Korean movies in the Philippines. But Ms. Polo said
the interest may not be enough to sustain their participation in the
classes and last in the rigors of learning a new culture. She noted
though that it is heartening to see how the students changed in their
interaction with the Koreans in campus. “These days you can already
learn the language through the internet but then there are certain
things that have to be done on a case to case level. Ms Min has been
very creative in her approach. She would take the students to a Korean
restaurant to expose them to the culture so it isn’t only the
language they get to learn but the culture as well.”
Ms.
Baviera added that apart from proposing Korean to be a regular
offering at the Asian Center, she also wants to institute social
science in the context of the language. “For example, we will use
more and more Chinese words in the teaching of Chinese politics. We
haven’t done that yet for Korean because it is not yet a program but
eventually we’d like to do that in the advance level, the language
will have more social science content in keeping with our own
thrusts.”
The
group is hopeful that before the year ends, the university will give
the Asian Center its approval to offer a Korean course and make it
open to Filipinos interested in pursuing higher studies in Korean
culture.
4
May 2006
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Emily
Rainey: Being gender sensitive
March
is women’s month. The Philippines is led by a woman president. Women
have climbed up the corporate ladder and even sit on top positions in
various government institutions. The country is considered a
matriarchal society but it doesn’t make all of its constituents
gender sensitive.
Emily
Rainey, an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development volunteer
assigned in the National Commission on Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW)
traced the cause to the lack of implementation of the GAD laws and
policies.
“The
Philippines has really great laws but there’s a bit of a problem
with implementation and I think that’s partly because they have very
few resources that they just cant be anywhere at once. Getting the
word out about GAD’s focal points and policies and doing the
monitoring are big tasks and the Commission is just a small office, so
there are some mechanisms that are being built to lessen the enormity
of the tasks,” Rainey said.
She
developed a database which NCRFW may use to record information about
gender resource network members and another one to record data about
all the GAD’s focal points.
“At
the moment everything is all very much paper-based and so it is kind
of bringing it to the electronic level where they would be able to
record changes and actually generate a report. I am doing some
training on how they can use the database and also enhance the program
after I leave for some of their other activities as well so the office
can provide technical assistance on what GAD is all about and even how
to make a GAD plan to various government agencies. NCRFW has
identified this as their need and since I have an experience on this,
I developed this kind of computer system for them.”
On gender sensitization
NCRFW
was established on January 7, 1975 through Presidential
Decree No. 633, as an advisory body to the President and
the Cabinet on policies and programs for the advancement of women.
Women
in development (WID) then emerged to integrate women in economic
development by implementing projects such as transfer of technology,
extension services, credit facilities and other interventions that are
targeted on social welfare and hygiene. WID during the 1970s was an
approach to or paradigm of development that recognizes the distinct
needs and capacities of women and focuses on developing programs,
projects and activities that would make women an integral part of the
productive sector.
By
1980s, WID paved way for Gender and Development (GAD). GAD is
concerned with women as well as with the social construction of gender
and the assignment of specific roles, responsibilities and
expectations to women and men. It analyzes the nature of women's
contribution within the context of work done both inside and outside
the household and reflects the public/private dichotomy that
undervalues the work done by women in the home.
“It
is not just about having women in power, it is about having men and
women who were aware of the issues of gender and development. The
reason why gender is important is because it considers the fact the
men and women are impacted upon differently in terms of the policies
legislators make and have been implemented. One of the things I
learned about gender, even in Australia, considering that it is a
pretty developed country, 21% of our parliamentarians are women and
women still have a hard time reaching the upper echelons of the
government. Compared to before, it may be a bit easy now but there are
still a lot of concerns there. So legislators have to design a policy
that considers its impact on the two gender. The more responsive it is
to people, the more effective its implementation will be,” Rainey
said.
Touching
lives
Rainey
confessed she had always been interested in development issues
specifically the role of women in it. Her interest motivated her to do
volunteer work here in the Philippines.
“All
of us came here wanting to help, wanting to exchange skills, help
build the capacity of workmates but I think it does take a long time
to get to understand the context, the working context.”
