What is JPIC

* The JPIC-IDC Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting last December 12, 2007. The salient agenda consisted in the Yearly Report presented by the Consultancy and Implementing arms executive directors of the organization and the forecasted operational budget for 2008 presented by the JPIC-IDC finance officer.

* Mrs Reich, from the Optimus Foundation in Switzerland, paid a visit to the Early Childhood Education Project in Agusan del Sur last October 2007. Representing UBS, the main sponsor partner of the project together with KKS, she had the oportunity of interacting with the direct beneficiaries (parents, children and day care workers) as well as with the local officials also committed in the implementation of the project. Accompanied by Mr Thomas Westermann of KKS and the JPIC-IDC project staff she took part of some related activities and meetings to have a better impression of the actual implementation of the project.

* The Early Childhood Education project in Agusan del Sur was officially launched last August 14, 2007. The MOA signing between JPIC-IDC and the Provincial and Municipal heads of offices was the focal point of the ceremony. The project consists on the building of 30 day care centers in three municipalities of Agusan del Sur, mainly, Veruela, La Paz and Loreto. The provincial and municipal LGUs have committed themselves with their counterpart. The targeted municipalities are considered among the poorest of the province and the region, which turned out to be one of the main causes of the high drop out of children from school.

* The Integrated Rural Development project in Bantayan, extension phase, has been officially launched last September 2007. Fr, Anthony Salas, SVD, JPIC-IDC executive director presided the ceremony and blessing of the facilities.

* JPIC-IDC in partnership with KKS Germany has organized and sponsored a Workshop on Project Cycle Management. Mr. Wolfgang Dewalt facilitated the activity in which the JPIC-IDC Management Team and other three NGO's representatives took part. It was the proper and long awaited venue to level off the understanding on some basic steps to come up with a meaningful project proposal. It also helped to clarify concepts regarding the logical framework, plan of activities, monitoring and evaluation tools.

* The Nagkahiusang Pondok sa mga Kabus sa Lapu-lapu Multipurpose Cooperative (NAPOKALA-MPC) has concluded its 2-day Organizational Planning activity held on April 20 and 27 at the coop consumer store located in Mactan, Lapu-lapu City. The organizational plan was inspired by the Spiritual, Political, Economic, Cultural, Social and Ecological (SPECSE) framework being introduced by Frs. Anthony Salas, SVD and Marcelo Cattaneo, SVD, JPIC-IDC Executive Director and Technical Point Person respectively. The SPECSE framework originated from the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) that has long been espoused by the SVD missionaries in its partner peoples organizations (POs) in the Mindanao Island. The planning activity was well-attended by the new set of officers led by Ms. Aurora Casio. Fidel Mariveles and Mark Deximo facilitated the NAPOKALA-MPC planning.

* The NAPOKALA-MPC led by its newly-elected Chairperson Aurora Casio and fellow officials study-toured the Saint Arnold Janssen Homeowners Association (SAJAHOA) Inc. last May 7, 2007. The purpose of the visit was to learn from the experiences of the SAJAHOA in its livelihood and consumer store operations. Letlet Ruaza, SAJAHOA Coop Manager, shared her organization ups and downs and the challenges they are currently facing in catching up orders of tetra pack-made shoulder bags for export to Germany. She also shared how they prepare their monthly financial report, computation of their members yearly dividend and patronage refund. As a show of friendship between the two organizations, Ms. Aurora Casio presented a few of NAPOKALA-MPC hand-woven doormats to Ms. Ruaza. Before the visitors left, Ms. Ruaza accompanied the group in taking a last look at the houses funded by the Karl Kubel Stiftung (KKS).

* Dr. Maria Spiegel, a retired German medical doctor from Berlin Germany visited JPIC-IDC in March 2007. She spent time with Fr. Heinz Kulueke, svd, as he goes about his nightly journey with prostituted women in the red light district and street children of Cebu. She also had the chance to see the shadow side of the tourist destination Cebu by visiting the dumpsites and the informal settlers area of the city. From March 29 to April 2, Dr. Spiegel went with Fr. Anthony Salas, svd, our Executive Director, in a visit to Agusan del Sur, Mindanao. With Fr. Salas, she visited a district hospital in La Paz, had talked with several abused children in the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Crises Center in Patin-ay, had inter action with the Manobo youth who were undergoing technical training at the SVD (Steyler Missionare) Monobo Development Center in Bunawan, and visited a workplace for the alternative herbal medicine initiative in Veruela. The short visit provided Dr. Spiegel a glimpse of the magnitude of the human and economic struggles that majority of the Filipinos are facing everyday and yet to see also a glimmer of hope that things could change for the better through the small initiatives and activities which both JPIC and the SVDs are doing for the marginalized Filipinos.

