A pleasant afternoon to everyone!

I’m elated and privileged to be tasked by the Chairperson of the Local Council of Women of San Fabian, the Hon. Irene F. Libunao, to share our experiences and learning on sustainable livelihood projects. Thank you to the conveners, the PFLCW, because this goes with a side package of having to visit the beautiful City of Batangas..

A Paper Presented by *CYNTHIA B. SORIANO during the PFLCW 10th General Assembly held at Batangan Plaza Hotel, Batangas City on November 15, 2012.

*Municipal Civil Registrar *President-Gov’t. Lady Employees Active Movement of San Fabian,

Pangasinan*PRO-San Fabian Local Council of Women

 The San Fabian Local Council of

Women (SFLCW) was initially organized in June, 2010 but was formally launched on March 19, 2011 on the occasion of the Women’s Month Celebration with Mayor Irene F. Libunao as the Chairperson of the Council. 

Nine (9) women NGO groups at first comprised SFLCW. This now increased to 12, all representing 7,691 women members.

SFLCW Key Officers:   Chairperson MAYOR IRENE F. LIBUNAO

Pang. Council of Women, Inc.(PCWI),

San Fabian Chapter

Vice-Chairperson MS. MILDRED S. MARCELLAGSP, Pangasinan Chapter

 Secretary MS. MELECIA SAGUN

Municipal DSWD Asst. Secretary MR. HERMINIO M. SERRAON, JR.

School Heads Association of San Fabian

( SHASFA ) 

Treasurer MS. BETTY N. MANALOBarangay Health Workers ( BHW )

 Auditor COUNCILOR HOPE B. AQUINO

Barangay Service Point Officers(BSPO) P.R.O. MS. CYNTHIA B. SORIANO

Govt. Lady Employees Active Movement

( GLEAM )MS. ERNA E. SENINSan Fabian MLGOOMS. MARCELINA D. WALTIDaycare Workers FederationMS. ELVIE M. BATEKALIPI San FabianMS. ROSE A. MAMITAGSan Fabian Public Market Ass.

Women NGOs comprising SFLCW:

Pangasinan Council of Women, Inc. ( PCWI ) San Fabian Chapter Government Lady Employees Active Movement ( GLEAM ) School Heads Association of San Fabian ( SHASFA ) Barangay Health Workers ( BHW ) Barangay Service Point Officers ( BSPO ) Day Care Workers Federation First Ladies League of San Fabian KALIPI San Fabian Seaside Women Association of Rabon ( SWAR ) Rural Improvement Cooperative ( RIC ) Girl Scout of the Philippines, San Fabian Chapter San Fabian Public Market Association

 Let me show you the LCW projects of San Fabian at a glance though this flowchart which you can easily see and understand and how the SFLCW metamorphosed into its present stature.

Goal of the LCW Projects :

To encourage women to engage in projects focused on women economic empowerment in terms of micro enterprise development and capability building.Multi-Purpose Cooperative –It is worth mentioning that the founding Chairman is the present Chairperson of the LCW of San Fabian. 

Micro-Lending for Livelihood Projects and Business NFA Rice Retailing

Insurance Underwriting 

Objectives of the Projects: Multi- Purpose Cooperative

 •To give members access to credit to start or increase business, to create employment and augment income.

•To engage in the supply of production inputs, raw materials, consumer goods and other commodities for easy procurement by members.

•To establish linkages with other institutions for services beneficial to members.

Project Partners And Funding Source: Source of Funds: Initial Funding

Membership Fees - P 100,000.00Cong. Jose C. De Venecia, Jr. - P 200,000.00

Congressman Gina P. De Venecia. - P 500,000.00

Micro-Lending for Livelihood Projects and Businesses

No. of Beneficiaries Businesses Engaged in

 11 Sari-sari store business 1 Frozen Foods 2 Dried Fish 1 Assorted Inihaw4 Vegetable Buy & Sell15 Palay Grower2 Corn Grower5 Tobacco Grower1 Bagoong Dealer1 School Supplies1 Dry Goods1 Beach Cottages2 Dress Shop1 Toy Store1 Goat Raising1 Canteen

  Insurance Underwriting  •To provide insurance benefits to members at affordable costs

•To augment income for members interested as insurance agents

•To ease the burden of the family left behind by the member.