She
spent the first six months of her assignment learning the ropes at
work, getting to know her officemates, familiarizing with the chain of
command and adjusting to the infamous Manila traffic. It was sometime
in November when she was confident enough to take on a more proactive
role in the Commission. Apart from developing the database, Rainey
came up with various brochures on GAD and NCRFW. She also did some
monitoring of the GAD resource center in Vigan.
“We looked at some of the ongoing
issues and see how NCRW how to react to that. It was great. We stayed
there for just a couple of days. We were hoping to do some more
monitoring visits but we ran out of time. Other things kind of came
up. It was just a shame it would have been good to try to learn from
what works and why. And you can always get a better review from
talking to people rather than reading about it from a report but I
think that (monitoring) will continue,” Rainey
said.
The
Commission and fellow volunteers
Rainey
confessed she enjoyed her stay here as a volunteer. She felt sad that
her assignment has come to an end this April, she wanted to have
stayed longer and done more.
“I
was really lucky that I have a really great organization and so my
kind of challenges were mainly trivial in nature mainly because I
always have the support of my workmates. I think maybe PNVSCA should
select the volunteers that fit what the host organization requires to
prevent volunteers having issues or problems with their host. I think
I even learned more than I was able to impart. The women I worked with
have been in the Commission for 8 or more years and they have a master
degree. They are so efficient in what they do. They know what they are
talking about. I had a wonderful experience and I will take it back
with me to Australia.”
Emily
Rainey (leftmost part) during her monitoring trip to Vigan. Beside her
is Ms. Macel Aguilar, her counterpart at NCRFW.
3
April 2006
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SAVE
Mindanao Volunteers, Inc. of Butuan City
Project
entry: From Wetland to Upland Literacy Program
What
makes them special:
In
April 2000 some members of SAVE Mindanao Volunteers explored Agusan
Marsh, an area rich in biodiversity and natural beauty, and discovered
lumads who did not know about education, world trends, or
technologies. These indigenous folk seemed to have been
neglected by their immediate community, and they did not even realize
the value of updating their skills and knowledge.
The
volunteers then decided to establish a floating literacy center from
one of the barong-barongs in the area. They lived in the area
for three months, immersing themselves in the local culture and
developing new-found respect for the lumad traditions and ways
of life. together with the local government and other
individuals and organizations, SAVE Mindanao proceeded to teach
literacy to the youth and adults of Agusan Marsh. The success of
this pilot project encouraged SAVE Mindanao Volunteers to set up three
more floating literacy centers in the area, serving lumads who
would diligently paddle their boats across the marsh just to attend
their daily classes.
SAVE
Mindanao Volunteers is now working to reach more indigenous people
from the wetland and highland territories of Agusan del Sur and
Bukidnon provinces, and to introduce their graduates to formal
education. SAVE Mindanao Volunteers, Inc. also won the UN
Resident Coordinator's MDG Award during the TAYO awarding ceremonies.
What
YOU can learn from them:
Instead
of organizing a tried-and-tested project that posed almost no risks
and that was relatively easy to do, the young men and women of SAVE
Mindanao Volunteers, Inc. literally went out of their way to serve a
community that seemed to have been forgotten by time and
technology. The lumads of Agusan Marsh did not realize
how badly they needed education until the SAVE Mindanao Volunteers
introduced them to literacy.
You,
too, can help to identify an unmet need in your community and to rally
like-minded individuals and organizations around your cause.
Provide a service that your beneficiaries may not even know exists,
and wipe away ignorance and apathy from the face of the planet.
(Three
(3) VIDA volunteers are currently assisting SAVE Mindanao Volunteers,
Inc.)
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Bohol
gets first solar-powered internet cafe in RP
CALIBAO ISLAND, BOHOL--The residents and foreign
tourists here, who were deprived of the benefits of the information
technology (IT) evolution because of limited power supply, will now
get to experience the country's first solar-powered computer
laboratory-cum-Internet café at Cabilao National High School (CNHS).
