LAUNCHING of SOUTH-EASTERN PHIL HEALH & ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVES PROJECT

Launching of South-Eastern Phil Health and Economic Alternatives Project

CLOSING REMARKS
March 3, 2009

Greetings:

To our government leaders from the four Provinces of region 12: Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and South Cotabato, to our Delegations of the European Commission (EC) to the Philippines, to our NGO partners and friends, Good morning!

Recognition:

As we close this program this morning we are now entering into the formal commencement of our South-Eastern Phil Health and Economic Alternatives Project or HEAL. In behalf of the NGO partners here, first and foremost, we sincerely thank the Delegation from the European Commission to the Philippines for appreciating the concept of HEAL and for giving us the opportunity to share your resources for our people and for taking us as your new partners in development for the next three years – and hopefully beyond 2012.

Our Local Government Units, the Local Chief Executives, who are here most especially, thank for your active presence, we assure you that you got the cream of the crop of NGO implementers in the development work in your respective provinces, we really thank you for recognizing and accepting us to be your partners in serving the least of the families in your province; and of course I wish to thank Dodoy Magdolot for his enabling leadership in forging the consortium of six NGOs to be part of this endeavor; Doy salamat for bridging hope and for being an instrument in allowing us to share our capabilities to our upland and boundary occupants, especially the Indigenous Peoples; and of course we wish to thank MAHINTANA Foundation for hosting this launching.

Challenges:

The area of coverage of HEAL PROJECT maybe small put against the total population of each province but if this project can create opportunities for development this can make a difference in the lives of the smallest unit of the society, the family, this can create ripples of development; and it can go beyond because it can recreate itself towards development of peoples in a new peace paradigm. So we are happy and hopeful that we can do something for the people in the margins that hopefully no firearms will be grown but rather life in abundance.

To all of us who put all our stakes into this project let us not forget to put all our trust and hope in the loving presence of God in this endeavor as we commit ourselves to make a difference and go creating ripples of development.

SALAMAT PO!

A PRESENCE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

OND HESED FOUNDATION, INC.
2008 ANNUAL REPORT
PRESENTED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF INCORPORATORS 2009


A PRESENCE THAT MAKES A DFFERENCE

“ Undertake initiatives of creating opportunities towards peace and sustainable development of peoples and environment” thus says the strategic direction of OND HESED Foundation. This provides the staff the impetus towards achieving the institutional goals and at the same time enabling them to be transformed in the process.

The rice crisis of 2008 stirred panic among the urban and rural poor seeking out staple food to ease their hunger. This situation did not spare the people in the upland. However, the ongoing Food-Always-In-The-Home project, which was launched long before the said crisis, has served as a buffer thus mitigating the impact of hunger among the TAMASCO and AREIP households in Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. The taro (gabi), vegetables and peanuts grown in their backyard, were timely interventions that have eased their hunger. As one mother in Datal Bonglangon would put it: “We are no longer hungry but still our children will not go to school with taro as their ‘balon’. The children of the Bisaya look down at them eating only taro.” The project seemed to have saved them from the pangs of hunger, but their experience of cultural discrimination continues, even at the early stage of the IP children’s development.

Indeed, this anecdotal story clearly demonstrates the cultural discrimination and economic marginalization that the IPs suffer in the hinterlands. While the Food-Always-In-The-Home (Faith concept) may have creatively restored in them the indigenous way of responding to hunger, seemingly it did not generate change in the way that the wider community treats them. The dominance of the lowland culture continues to dwarf the IP’s indigenous culture even at the level of children. This condescending behaviour of the non-IP children towards the IP children may later affect the way IP will look and value the indigenous food vis-a-vis the “best food” in the market.

During the general assembly of HESED personnel, there was a sharing on how much travel time is spent and its difficulties reaching the far flung areas. In one area, the farthest, one will spend four (4) hours walk to reach the project site. The walk is not easy because the staff has to bring food supplies good for 22 days. A question was raised: “Why do we have to go there? Why not look for communities that are nearer and easier to reach? Two or three staff responded that – “HESED’s working charism says it all: “that we go to places where no one dares.” The marginalized people are in the far flung areas as the preferred people to be served by the institution.