Insurance Underwriting Our Multi-Purpose Cooperative is the only cooperative insurance underwriter in Pangasinan accredited by the Cooperative Insurance System of the Philippines (CISP). It is also recognized by Cooperative Development Authority as Millionaire Cooperative on Oct.15, 2011. Project Description: An Interested member is issued I CARD (Insurance Card) at a cost of P 100 per year. entitling her to accidental and natural death benefits. 

Actual beneficiaries: 1.P55,000.00 insurance benefit to the family of Mr. Lito Fernandez from barangay Sabangan, San Fabian, Pangasinan who died of vehicular accident

2.David Castillo who died but whose insured loan was paid by Cooperative Insurance System of the Philippines ( CISP )

NFA Rice Retailing Project 

- NFA rice is purchased in bulk from NFA warehouse at lower cost. A member loans 1 sack of rice which, when consumed and paid, is availed of repeatedly.

- During initial launching, there was lack of market. 3 to 5 sacks were loaned to 34 barangays for resale. Proceeds of the sale were used again to repurchase from the NFA Retail Store.

- A steady supply of rice especially to low income members and nonmembers.

No. of Beneficiaries - 51 members and non-members 

FOOD PROCESSING •To provide employment opportunities to members.

•To make available to consumers, especially visitors and tourists, products uniquely made in San Fabian.

• To tap the potential use of raw materials abundant in San Fabian.• To be a partner of the Local Government in promoting the One Town - One Product (OTOP) program of the national government. •To augment the financial resources of the LCW.

Promotions - Trade Fairs/Exhibits

- Product Sampling in public and private offices- Given as gifts to officials and other personalities during functions and gatherings. Note: Gov. Amado Espino of Pangasinan bought 2,000 bottles for distribution to officials and athletes during Palarong Pambansa- DOLE support (product display on Labor Day trade fair)

 

 SWEETS AND DELICACIES MAKING

Source of Funds:BALIKATAN - P 10,000 ( investment )Mayor Irene F. Libunao as LCW President

- P15,000.00San Fabian LCW - 10,000.00

Promotions- Trade Fairs/Exhibits- Product sampling during public and private

functions and gatherings

Manpower- employment of 4 regular employees

.

TRAINING CENTER  1.To impart appropriate knowledge and skills to members interested to put up own businesses.2.To make available training facilities for continuous livelihood skills development.  Sources of Funds:

1.Scholarship grant from SENATOR PIA CAYETANO amounting to P100,000.002.TESDA - 6 months supply for hairdressing and beauty care3.TESDA - free enhancement training 4. Mayor Irene F. Libunao as LGU Head - Supplies and facilities

TRAINING CENTER

Fields of Skills Training Offered 

• Hairdressing (haircutting, hair coloring, hair and scalp treatment, and hair rebonding)• Beauty Care ( manicure, pedicure, and make-up)• Food Processing

No. of Trainees in Hairdressing and Beauty Care - 18No. of Trainees undergone intensive training at TESDA Specialista - 9Training Agency - Career Makers International Academy in cooperation with TESDA Training Period - December 2011 to May 2012

No. of Trainees for Bangus Sardines Making- 20No.of Trainees for Sweets and Delicacies - 4

 

PASALUBONG CENTER 1.To serve as sales outlet for goods produced from food processing projects as well as goods produced by members in their small businesses.2.To sell selected products from various small-scale manufacturers in the province.3.To serve as display and promotion outlet for products of LCW and individual homemade products of members.

Source of Funds:

BALIKATAN - P 44,530.00 ( investment )DTI - Pasalubong Building ( P 50,000.00 )Mayor Libunao - display racks and cabinets

Business Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm

5. BALIKATAN

Objectives:

1.To provide assistance to members with deceased relatives.2.To provide credit to enterprising indigent members interested in putting up own small business.3.To take part in feeding projects for children and senior citizens by providing medicines, vitamins, fortified rice and drinks.

Source of Funds:

Special Project of members initially numbering around 800 who contribute P10 each per month to put up funds for charitable and productive purposes.