The solar-powered computer laboratory on Cabilao Island was made
possible through the consolidated efforts of the Center for Industrial
Technology and Enterprise (Cite), and the German Development Service (DED)
with funding assistance from the Gate program of Gessellschaft fuer
Technische Zusamme-narbeit and the Municipality of Loon, Bohol.
Allan Hendrick Buena, electrical department head of Cite, said the
budget for the entire project was P1.9 million covering the purchase
of 28 solar panels, batteries, computers, inverter and other on-line
services for one year.
The Municipality of Loon, Bohol provided the local counterpart funding
of P200,000 for the infrastructure and monthly payments of IT
technicians in the laboratory, among others.
Konrad Bortoli, DED coordinator for the Economic and Employment
Promotion, said the project's main objective was to bring computer
literacy to the 379 high school students of CNHS and to provide an
income-generating project for the school.
"Before, students here didn't have the formal computer education
because of the limited power supply here, where communities in the
island are allowed to use power supply only from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
with their existing diesel power plant here," he said.
Bortoli said the realization of the project came after several of
their friends who are also the resort owners of the diving resort in
the island who showed interest in an Internet and computer laboratory
that would also connect the island to the outside world.
Solar panels
Buena said energy produced by the 28 solar panels would be stored in
the 24 batteries. Then from direct current, it would be converted to
alternating current.
Afterwards, power will be brought to the controller-a gate to give 220
volts, from which it will then go to the laboratory.
He said the laboratory has six computers, five of which will be for
the use of students, and the remaining one for the teacher
administrator in charge of the laboratory.
Buena said locals and foreign tourists on the island would also get to
enjoy the service. Locals pay P20 per hour for the Internet service,
while foreign tourists will pay P100 an hour.
"Our Internet service provider is the AZ Communication using the
satellite communication service with 128 kbps or speed per second
passing the Agila 2 satellite launched by former President Fidel V.
Ramos," he said.
With the solar-powered computer laboratory, Cabilao National High
School principal Mario Garcia said its students will now have the edge
in terms of IT education over other schools in Bohol.
He said the computer course for the students will be put under the
Technology and Livelihood Education Curriculum for the third and
fourth year high school students.
Department of Education-Bohol education supervisor I Marcelo Vigante
expressed gratitude to the German community that made the project
possible.
Loon Mayor Yul Lopez said the Internet lab is a priceless project for
Cabilao Island, which will now have a bridge of information to the
outside world. (Clara Mae Hortelano)
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Bayanihan
Legacy Site
Sitio Ipo, San Mateo, Norzagaray,
Bulacan
Background
In
2003, the President mandated the planting of trees in public areas to
enhance the quality of environment and sustain the quantity of
water. This was highlighted with the declaration of Philippines
Arbor Day on June 25 on that same year. To sustain the
initiatives in 2003 Arbor Day, Pres. Arroyo issued Proclamation No.
643 on June 9, 2004 further enjoying the active participation of all
government agencies, including government-owned and controlled
corporations, private sector, schools, civil society groups and the
citizenry in tree planting. Same Proclamation declared every
25th of June as Philippines Arbor Day.
In
line with this celebration, tree planting activities were conducted
within the Angat Watershed Reservation specifically in Sitio Ipo, Brgy.
San Mateo, Norzagaray, Bulacan. This area became the convergence
site between the DENR and other government agencies/institutions,
non-government organizations (NGOs), LGUs and other members of civil
society having a stake in the environment.
Why
Sitio Ipo?
Sitio
Ipo is within Barangay San Mateo, one of the barangays of Norzagaray,
Bulacan. This barangay is where the Ipo Dam is located. It
is located about 45 kilometers from the Quezon City Memorial Circle in
Quezon City and can be reached in one and a half hours. The dam
serves as the water catchment area for the Angat Watershed and
supplies the water requirement of entire Metro Manila area and several
adjoining provinces.
Why
was it designated as Bayanihan Legacy Site?
The
Bayanihan Legacy Site covers about 30 hectares with rolling
terrain. It can be reached within 25-30 minutes from the road by
walking. It is about 500 meters away from the MWSS gate.