This simple conversation provides an “image” of how the HESED personnel have indeed interiorized the basic principle that it promotes. Their willingness to spend 22 days away from their families is a manifestation of how OND HESED’s strategic direction and its operating principles are influencing the lives of these people. This indeed is the backbone of our institutional affectivity and efficiency – the challenging impact of a challenging slogan of “a presence that makes a difference.” A ripple of commitment that may bring hope to the seemingly hopeless situation – a hope against hope.

A year ago, one funding partner shared that the zero mortality and morbidity of Barangay Tapian, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Shariff Kubunsuan Province from water borne diseases was their selected impact of the month for their country program. This was made possible through the Promotion of Culture of Peace Project that ushered in clean and safe water to the stakeholders of the three (3) coastal barangays (Badak, Kusiong and Tapian). The establishment of the two (2) BAWASAs and their continuing operation indicates that the simple people can indeed be leaders of their own people who could stir their communities into the people helping people with dignity.

HESED is doing compassion; and one that creates opportunities that makes a difference! We are therefore once again challenged by the very spirit of Hesed – compassionately creating opportunities that allows people to become and grow with dignity.

THE GLOBAL CHANGE that KILLS and DEVASTATES TOTALLY

Climate Change or Global warming is the greatest threat facing the planet Earth. If nothing is done to arrest it, this devastating process will be irreversible, thus lethal to Mother Earth. The youth, to whom the future belongs, will be the vulnerable recipient of this threat.

The advocacy on climate change in Sarangani among the youth started last July 2008. Since then activities on Climate Change were launched by the youth themselves in their respective municipalities. Today, all those efforts and initiatives culminate in the Youth Camp in Malungon, Sarangani Province. The culminating activity is a three day affair - January 9 until the 11th of January 2009. This is initiated and organized by OND HESED Foundation and in partnership of World Vision, SPECTRUM and the Third World Network (TWN).

The participating youth comprises largely the Sangguniang Kabataan of Sarangani Province, some members of the Catholic Youth Movement of few parishes of the Diocese of Marbel and those that belong to other NGO/POs youth sectors. They come together to consolidate their different resolutions to further advance their campaigns on the issues of Climate Change. It is hoped that the Youth Camp will provide an avenue for the participants to make a provincial platform to discuss the different resolutions made during their respective municipal consultations on climate change. It is also envisioned that this will serve as a forum among the youth to discuss community-based actions to address climate change focusing on adaptation and mitigation strategies; to concretize youth-oriented actions that will serve as inputs to the development of municipal and provincial level strategies on climate change; and to mobilize the youth to strongly urge local governments to adopt municipal and provincial level policies and strategies on climate change.

This youth camp went through a process: the focus group discussion, the different municipal consultations and were participated by more or less 20-30 youths. The youngest of them was 11 years old from Alabel. The aim was to bring these environmental issues into the awareness of the youth and for them to organize as a potent force for change.

The organizers strongly believe that human activities are big factors in the warming up of the earth or the increase of temperature that intensely affects and threatens the survival of all life forms including humans. We believed that the changes in the atmosphere have likely influenced temperature, precipitation, storms and sea level. These changes have impact on the weather as experienced in persistent torrential rains causing landslides and flash floods, killing people and other creatures, destroying properties and environment along its paths; changes in the distribution of good quality water to crops, livestock and inland fish production, loss of arable lands due to increased acidity and associated salinity, ground water depletion, changes in livelihood opportunities, migration of fishers and communities; impact on Coastal and Marine Ecosystems as observed in massive coral bleaching in various reefs, fish kills and high mortality of cultured giant clams in ocean nurseries; impacts on food security and health risks as many biological organisms linked to the spread of infectious diseases are especially influenced by the fluctuation in climate change variables like dengue fever, malaria sensitive to such climate parameters as temperature relative humidity and rainfall climate related.

Climate Change is an ethical or moral issue. Climate change is a question of justice, responsibility, and common good. For instance, it is unfair or unjust that those who contribute least to climate change are the ones who suffer most. The women, the children and the villages of the poor in Third World countries suffered most of the consequences of climate change. It is therefore imperative that we focus on the ethical or moral principles that center on issues of climate change. There is a need to consider seriously the principle of equal rights to emission tempered with sustainable development. We need also to consider the precautionary principle as we chart our policies and strategies on mitigating climate change.