  5. BALIKATAN

Beneficiaries:

15 members - P 45,000.00 @ P3,000.00 ( funeral assistance )

Pasalubong Center - P 44,530.00 ( investment )

Delicacies and Sweets Making - P 10,000.00 ( investment )

 LCW IN PICTURES

The pictures I will be showing speak for themselves. They are mute but very eloquent evidence of what the LCW of San Fabian is doing and had been doing.

Awarding of P500,000.00 to LCW by Cong. Gina P. De Venecia

MARKETING OF THE PRODUCTS: •Trade Fairs/Exhibits

•Product Sampling in public and private offices

•Given as gifts to officials and other personalities during functions and gatherings. Note: Gov. Amado Espino of Pangasinan bought 2,000 bottles for distribution to officials and athletes during Palarong Pambansa

•DOLE support (product display on Labor Day trade fair)

•Product sampling during public and private functions and gatherings

Best practices on transparency and accountability.a. Periodic meetings for

accomplishment reportsb. Audited Financial Statementsc. Submission of Reports required by

authorities or supervising agencies

SFLCW VOLUNTEERISM:Volunteerism is at its best in the LCW of San

Fabian. Mayor Irene Libunao’s personal passion for the accomplishment of the group’s goals and objectives is contagious and it motivates. Our volunteers are the precious resource we can’t afford to lose. They largely contribute to the sustainability of our projects. They say, in TEAM there is no “I” but in “VOLUNTEER” there is “U”.

Multi-purpose CooperativeMicrolending- 5 volunteersNFA Rice Retailing – 1 volunteerInsurance Underwriting - 1 underwriter

volunteer and 10 volunteer agents

Food ProcessingBangus Sardines - 6 volunteersSweets and Delicacies - 4 volunteer

Pasalubong - 2 volunteersTraining Center - 6 volunteersBalikatan - 8 volunteers

 

We would like to thank the PFLCW for giving us this pat on our shoulder as The Most Outstanding LCW of the Philippines for 2012 , for us to keep up what we are doing or even do better for our women. It’s an honor to share this with the LCW of Dipolog City. Even with this award we do not claim to be the best. Maybe other LCWs have better practice or better projects in one way or another but just that they failed to document what they have been doing.

Having achieved what we had, this presented a lot of challenges. We carefully considered key factors which depended largely on the factual situation, organizational culture, varying attitudes of people and dynamics between officers and co-officers, between officers and members, between members and other members.

The success of our different projects is a demonstration of diligent efforts, efficiency, commitment, cooperation and vibrant energies of people. The vigor and spirit of the women of San Fabian in having pursued its various projects have yielded positive impact not only in their lives but in the lives of their families.

Before I end my presentation I owe it to my Mayor and my Constituents to tell you something where I came from.

Hon. Irene F. LibunaoMunicipal Mayor

The municipality of San Fabian has a total land area of 8,129 hectares inhabited by 75,000 self-reliant and God-centered people. It is dubbed as gateway to the North. It is a place where the mountains, the seas and the plains beautifully converge because its 34 barangays are almost equally divided into 10 coastal, highland and 12 lowland barangays.

It is blessed with pure and abundant water supply because of the presence of aquifer underneath our land. When the rains cascade from the mountains it is filtered and stored in this bowl-like structure underneath us.

San Fabian Church

San Fabian Sports & Civil Center

Senior Citizens BuildingSan Fabian Police Station

MUTYA Park

PTA Beach Resort

San Fabian Beach

Gazebo at Night

San Fabian Beach

San Fabian Lying-In Clinic

Rural Health Unit II

Heritage San Fabian Municipal Hall

Let me end this presentation by way of this story for whatever this is worth to all you.

A man was sleeping at night in his house when suddenly his room filled with light, and the Lord told the man he had work to do for Him and showed him a large rock in front of his house. 

The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his house sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. 

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: “you have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t moved.” Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this?”

“Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.” That’s what he planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. 

What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

The Lord responded compassionately, “My Servant, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. 

And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. 

Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. Now my servant, I will move the rock.”

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains. 

When everything seems to go wrong .............................................

just P.U.S.H!

When the job gets you down ...................................... just P.U.S.H!

When people don’t react the way you think they should ........................................

just P.U.S.H!

When people just don’t understand you ..................... just P.U.S.H!

PUSH! PUSH! PUSH!

P - PRAY

U - UNTIL

S - SOMETHING

H - HAPPENS