The area can be used for agricultural purposes and this was the
attracting factor for migrants. With the presence of the
communities within the site and its periphery, we are encouraging that
they help the DENR in rehabilitating the area and in the long term to
live a legacy for all stakeholders.
Moreover,
volunteerism was the concept for the establishment of the site, hence,
it was designated as such. Activities for this site is not
limited to tree planting but also other protection and maintenance
activities.
(DENR
is a Bayanihang Bayan participating agency. For more information
on DENR BB Program and the Legacy Site, please contact Mr. Roy Gulane
at 9268346)
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Sungho
Choi, KOICA’s main man
There
was nothing imposing about this man. Rather his quiet demeanor as he
peruse through the questions to be asked of him made the ambiance more
relaxing and the conversations that followed refreshing.
Korea
International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Resident Representative
Sungho Choi started his term in October and had been around the
country since to identify areas
where their skills are required the
most.
“I
found that your country has many potential for development. Your
strongest point is your human resource’ ability to converse in
English so as long as your political and economic system remain
stable, I think your country’s future will be brighter. The
corporation programs that we are providing, which we call Option
Development Assistance or ODA, is always implemented between donor
country
and other recipient country. I think we need more
consultations and policy meeting and more coordination between our two
agencies. This is not a one-way assistance direction. Feedback and
preliminary survey is very important. I think regularly we evaluate
corporation program and find future task to overcome the problems.
Also is very important. Times we cannot match the need so through
consultations between two agencies we will implement more details
between Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA)
and any consultation and policy meeting is very important to
understand each other,” he said.
Currently,
he oversees the construction of the vocational training center in
Davao City. This center will start operations in late February or
early March. Two other training centers in cooperation with the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will be
put up. The main training facility in the Quezon City Polytechnic
University Compound in Novaliches and its extension center at the
TESDA Regional Training Center in Guiguinto, Bulacan will offer basic
and advance IT courses.
“This
year we will revise a little bit our training program and the dispatch
of volunteers by focusing more on project type corporations not
individually, team projected dispatches. That is a little different
direction from previous work here. Team is more effective than
individual activity. We found that it is not easy to evaluate
performance so we will pool 4-5 volunteers in one team and evaluate
their project, that then will be clearer, easier to evaluate. We have
already dispatched a team volunteer, now they are undergoing a
training program in Antipolo. We will continue to dispatch that kind
of volunteer programs, especially focusing on agricultural development
program, high yield product in the agriculture sector. We noticed that
human exchange is in
the boom here so we will have volunteers to teach
Korean. I heard that an average of 1000 Korean tourists come here
everyday,” Mr. Choi said.
He
added that given his tight schedule, he will make time to have
luncheon meetings with the Agency for its inputs and advise for any
problems that may crop up.
Mr. Choi has
a Masters Degree in Economics at The American University in
Washington, DC. Prior to his assignment here, he had occupied the top
position in various departments since he joined KOICA in December
1991.
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Veronica
Avila: Her Passion is Volunteerism
The following anecdote is lifted from this VSO-Bahaginan
volunteer’s autobiography.
“I
came back to the country after my studies at the Australian National
University (ANU) in June 2000 for a job at the Upland Development
Programme for Southern Mindanao. I am not sure whether it is
coincidence or fate that I had a Dutch VSO volunteer colleague. He
informed me that VSO-Philippines was already recruiting Filipino
volunteers for placements overseas. In April 2001, I sent a letter to
the Bahaginan Program Coordinator signifying my
interest to volunteer.
In July 2001 after going through the assessment and selection process,
I was informed that I was accepted for a placement in a local NGO in
Rwanda as Technical Advisor for Environmental Management and Food
Security.
When
I announced to my friends and colleagues that I was going to Rwanda, I
received ridiculous comments of what they called a “suicidal
mission.” How can you go to Rwanda? It is a war zone! Don’t go
there. It is a very risky place!” Some questioned my real objectives
of volunteering. My siblings, however, were not surprised with my
decision because they knew it was what I want to do ever since. It was
financial obligation at that time that keeps me from my passion to
volunteer.