We are therefore calling our government leaders together with the leaders of other sectors of our society to be guided by these ethical or moral principles in charting appropriate strategies to at least mitigate the increasing impact of greenhouses gases. We urge them to be critical in their ways of doing things and to enjoin the youth in the campaigns to save the Mother Earth from devastation.

Welcome Address To Sisters Congress

WELCOME REMARKS

Rev. Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez, our beloved Bishop here in the Diocese, our dedicated Local Leaders of SOCSARGEN both from government and private sectors, the beautiful Governor of South Cotabato Governor Inday Daisy Fuentes, we have the two good looking gentlemen here the Governor of Sarangani Province Governor Migs Domingues and the City Mayor of General Santos City Mayor Jun Acharon, our religious and diocesan clergy in the Diocese of Marbel, our Delegates, Guests and Friends of the Association of Women Religious of SOCSARGEN, who are here, Maayong Gabii sa inyong tanan.

The 10th MSPC Sisters Congress, is one of the sectoral congresses of the Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference by the Catholic Church in the archipelagic region of Mindanao. This year, the Association of Women Religious in SOCSARGEN is privileged to host this occasion. Like many congresses of women-religious in the past, this coming together of sisters is a gesture of our continuing communion with the Mindanao church who continually struggles to respond to the challenges of the times. Pope Benedict XVI, himself, continues to remind the religious about the importance of such communion. In his own words, he said that “…the consecrated person's constant commitment is to cultivate a sincere life of communion, not only in the individual communities but with the whole Church, because charisms should always be safeguarded, deepened and constantly developed in harmony with the Body of Christ continually in the process of growth" (Message to the Congregation’s Plenary Assembly, Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life).

It is in the spirit of this “life of communion” and “continual process of growth” that we want this Congress to seriously and deeply consider two important things: the context of the life-situation of the majority of Mindanawoans who are poor and marginalized, and the vision of a renewed Church of the Poor as put forward by PCPII, which constantly shape our life as women-religious in this region.

This Congress banners the theme: “Discerning Missionary Presence in Mindanao–Sulu”. It intends to highlight the fundamental task of women religious to constantly discern the movement of the Holy Spirit in our history. There are two aspects in the theme that the host of this Congress would like the participants to experience:

First, the inputs which may provide impetus to the presence of religious that demands the prophetic witnessing in the mission: When our group was discerning the direction to which this congress will proceed, we have considered both the national and local events. On the local scene, we have considered the situations that were happening to the missionaries here in Mindanao, especially during the 3rd quarter of 2007 and the 1st quarter of 2008. We have witness the untoward incidents of the kidnapping of Fr. Giancarlo Bossi, PIME in Lanao and the brutal killing of Fr. Rey Roda, OMI in Tabawan, Tawi-tawi. On the national scene, the anomalous deal of NBN-ZTE has brought into our national consciousness the gravity of the corruption in our government leadership. This display of callousness and indifference to morality in governance has revealed to us the poverty of social conscience that our society suffers today. Added to these are the alarming climate change as dramatically indicated by the natural calamities of typhoons, flashfloods, tornados, and the skirmishes or the armed conflict in the countryside - all of these events and situations are, indeed, “Signs of the Times” that demand our collective discernment and active response. There is no doubt, these life-and-death situations are challenging and raising questions on the quality of our missionary presence.

Second, the presence in the congress that will allow women-religious to experience the inconvenience as lived by the poor, the evacuees and the internally displaced persons (IDPs). The common experience of evacuations suffered my many of our poor always aggravates their already inconvenient life. The violence of pocket wars has driven the families of civilians to live in the household (school buildings, etc) where they are not familiar with.

In this Congress, we will definitely not experience typhoons, floods, tornadoes, and war. We, certainly, have evacuated ourselves from the comforts of our convent. But, not in order, to enjoy the comforts and amenities of world class convention centers. Here, we have opted not to offer you such convenience, but living simply in a manner that we taste the simple inconveniences of not having the resources at our disposal – the lifestyle of the poor. We hope to experience something different within the four days that we’ll be together. We invite you to relive/revisit the Old Testament experienced of the chosen people of God when they camped out/ put up tents and surrounded the tabernacle of YAHWEH – whose presence they experienced in their midst.

