First Triennial Awards Leaders of Change Summit

March 4, 2009
Sacred Heart Center, D. Jakosalem St, Cebu City

For more than a decade, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) has been paying homage to individuals and institutions who - through their efforts at bringing about hope and change for the betterment of the lives of the less-privileged - have reflected the philanthropic, humanitarian, and holistic ideals of Don Ramon and Don Eduardo Aboitiz. These awards are presented every three years and are given in two categories: the RAMON ABOITIZ AWARD for Exemplary Individual and the EDUARDO ABOITIZ AWARD for Outstanding Institution.

This year, prior to the 4th Triennial Awards, RAFI gathered all the winners and finalists from the first to the current runs to the Triennial Awards Leaders of Change Summit. This provided a venue for them to share their experiences, challenges and learnings to the wider public. The forum also provided other people – individuals, institutions, and even the academe – to learn from their experiences and follow their lead. It was also a good venue for possible future interaction and collaboration among groups whose greater vision is for social development and improvement of life.

Ma. Cristina Aboitiz, RAFI Execom Chair, in her Welcome address, hailed the Triennial Awards as the celebration of the inherent goodness in man, and the recognition of individual and institutional contributions to society. It is a special recognition for those who are doing their jobs extraordinarily well. The Summit was aimed at sharing the successes and struggles, insights and lessons of each individual and institution. The desired result was to come up with a Call to Action and a Summit Declaration. As keynote speaker, Roberto Eduardo E. Aboitiz, RAFI President, then shared RAFI’s experiences from the nominations, short listing of nominees, deliberations and confirmation of finalists. He challenged each one to be like the Leaders of Change finalists and awardees who knew when to begin to make the journey to change. As such, each must be ready and willing to sacrifice time and energy, and realize that change begins in each and everyone. They must strive to be courageous leaders, embrace change, and create the future.

Plenary Presentations. Eddie Alih, from Bonggao, Tawi-Tawi, and an Individual Awardee in the 2nd Triennial Awards gave a presentation as Leader of Change in the Promotion of Peace. He was recognized for promoting understanding amidst diversity, and securing peace and prosperity. He showed that the challenges of Tawi-Tawi never stopped him from his work for peace. He longed for an Education for all and introduced alternative livelihood sources. He encouraged greater democracy and people’s participation. He believed that to catalyze transformation, there should be change in leadership. The Culture of peace can be instilled in Tawi-Tawi and that it could be a Sustainable Peace, the responsibility of which lies in both leaders and members/communities. In parting, he urged everyone to “give (our)selves the chance for Peace”.

Mayor Ramon A. Piang, Sr., from Upi, Maguindanao, is the Individual Awardee in the 3rd Triennial Awards as Leader of Change in Governance and recognized for Bridging Gaps and Leading the Way Towards Growth and Stability. He shared to everyone the Upi Experience wherein the prior scenario showed deep-seated conflicts among groups, minimum community and CSO participation in local governance, and poor education. Implementing their Comprehensive Development Plan – with Executive and Legislative Agenda (CDP-ELA), they were able to hear many cases have been heard, and found significant decrease of cases (of conflict) filed with the police, and a strengthened barangay council. They have recognized the participation of CSO in local governance by making them part in forming the municipal Vision, Mission and Goal. They have also taken steps like convening the CSOs in the locality with the LGSP, DTI and conducting trainings and seminars on CSO role in local governance.

Ma. Elena Limocon presented for the Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (1st Triennial Awards Outstanding Institution awardee). Brgy. Lamac, formerly a far-flung barangay was then without roads, electricity, potable water and basic community services, until the Lamac Samahang Nayon (LSN) was born in 1973 which led to the formation of the Lamac MPC in 1975. Since then, there have been programs and services addressing the needs of the Farmers and the Youth, Environmental Protection, Micro-Financing , Community outreach programs and Basic services for household security. Lamac MPC does what cooperatives should do which is in their mission of responding to the needs of the vulnerable sectors of their members and communities through socio-economic programs. They have attained this with quality membership, effective leadership and efficient management, methodical planning with a motivated staff, and good governance in partnership with the LGU and the Church. “God is good,” she declared.

Teresa B. Fernandez of the Lihok Pilipina Foundation, Inc. (3rd Triennial Awards Outstanding Intitution awardee), a PhilDHRRA Visayas Member. Tessie Fernandez shared Lihok Pilipina’s Vision, Mission and Goal, and its efforts in influencing governance with its partners. Most notable of Lihok Pilipina’s efforts is the Bantay Banay (Family Watch), a network to prevent domestic violence which has been replicated in nearly 70 cities and municipalities. She notes that “our homes are getting to be the most dangerous place for women and children, so we need NGOs”. In this endeavor, she adds that “no one has all the answers. Partners can all come together and learn from one another”. From there, they can share experiences and combine efforts. She urged everyone to do the best they can.

Break-Out Sessions

In the Forum on Agriculture, Leonardo Moneva presented for Mag-uugmad Foundation, Inc. (MFI), Cebu City. MFI is a PhilDHRRA Visayas member and is presently a finalist in the Outstanding Institution category. Moneva shared how MFI revolved from a World Neighbors-assisted project titled Cebu Soil and Water Conservation Project in 1981 into an organization founded in 1988 and now assists 64 POs and Co-ops. He related how they faced the challenges of low farm productivity, environmental degradation, excessive use of chemicals and high cost of farm inputs. These have only strengthened their resolve to develop their programs and services aimed at improving the lives of their members and respective families and address the food crisis. MFI has realized that farmers learn best from their own experiences, so it is best to guide them in what to do. The partnership of NGOs and POs/farmers bridge the gap in technology transfer. Some of their recommendations include a policy on providing tax incentives for farmers practicing sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation, provision of farmer subsidies and institutionalization of farmer-based/farmer-led extensions. They also recommend that farmers get recognized by MLGUs as they can help in the extension programs in their respective municipalities.

In the open forum, Moneva invited other farmer-groups to visit their office if they wish to get training and technical assistance especially if they are from mountain barangays who hardly get support from respective government agencies. When asked about the education of their farmers’ children, he replied that they are helping the farmers in order that they get more income from their farming and are thus able to send their children to school. They have started exposing their children to the benefits of farming appreciation at the elementary level, and have developed the Successor Generation for their programs to be sustainable.

In the Forum on Equality, one of the speakers was Wilfredo Homicillada of PROCESS Panay Foundation, Inc. PROCESS-Panay is one of the finalists in the 1st Triennials, also one of PhilDHRRA Visayas’ members. He shared their organization’s history, issues, and challenges, and how they came up with the strategies and means to effect changes. They addressed the economic, social and environmental needs of their communities. Their greatest lesson is that the asset of the communities is in their inventory (of people and technology) and in their reforms. The technique is to embody in the community the motive to work and build their capacity. They do not believe in the monopoly of development, but instead in the truth that one must be a part of the process in dealing with change.

During the Q&A, a question on the unequal distribution of services was raised. Homicillada replied that where the government agencies admit to a lack of resources, that is where NGOs and Coops come in. Sometimes, the people would have to lobby for their needs and this would rely on the respective organizations helping them. He admits that PROCESS is not engaged in business or enterprise that is why there is no sustainability, although they continue to seek projects and they have programs to keep their services going.