I
left for Rwanda on 8th September 2001 for a two-year placement in
Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD). I braced myself
to dodge bullets and go for days on end without food. I was pleasantly
surprised to find out that reality was an entirely different story.
Rwanda had already gone too far on the road to peace, unity and
reconciliation and democracy. I enjoyed my work. It was very
challenging considering the differences in culture and values. My work
focused mainly on training the local NGO staff on participatory
approaches to integrated community development, project planning,
implementation and monitoring.
Apart
from training the staff, I also went down to the grassroots. I
mobilized people to help themselves. I organized them to create
sustainable livelihood activities. I also informed them about
environmental protection and health consciousness, especially about
HIV/AIDS prevention. Though the impact was not physically visible, I
knew deep in my heart that I have done something good for the
Rwandans.
I
finished my two-year term last September 2003. But because of some
on-going projects and new international partners coming to support the
community projects, the NGO requested that I stay on for another six
months. It felt good to be needed and appreciated for every little
thing I did for them. I have come to realize that it is not the money
that makes a person complete and happy. It is by doing something
meaningful to mankind,
something that makes someone change for the
better. It does not really matter whether you are doing it to your
countrymen or to other people, after all we are all brothers and
sisters in this tiny world.
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Ryan
Medrana: Facing a Mountain of a Challenge
Smokey
Mountain hits the headlines once again as the Senate Blue Ribbon
Committee pursues a probe on the reclamation project controversy of
the infamous dumpsite. Smokey Mountain was the depository of trash
dumped by more than 170 trucks daily coming from all over the city
since its birth in 1980. The dumpsite was
then closed in 1994 to make
way for the government’s housing project development.
During
the seemingly never-ending verbal tussle that attended the probe, it
is the residents in the temporary relocation area and around the
dumpsite who suffer the most. Up to now they are still awaiting the
time when they will finally be living in comfortable and sanitary
homes. They are after all the unfortunate victims of a project held
hostage by political developments as one administration took the reins
from another.
That
is why it is such a blessing that there are still people like Smokey
Mountain’s parish priest, Fr. Benigno “Ben” Beltran. He remains
relentless in finding ways to make life more bearable for the
displaced residents by providing them with an alternative source of
income and educating them about waste management and segregation.
But
such an immense task cannot be undertaken by one man alone.
Sambayanang Muling Pagkabuhay Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc. (SMPMPCI),
a venture of the Basic Christian Communities of the Parish of the
Risen Christ that makes use of garbage as raw material for handicrafts
took on educating the residents about livelihood projects. The Members
of Couples for Christ (CFC) and its sister organizations -- Foundation
for the Fullness and Integrity of Creation (FFIC) and
the Handmaids of
the Lord – provide technical assistance in project design and
management to SMPMPCI.
Ryan Medrana, an Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD)
volunteer, stepped into the picture to help the group make headway on
health risk assessment and environmental education.
“My
project changed a lot. The project I was sent here to work on changed
quite a bit from the project I signed up for. I was meant to do waste
management work in QC materials recovery facilities. This work that I
ended up doing i.e. site mediation, health risk assessment and
environmental education and even planning for the construction of the
church and some other projects, I much preferred to do. It actually
turned out better,” Mr. Medrana said.
He
added that he had various experience in the field already except that
it was on a smaller scale and there was a team of technical people to
help him out on things. Here he was the only technical person helping
Father Ben. Mr. Medrana just trained some people to help them and even
conducted workshops for the residents. He said the residents were
grateful. Finally they understood what a lot of developers and
government agencies, including the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR), kept telling them about waste management and
segregation.
“They
didn’t quite follow because they didn’t have the necessary
knowledge to understand what they have been told. My workshop gave
them a much better understanding so they could follow a bit more what
was happening to them.”
Mr.
Medrana also met with the heads of the DENR, the Metro Manila
Development Authority, the mayors and even the President since Smokey
Mountain is still a national issue. He had discussed with them
possibilities on how the “mountain” can be toppled.