The participants of the Congress will stay in the tents for those who made the choice. Tents will be provided but it will be in group of three or four persons in one shelter/tent. The participants who have access to individual tent were encouraged to bring their own. There’s enough space for individual tent.

However, like our poor people who still celebrate life despite the painful inconvenience of material poverty, let us have fun. Let us kick the old habits of comfort and allow ourselves to savour joyfully the newness that comes from the Spirit of simplicity itself, the Spirit that molds a simple lifestyle.

To the delegates we hope that you will feel at home with the simplicity of lifestyle and may you relish the beauty of SOCSARGEN, the Sarangani Bay, the festivity of Yaman Gensan and the T’nalak Festival of South Cotabato.

So sa inyong lahat WELCOME and be NOURISHED.

Ang Tinuod nga Kabag-ohan

Naka-amgo ako nga ang proseso sa pag-umol og gahum uban ug ila sa mga kabus, labi na sa Lumad, nagahagit kanuany og mas lawom nga kausaban sa akong kaugalingon. Gapasabot kini diha kanako og personal nga kausaban sa kaugalingon, kabag-ohan sa naandan nga pamatasan, panglantaw sa kinabuhi, ug kausaban sa paglihok uban kanila. Nagkinahanglan og matinud-anong pagbungkag sa akong kaugalingong estilo sa pagpuyo ug paglihok. Dili kini sayon alang kanako, tungod kay sa akong pamalandong tipik ug kabahin man ako sa nagharing kultura nga maoy hinungdan sa mga kasakit ug kalisod sa mga lumad. Tinuod nga ang inspirasyon sa akong pakig-uban kanila nagagikan sa akong pana-ad isip "reliyosang babae", apan ang institusyon sa Simbahan ug ang mga harianong simbolo niini lahi man gayod sa Lumadnong kinabuhi kansang kultura naningkamut nga mabuhi. Ang simbolo sa kayano sa mga Lumad maoy kanunay nga nagahagit kanako.

Daghan nga mga elemento sa akong kultura nga kinahanglan og "de-learning process" diha kanako. Mausahay, tungod sa akong gigikanan nga nagaharing kultura, adunay mga tentasyon nga mo-papel og maayo sa mga kalihokan sa ilang Lumadnong pakig-bisog. Mausahay diha sa prosesso sa pag-sulbad sa ilang mga problema, mas sayon alang kanako ang paghatag ug mga solusyon pinasikad sa akong naandan. Apan akong gipugngan ang akong kaugalingon, tungod kay nasayod ako nga ilaha kining pakigbisog. Ang tinuod nga solusyon nga mas malungtaron kinahanglan nga magikan gayod kanila ug ilaha gayod. Apan diha sa proseso, lisod gayod kini palutawon. Nagakinahanglan kini ug mas lawom nga pagpamati sa ilang gisulti ug wala ginasulti. Diri ako nakatuon ug unsa ka makahuloganon ang mamugna-ong pagpamati ug pagpasensya. Mamugna-on tungod kay diha sa akong hilom nga pagpamati, nakabungat sila sa tinuod nilang isulti. Alang kanako, kini ang esensya sa prosesso sa pag-umol og gahum sa mga kabus, labi na sa mga Lumad nga anaa sa kultura sa kahilom.. Konkreto nako kining nasaksihan taliwala sa ilang mga pag-antus ug sa ilang mga kasinatian sa pipila ka mga higayon sa ilang kada-ugan. Tinuod nga ang pagsulod niining proseso dugay ug lisod, apan dinhi usab nako gibati ang kalipay nga makita ang mga Lumad nga nanaghudyaka dili lamang sa nahibalik nilang yutang kabilin kundili usab ang nahibalik nga gahum sa ilang mamugnaong mga pulong ug ang katahom sa ilang mga sayaw, balak ug kanta.