* JPIC-IDC is just one of the 35,000 or so registered Non Government Organizations (NGO) in the Philippines. A question has always been asked how many of these NGOs are still operating and if they are still operating, are they really making contributions to the development and progress of Filipinos and Philippine society. This question needs looking into how NGOs are organized and managed in the Philippines. The two-day learning event which the Philippine Council for NGO Accreditation organized on April 20-21, 2007 hoped to widen the critical and practical measures that can be adopted by NGOs to achieve the desired performance standards. That learning event, attended by our executive director, clarified some organizational concerns and issues and deepened the resolved of JPIC to proceed with the PCNC accreditation. Should JPIC-IDC be a PCNC accredited NGO, the immediate benefit would not only be a Donee status for JPIC but a regular monitoring and assessment for JPIC to keep its organizational standards.

* Karl Kuebel Stiftung (KKS) of Germany and JPIC will organize a Project Management seminar on July 9-14, 2007. It will be attended by JPIC project mangers and directors and KKS other Philippine partners project managers. The seminar will hopefully establish a common ground among KKS Philippine partner NGOs both in the understanding and management of projects. A resource speaker from Germany will help the participants go through German project cycle management technology GOPP.

* The JPIC-IDC, Inc. Incorporators and Board of Trustees Meeting for the year 2007 has been held last April 12, 2007 at the SVD Provincialate Conference Room. There were eight (8) out of fifteen (15) incorporators and/or Board of Trustees present, namely: Dr. Filipina Sotto, Fr. Marcelo Cattaneo, SVD Fr. Anthony Salas, SVD, Sr. Estela Parmissano, SSpS, Fr. Heinz Kulueke, SVD, Fr. Maximo Abalos, SVD, Mr. Francisco Lanuza and Ms. Rosemarie Dizon.

The assembly has leveled off the status of Fr. Anthony Salas, SVD and Fr. Maximo Abalos, SVD as only ex-officio members of the Board of Trustees as Executive Directors of the two divisions of JPIC-IDC, Inc., the implementers division and the consultancy division. As Executive Directors, their duty is to manage and report on the operations of their particular division to the Board. In addition, the change and resignation of some inactive Incorporators and/or Board of Trustees has brought about the membership of Fr. Marcelo Cattaneo, SVD and Sr. Estela Parmissano, SSpS to the Board as member and Corporate Treasurer respectively. Thus, the official Board of Trustees will only maintain seven (7) members as stated in the By-Laws of JPIC-IDC, Inc. duly approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dated June 09, 2001.

“Aktionsgruppe Kinder-In Not" of Germany supports Inayawan and Umapad Pre-schools

JPIC-IDC believes in the importance of education in the development of the families and communities. And where else does education is most critical but during the pre-school age of children. In June 2008 JPIC welcomes its new development partner, the “Aktionsgruppe Kinder –In-Not” of Germany. The organization supports the pre-school children of Inayawan dumpsite, Cebu City and Umapad dumpsite, Mandaue City by providing salary to the two pre-school teachers now teaching in the two marginalized communities. The new partner also provides monetary counterpart in the daily supplemental feeding of the children which is being organized in the same pre-schools.

After several months of detailed planning and finalization of legal documents, the JPIC-Social Economic Services (SES) was finally launched on September 13, 2008. JPIC-SES is the micro finance arm of the Economic Development Program of JPIC-IDC. This new project hopes to serve the micro entrepreneur partners of JPIC through micro loans. The organization has chosen the Municipality of Compostela, 30 kilometers north of Cebu city as its base. There are three staff currently working for the project. JPIC-IDC utilizes its organizational resources to put up the needed initial capital. The organization is now working for the possibility that interested partners, both local and abroad, could be part of the project by providing the additional capital which JPIC-SES would definitely need in the next couple of months.

Twenty members of JPIC-IDC's General assembly gathered last march 2009 for its annual general assembly. the function of the general assembly is to ratify the acts and decisions of the Board of trustees and to elect the new set of Board of Trustees. Mrs. Marilou Auman representing JPIC's partner communities and Sister Ewa Mazur, Ssps of the Mission Congregation of the Holy Spirit were elected as new members of the Board replacing Mr. jun Reyes and Sister Estela Parmissano, Ssps who has recently been elelcted as General councilor of her congregation and now works Rome. The present board is composed of Fr. Heinz Kulueke, SVd as the chiarman, Dr. Filipina Sotto, Ph.D as vice chair, Fr. Ernesto Lagura, svd, Fr. Brigido Odtohan, svd, Mrs. maria Theresa Acriche as members. Both Fr. Anthony Salas,svd, the JPIC Executive Director and Mrs. Rosalyn Durante, cpa, JPIC finance manager set as non voting member of the board as secretary and treasurer respectively.

