Amidst the enhanced community quarantine in South Cotabato, Dole Philippines, Inc. and Mahintana Foundation, Inc. sustains its cooperative efforts to support the community. On March 24, 2020, the local government unit of Polomolok received 250 hygiene kits—each kit included 1 bar of soap, 1 small towel, 2 reusable masks, and 1 500ml bottle of isopropyl alcohol for their COVID-19 frontliners. In the same week, 45 hygiene kits were distributed to barangay health workers of Brgy. Cannery. Dole Philippines, Inc. through Mahintana provided 10 sprayers and 10 1L disinfectants to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of South Cotabato. Through the help of Brgy. Cannery, TIBUD, Dole Gawad Pag-ibig, and Elmer’s Tailoring, as of March 27, 23,293 face masks are being produced and distributed to employees of Dole Philippines, Inc.
The Polomolok Task Force Kalusugan (PTFK), in cooperation with the the Municipal Cooperative Development Council (MCDC), conducted a monitoring visit to the different cooperatives in Polomolok for the preventive measures they implement on COVID-19 on March 17, 2020. Mahintana Project Coordinator Ms. Yvonne Templonuevo,, Project Officer Mr. Jeric Amparo and LGU Polomolok Cooperative Development Specialist II Mr. Jay Hijos conducted the said monitoring visits to 12 cooperatives in the municipality.
The cooperatives monitored are the following: Landan Peoples MPC, Polo Samahang Nayon MPC, Polomolok Manpower Services Cooperative, LEAD.PH, Dolefil Community MPC, Polomolok Teachers Consumer Cooperative, Polomolok MPC, PERA MPC, ICTUS MPC, MEDIATRIC MPC, UEWMPC, Cannery MPC, and FARB MPC. The findings include: no thermal scanner, no alcohol/washing area, no disinfectant, and no IEC materials posted about COVID-19. The cooperatives were also informed that they must have these in the vicinity.
Mahintana installed a washing area at the entrance for staff and guests to use before entering the office.
Mahintana
Foundation, Inc., represented by Project Officer Luwee Roy Siacor, participated
the meeting for the Mt. Matutum Week Local Celebration Meeting in partnership
with LGU-Polomolok and the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office
(MENRO) – Polomolok at the Municipal Ecotourism
Office, Municipal Plaza Grounds, Poblacion, Polomolok on March 9, 2020.
The key agreements
during the meeting are the following: a) the local Mt. Matutum Week will be
celebrated on June 16-22, 2020, b) the theme is “Protect Mt. Matutum” in B’laan
translation, c) Mahintana to draft the rationale of the celebration, and d) MENRO
to draft the ordinance of the event. The activities included the Zumba, tree
growing, gully walk with clean-up drive, Symposium on
Environment (Environment Code), Trash-to-Art Contest, TFP2K Logo-making Contest
(through YES-O), Photo Exhibit showcasing Mt. Matutum’s biodiversity and
landscape, and Cinema22m.
Mahintana Foundation, Inc. presented
the projects with Social Enterprise/Livelihood component on March 5, 2020 to DTI-Region
XII in order to gain partnership for the programs and grants they can offer.
Four representatives from DTI namely Mr. Babylon Maganaka Jr., OIC-Chief, Ms.
Darlen Joy Galope-Morales, Business Counselor, Ms. Rhea Mae Casipe, SSF Staff
and Mr. Ross Vincent Carillo, IT, visited the office and project sites. The
projects presented were: 1) Nutripan BREAD, 2) Ridge-to-Reef – Bamboo-based
plan, 3) Renewable Energy.
Ms. Yvonne Templonuevo presented the
Nutripan BREAD background and plan for expansion at Lake Sebu and Polomolok
National High School – Technical Learning Resource Center. Mr. Maganaka is very
interested with the Nutripan since it will be the first bakeshoppe/SE that will
be assisted by DTI in South Cotabato. This was followed by the presentation of
Ms. Ella Mae M. Babao on the R2R background highlighting the bamboo-based
crafts/products. Then Mr. Jobe Tubigon also briefly discussed the Solar-powered
project and possible equipment of DTI related to renewable energy.
After the presentations and
discussions, the team proceeded to the Bamboo Model House to check and visit.
Lebak: one of seven municipalities included in the SOLARES project
After completing profiling and validation in Lebak, the SOLARES project staff marketed the solar home system (SHS) units to barangays in the area. Consistently, SUKELCO conducted a membership consumer (MC) orientation and application.