Astonda K'naan of the B'laan Tribe

Sa dihang padayon akong nakiglambigit kanila ug padayon nga nakatabang proseso sa mga gimbuhaton sa mga Tribal Council, miabot ang panahon nga ang panagbangi nila sa WMC nagkakusog samtang nagkapag-on usab ang baruganan sa mga lideres sa pagsupak sa padayong operasyon niini. Ang ilang Tribal Council wala mopirma sa ikaduhang kasabutan, nga gitawag nga "Heads of Agreement"13 nga buot unta ipahuman sa kompanya aron nga ang tanang kinahanglanong legal sa ilang operasyon matuman na. Samtang naa sa kahugot ang sitwasyon tali sa kompanya ug sa konseho sa tribo adunay miabot nga usa ka sulat nga walay pirma nga gipadala ngadto kay Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez14 ngari kanako. Ang sulat nga walay pirma nagpanumbongon sa Obispo sa mga kalihukan nako didto sa WMC ug sa akong walay pagsaway sa mga ginahimo sa mga tribo nga may kalimbigitan sa moralidad sama sa pag-asawa sa usa ka tribo sa bata nga usa ka binayad kaniya (lider). Usa lang kini sa uban pa nga mga isyu nga gipanghisgutan sa sulat. Bisan pa nga kanang sulat walay pirma ang Obispo nangayo og katubagan nganhi kanako. Akong gipahibalo sa Obispo nga ang tanang gisumbong sa sulat mga kulturanhong praktis sa mga tribo nga wala na ginatugot sa moralidad alang sa mga dili tribo. Buot ipasabot nga dili nato pwedeng ipahamtang sa mga tribo ang moralidad nga wala sa ilang kultura sama sa usa lang ka asawa o ang pagpa-asawa isip pagbayad sa utang kay alang sa tribo kana kabahin sa ilang naandang pamatasan. Wala koy katungod nga mangilabot sa mga kulturanhong kinaiya nila nga wala koy igong kahimatngon sa gikahimutangan nila.

Samtang hugot (tense) ang ilang sitwasyon sa gawas kahugot sab ang sitwasyon nila sa magsoong Malid. Tataw nga adunay bangi sa mga magsoon tungod sa magkalahi nga baruganan diha sa WMC. Si Ma Dion naay kabalaka sa naga kahugot nga sitwasyon sa mga magsoon. Mao nga usa ka higayon adunay gipasiugdahan si Ma Dion nga usa ka panagdait alang sa ilang pamilya. Akong nasaksihan ang usa ka ritwal nga gipahinabo ni Bong Fulong Ma Dion ang gitawag nila nga astonda k'naan . Ang astonda k'naan usa ka ritwal sa paghusay sa usa ka bangi. Matud pa sa Bong Fulong ang usa niya ka anak nga nagasuporta sa WMC naghupot og aligotgot batok kaniya ug sa iyang mga igsoon. Ug siya dili moangay sa maong sitwasyon nga matud niya dili kana magbunga og kalinaw tali sa iyang mga anak.

Matud pa ni Toh Swee-Hin ang personal nga kabag-ohan o pamatasan ug panghunahuna sa mga lideres bug-at siya sa paghimo og desisyon sa mga kritikal nga panahon sa kinabuhi sa katilingban16 . Ang desisyon ni Ma Dion nga magpakig-uli sa iyang anak usa ka dakung mapainubsanong lakang sa kalinaw sa katilingban ug sa ilang kaliwatan sulod sa Bong Banwu.

Notes:
13 Heads of Agreement
14 Bishop Dinualdo D. Gutierrez,DD is the Local Ordinary of the Diocese of Marbel whose services extends to the B'laans in Bong Banwu Sal'naong through the Justice and Peace Desk of the Social Action Center.
16 Cf. Toh Swee-Hin,"Enculturation of Peace: A Journey of Healing and Solidarity" (Nov. 26-30,1995), p.9

(English Translation)