A veteran SVD missionary to Korea, Fr. Eugenio Docoy, svd joins JPIC-IDC. Fr. Eugene, as he is fondly called, acts as the associate director of JPIC at the same time works as the human resource officer of the organization. Before joining JPIC, Fr. Eugene worked in many capacities in the SVD region of Korea; he was Regional Superior, Regional treasurer, Seminary formator and prior to his coming back to the Philippines he was the Regional coordinator of JPIC at the same time act as Director of the Gallilea Migrant Center in Seoul.

Close to 300 people including street children partners attended the project culmination programme of the Street Children Project of Cebu or more formally known as Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Street Children Project in Cebu City, Philippines on March 14, 2009.

The activity started with a prayer in the form of a popular song among the youth, “Who Am I” interpreted through a dance by members of a youth group in Lapu-Lapu City. Welcome Address was delivered by the Project Director who talked about the goals of the project and its accomplishments after three years. The highlight of the activity were the testimonies of street children who benefited from the project from home care partner, Community Scouts Youth Guidance Center and from the community-based street children in Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City and Talisay City. Children attributed their decision to leave the life of the streets to JPIC-IDC Street Children Project that offered them another path through the education support, home care and the various socio-cultural activities of the project.

A video presentation of the project activities prepared by the one of the project staff, Jerwenn Ramos, entitled, “Street Children Project Through The Years” was shown as part of the culmination programme wherein the children and the audience enjoyed and appreciated being part of the project’s history. Heads of the social welfare departments of the 4 cities covered by the project also delivered messages about the history of the project’s evolution in their respective cities and their appreciation of it’s contribution to the betterment of the life of street children. A member of the city council of Mandaue City, Councilor Suico had delivered an impromptu speech stating his awe and admiration of the project’s noble goals for his city’s constituents of which he only knew of recently. The Social Worker of the project’s partner in home care, Ms. Pablita Toring, was one of those who delivered a message during the programme expressing their agency’s appreciation to the project and it’s impact to the children. Fr. Anthony Salas, SVD, JPIC’s Executive Director likewise delivered a message thanking all the children and the project’s partners for their support to the project. He also extolled the project staff for their commitment and contribution to the project’s success. Aidy Estrada of the KKS Coordinating Desk in the Philippines also delivered a speech during the programme stating her appreciation of the children’s active participation in the project.

Children in each of the partner cities and from Community Scouts presented either dance or song numbers during the programme, which was hosted by Mr. Ernesto Parame, the facilitator of the project’s various arts and theater workshops. With the project’s children as ‘stars of the show’, we can say that it was a success for they had shone quite brightly that night of the culminating activity.

JPIC extends its territory as it sets off a new project operating in Veruela. The formation of the team demonstrates the immediate difference that JPIC can make in the life of the assisted community. The recruitment process had started on May 2009 by posting job vacancies for the positions of Project Coordinator, Community Development Worker, Training Officer and Support Staff-Driver, giving an equal opportunity to all applicants. Among the many who responded the application process, 4 were selected to take part and facilitate the project interventions almost immediately after they were formally employed on June 8, 2009. To complete the team, the Area Director and Project Accountant joined the newly employed staffs as they were convened for a 4-day orientation, including the signing of contract and Stakeholders’ Day, done last June 15-18, 2009. Nashville, the Training Officer shared that she herself was deeply honored and humbled to be chosen to carry out the project core objectives. “And this is possible because of JPIC’s strong reputation and linkage” she elaborated. In the end, however, the team continues to credit on the active involvement and positive spirit of the stakeholders. From its lowly beginnings, the team is now showing vitality, an inspiring evidence on how they can vigorously assist the community to become dynamic key players in their own development.

The JPIC-IDC Pre-school teachers together with Mrs. Carmelita Egot, the JPIC Education Coordinator and Fr. Anthony Salas, svd, JPIC Executive Director and the University of San Carlos (USC) College of Education represented by Mr. Batomalaque, Dean , Dr. Cabangon, community extension coordinator of the college and Fr. Eleno Bucia, USC Community Extension Director met on July 22, 2009 to discuss and to make concrete actions towards JPIC and USC College of Education partnership on Community Extension Service. It is desired that through this partnership both JPIC and USC could collaborate in making concrete programs and activities for the benefit of the marginalized pre-school children and street children.

On that same day, the Dr. Cabangon facilitated a seminar workshop entitled “Teaching Reading for preschool and “Integration of SPED and Montessori Strategy in Pres-school and Language Development in Pre-school Education for the JPIC Pre-school Teachers. The seminar oriented and taught the teachers new strategies and techniques as they continue to teach the children of the scavengers. It also helped the teachers do their teaching tasks with ease and confidence.