“We’ve
got a solution now which I think is doable. We hope to set up a waste
management facility. This concept is still under development though
since it requires funding.
The idea is a waste management facility in
Smokey Mountain will be set up. Recyclable materials will be taken
out, separate it from the green waste and generate electricity from
it. We’ll have a controlled landfill for the residual waste and try
to treat the waste coming from, that is, existing in, the mountain
itself. We’ll process that to try to reduce the volume and then we
can come up with an engineering solution that will manage both the
health and the environmental risk. We can perhaps cover the wastes
with a GM membrane, a type of plastic liner that will stop the
rainfall from penetrating through the waste. What happens is the rain
penetrates through the mountain of waste and picks up all the
contamination that goes to the ground water and to the river
eventually. If we stopped the rainfall from
penetrating you don’t
get that least amount of contaminants and also helps control the
landfill gas. A decomposing waste produces methane. To prevent such a
dangerous gas from being emitted we should try to manage the waste,”
Mr. Medrana explained.
However,
Mr. Medrana remains uncertain about the exact time frame of the said
project. He said it all depends on who or what will finance the
project. They are looking for funds and financial options at the
moment.
“There
was a plan to move Smokey Mountain originally. Our plan is do not move
it. Just leave it where it is and manage it onsite. The more we think
about it, the more we’d want to leave it there. It is just that if
you move Smokey Mountain and move it to somewhere else then the
problem would be there now. So there is no point moving it, just
manage it where it is.
Solve it where it is, otherwise you will have
another Smokey Mountain sitting somewhere else.”
Mr.
Medrana’s contract with AYAD has recently ended but he promised to
come back. “The work we have been doing is something I enjoyed. I
made a difference and it is important work so I will come back for
that. I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here, about myself and
how I respond to challenging situations, working in a different
environment and meeting all the family I’ve never known before. I
have just learned so much out of this experience.”
My
volunteer work in Rwanda is what I could consider a significant thing
that I have ever done in my whole life. I shared some of my knowledge,
skills and also learned some news skills. I also believe that
volunteering is a cost-effective way of development work, it incurs
less cost but with significant outputs.
And with this, I should say,
that as long as I am able I will definitely re-volunteer.”
Ms.
Avila adopted a consultative and participative approach as Technical
Advisor for Food Security and Environment at RISD. She gave trainings
in Kinyarwanda, set up environmental clubs, put in motion a village
committee and put up a monitoring and evaluation system. Her employers
commented on how well Ms. Avila was able to adapt to work in the field
and in the office, despite the language and the challenges. Her
maturity, work and technical experience enabled her to adapt work
practices to a different environment.
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Volunteers
in First Consolidated Cooperative along Tañon Seaboards (FCCT)
Being a volunteer is not at all
easy but gaining new knowledge, skills and service to others makes it
all worth the sacrifice.
Malvin Lesmes and Metzi Hermo are Volunteers for Information and
Development Assistance (VIDA) in Asturias, Cebu. They are both working
in the Micro-Finance Project of the First Consolidated Cooperative
along Tañon Seaboards (FCCT). The Micro-Finance Support Project is a
project of FCCT designed to meet the financial requirement of its
members by providing them additional capital.
Malvin used to be a part-time
staff of the organization before becoming a VIDA volunteer. As a
volunteer, he supervises daily collection of members’ contribution,
facilitate credit investigation, supervise area mapping, assist in the
preparation of aging of accounts and monthly reports and distributes
demand letters to delinquent members. Officials of the organization
said that Malvin performs his duties well. He also provides assistance
in the identification of livelihood projects that helped in the
development and productivity of the organization.
On the other hand, Metzi records
accounts, help encode names of members, make adjustments of
unliquidated expenses from 2000-2002, consolidate financial documents
for the merger of cooperatives, prepares members’ directory and
monitor patronage refund and capital interests of members. She also
conducted several formal and non-formal trainings. Like Malvin, she
was a part-time staff of the organization before becoming a VIDA
volunteer.