As I continued my involvement with them and help in facilitating the process of the activities of the Tribal Council, their conflict with the WMC intensified which strengthened also the stand of the leaders against the continued operation of the company. Their Tribal Council did not sign the second agreement, called “Heads of Agreement”, which the company wanted them to accomplish so that the legal requirements of the operation will be finalized. In the midst of this ongoing tension between the Company and the Tribal Council, an unsigned letter about me was sent to Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez. The unsigned letter to the bishop reported my activities on WMC and that I did not do something to correct the practices of the Tribe which concerns morality, like the marriage of an adult member of the Tribe with a young girl for a payment. This was just one of the issues that was mentioned in the letter. Even if the letter was not signed the bishop requested a response from me. I clarified with the bishop that the things reported in the letter pertained to the cultural practices of the Tribe which are not morally acceptable to non-tribals. This implies that we do not simply impose the kind of morality that is not in their culture like monogamy or to get married as a payment for a debt, such practice is very much ingrained in their culture. I felt that I had no right to interfere in their cultural practices because I felt that I did not have enough knowledge about intricacies of their situation.

While the tension outside was intensifying, there was also an internal tension within the family of the Malid brothers. It was very clear that the tension was caused by the brothers’ contradictory stance in relation to WMC. Ma Dion was very concern about the increasing tension of the brothers. In order to resolve this, the “astonda k’naan was convoke. Astonda k’naan is a rite of reconciliation, resolving conflicts. According to Bong Folong Ma Dion one of his son was supporting the WMC. His son kept a grudge against him and so disturbed the peace of the family. And he was not happy about the situation because it would not bring peace to his children. There was a need for his intervention as the head of the tribe. I have witnessed this moving ritual.

According to Toh Swee-Hin, a commentator on indigenous culture, personal changes or the behaviors and the wisdom of the elders have weight on making a decision during the critical times of the community. The decision of Ma Dion in reconciling his children was a big gesture of humility on his part as a step towards peace in the community and his tribe within the Bong Banwu.

KASTIFON of the B'laan Tribe

Sa akong pagpakig-uban sa mga Lumad sa Bong Banwu Sal'naong mabati nako ang hulga sa ilang kinabuhi. Ang Bong Banwu Sal'naong maoy dugukan sa ilang tinguha nga mapawaha ang WMC (sa pagka-karon wala na ang maong corporasyon sa mina). Wala na nila gihatagan pa og paghunahuna ang pag-armas sa pagpahawa sa WMC kini tungod kay nasinati na nila ang kabangis niini. Busa sa ilang mga lakang nagsalig sila sa malinawon nga proseso nga maangkon nila ang ilang kadaugan. Mao nga usa sa mga ritwal nga ilang gihimo mao ang paghangyo sa mga sa tribo labi na yadtong naa sulod sa dapit nga sakop sa gina-angkon sa WMC labi na gyud ang mga miembro sa Malid. Nagpasiugda sila og usa ka dakung kastifon aron nga sila mismo nga mga lideres mahiusa ug mapahimutang ang adunay mga tawo nga murag mo-abogado sa usa ka grupo ug dinhi usab ginahisgutan ang mga kasabutan sa pagbalik sa gibati o ang mga gamot hinungdan sa bangi. Sa kastifon nga gipasiugda sa Salnaong gisabot-sabot nila ang matag-usa sa mga bagay nga ilang hiusahan sa pagdepensa sa ilang yutang kabilin. Ang mga "gray areas" sa ilang pagsupak sa WMC ila kining gihisgutan. Ug sa ilang pagsabot-sabot ila usab gikasabutan ang paghimo og Astonda k'naan nga maoy katapusan sa paghusay sa ilang bangi.

(English Translation)

In my journey with the Lumads in Bong Banwu Salnaong, I have felt the threats to their life. Bong Banwu Sal’naong was considered as the center in their struggle to drive away WMC (this mining company has already left). In their struggle, they did not consider taking up arms because they themselves have already experienced its violence in the past. And so they opted for a peaceful process to gain victory. Thus, one of the rituals that they performed was to gather all the members of the tribe within the WMC covered area, especially those members in Malid. They performed a big Kastifon so that the leaders themselves would be united. Here, they discussed about their tribal covenant and the root cause of their conflict. The big Kastifon was held in Salnaong wherein everyone was consulted on how they could collectively defend their ancestral land. They also discussed about some of the “gray areas” in their struggle against WMC. They concluded their discussion with the resolve to hold an “Astonda k’naan” which was the last ritual in the resolution of their tribal conflict.