Households gained knowledge on the use of the SHS unit, including minor standard operating procedures. Through the activity, the team addressed a common misconception regarding the project: Once they are signed up for the SHS unit, they are no longer eligible for the grid connection.
Once electric grid distribution is available in their area, there will be a recall of SHS units to be transferred to an off-grid community.
The SHS package includes an ERC mandated tariff of Php 7.40 a day. Replacement of worn out or damaged parts will be covered by the maintenance fee. After the project duration of 3 years, the units will be turned over to SUKELCO as part of their sustainability mechanism.
MC sign up will continue until the end of March 2020. Community members are required to submit accomplished PVM membership forms to their barangay secretary along with the one-time membership fee of Php 255.
Membership orientation by SUKELCO at Pansud, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat
In line with the livelihood component, Mr. Stefan Babera, project officer from Peace and Equity Foundation, visited to monitor partner MFIs/people’s organizations/associations. Mr. Babera assisted Keytodac Coffee Growers Association (KCGA) with possible partnerships and preparation of a consolidated financial statement. He also visited Kalamansig Farmers Agricultural Development Marketing Association (KFADMA) and Bacbacan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC) for a possible partnership as well. As a result of the monitoring, the project organized a financial systems installation training in support of partner MFIs/POs/associations.
The partnership between the
RESOURCEGov 2 Project and the Sarangani Provincial Vice Governor’s Office
(PVGO) is continuously forged. On the 3rd of March 2020, the project
team was invited by the Sarangani PVGO for a meeting at the Vice Governor’s Office to discuss the updates
of the cascade of the LITS to the barangays, coined as the BLITS by the PVGO,
and the upcoming training of trainers on March 5-6, 2020. The meeting was attended
by 7 participants (Male 3, Female 4).
As agreed during the 2nd Annual Review
and Planning Workshop, the Sarangani PVGO shared that the 5th level
of its BLITS is the provision of the computer hardware to 141 barangays in
Sarangani. This will ensure that the LITS will be used in the BLGUs that will
help them in codification, archiving and tracking of legislative documents.
With the evolving role of pharmacy services, Mahintana HEALTH Plus Project conducted 1st Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting at SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital (SGH) on March 3, 2020. Three representatives from Mahintana PPF headed by Ms. Jea A. Roque, Supervising Pharmacist and six participants from SGH headed by Dr. Ana Marie Tuburan, Chief of Hospital who also facilitated the meeting, a total of nine participated. The discussion focused on the presentation of accomplishments of SGH-HPSiS for the year 2019 and future directions of HEALTH Plus project at SGH as change of management. The group also discussed on the possible strategies on how to increase and promote better pharmacy services of the HPSiS; as a result, the group agreed that the Mahintana PPF will provide admission kits and maternal kits for SGH patients. Lastly, the meeting included a discussion on the monitoring of inventory level of Emergency Bulk Purchases of hospital to other suppliers and there was an agreement to have a weekly Hospital emergency request to Mahintana PPF to maintain complete and available medicines and supplies needed by the patient at the right time.
Keytodac Coffee Growers Association (KCGA) and Kalamansig Farmers Agricultural Development and Marketing Association (KFADMA) participated in the Financial System Installation Workshop conducted through the SOLARES project. Ms. Phoebe Montefalcon, CPA assisted by Ms. Donna Funticha both from the PP Montefalcon Accounting Service shared their expertise to the associations in terms of improving their financial documentation in the 2-day workshop last February 27-28, 2020 at the Q Citi Park Hotel, General Santos City.
Sessions consisted of lectures, exercises, and workshop. Ms. Montefalcon discussed introduction of accounting, accounting elements, books of accounts, and the accounting cycle. The participants accomplished sample source documents and posted in book of accounts. The participants prepared trial balances, worksheets and a financial statement. Ms. Montefalcon and Ms. Funticha assisted and assessed their outputs and offered guidance in the preparation.
Regardless of their educational attainment and work experience, participants shared the ease of learning because of how the workshop was packaged specific to operations of their associations, and examples of application in their context.
Mr. Stefan Babera from Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) facilitated the workshop. Mr. Jobe Tubigon, SOLARES project manager, provided insight in his opening remarks on the need for and advantages of proper financial documentation. Ms. Shunie Palacios (PEF) provided clarification and assistance to the associations and thanked both resource speakers and participants to a successful workshop.