Both Malvin and Metzi gained knowledge through their experiences as
VIDA volunteers. Though they encounter some difficulties, they try to
find ways to cope up with it and continue serving their community.
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Assisting
Aklan State University for Development
The
Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency, a
government agency mandated to promote and coordinate volunteer service
in the Philippines closely coordinates with partner organizations and
institutions in the deployment of local and foreign volunteers needed
for development projects. One of these institutions is the Aklan State
University (ASU). ASU has campuses in the different municipalities of
Aklan. Presently, ASU has five volunteers providing assistance in
different development projects.
SHUNJI AOKI is a Japanese
Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV) who provides assistance to
develop ASU’s database system. He helps the administration in the
creation of an accounting integrated database where the payroll,
remittances, student and employees’ information can be accessed.
He
has been with the ICT Center of ASU in Banga, Aklan for a year now.
One of the things he wants to propose is to have a smoother internet
access in Banga by connecting Banga and Kalibo using wireless
technology.
Shunji has worked as a computer engineer for two years before coming
to the Philippines as a volunteer.
AI
ORIME, also a JOCV works with the Ibajay campus of ASU in the field of
agriculture and animal management. She belongs to the JOCV Batch 122
and was assigned to ASU last July 2003. She advices the teachers
and students of the university on animal husbandry and better animal
management practices.
Last February, she and ASU started an organic farming project and
planting of grasses because the area has not much grass for goats to
graze on. She also wants to have fencing to keep the goats from going
astray. In the organic farming project, they use organic materials
such as cow dung, chicken manure, rice straw, rice coals and rice
bran. She is also thinking of introducing biogas as an alternative
fuel for the campus.
JOEL ORDONA started working as a Volunteer for Information and
Development Assistance (VIDA) last September with ASU-Banga. He helps
facilitate trainings and seminar for farmers in the different
municipalities of Aklan. He teaches new farming technology and new
farming system by introducing a variety of vegetable and rice that are
suitable to the farmers’ land. He also teaches the farmers to plant
vegetables after harvesting rice. He goes to these trainings with the
representatives of the Department of Agriculture and the Municipal
Agriculture Office.
Aside
from facilitating trainings, he also serves as tour guide to visitors
of the campus. He runs a musical program in the campus’ radio
station. This is a daily musical which give trivias on agriculture
from time to time.
JUDIVAL
RETINIO is another VIDA assigned in the ASU Banga Campus. He has been
assigned in the Information and Communication Technology Center since
June 2003. He conducts training with faculty members as part of the
computer literacy program of the university. One of his tasks is to
teach the faculty members on how to use the MS Word. From August to
December, he taught 50 faculty members on how to use the MS Word
program. Judival also maintains the computers and ASUnet card, an
internet card designed for internet surfers inside the university. He
also makes the financial report on the ICT Center.
SIM
JIN YOUNG assists in the library information automatic system. This
25-year old Korea Overseas Volunteer (KOV) has been assigned in ASU
for four months now. She is developing a library information automatic
system that will provide users a quick access to what the library has
in store. This system will replace the traditional catalogue system in
libraries where students need to search catalogue cards to find a book
they need. With the new system, librarians and students can easily
determine the availability of a book without even going through the
card catalogues or the bookshelves.
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NEW
PUBLICATION!!!
“Fishes of the
Philippines: a Guide to Identification of Families”
by:
Genevieve Broad
·
An
easy-to-use book on how to identify families & species of fish.
·
Numerous
black and white line drawings showing family characteristics.
·
More
than 450 full-color illustrations
·
Comprehensive
information on physical appearance, habitat, ecology and local names for
than 90 fish families.
·
Written in clear English.
·
Cartoons
help to make learning easy and fun.
This
book
is a valuable resource for members of local communities monitoring
fisheries, teachers, students and laypersons."
Publication:
8 December 2003
Price: P2,000 (hardbound), P1,700 (softbound) Available through National
Book Store
Sponsored
copies available (shipping costs to be charged to customer). For details
contact: Dolly Domingo or Julie Garcia, email: dolly.Domingo@vsoint.org
or Julie.Garcia@vsoint.org
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