MABEL CARUMBA, Executive Director at 3rd MTWF at Shariff Kabungsuan Province

MINDANAO TRI-PEOPLE WOMEN RESOURCE CENTER ACTIVITIES 2005-2006

Program Highlights
2. Support Services Program
@ Livelihood Projects
ü Animal Dispersal (Sinawal,GenSan; Datu Paglat,Maguindano); supported by MTWRC and AMIN
ü Lending (Pao-Pao,Sinawal, General Santos City)
ü Sewing (Maligo, Koronadal, South Cotabato)
ü Herbal Medicine Making ( Pao-Pao, Maligo, and Sinawal)
Cluster Consultation and Assemblies
n Samal Women Association (SAWA)- Formally established on October 8, 2005
n MagNoCot Cluster Assembly and Health Consultation- July 3, 2006 ( resulted to formation of health committees)

n Livelihood Training – Livelihood and Basic Management and livelihood assistance
n Assessment of Goat Dispersal project of Damalusay Bangsamoro Women Organization
n Assessment of SAWA’s livelihood project
2. Human Resource development Program
Series of Fora thru radio broadcast: “Kapihan sa Mindanao”
v Forum on Point of View of Western and Traditional Medicine Towards Right to Health (June 11, 2005),
v Forum on Current National Economic and Political Crisis (December 3, 2005); and Anchored the following topics:
n July - Charter Change and ConCon/Con Ass
n September- Impeachment and Parliamentary Form of Government
n November- Expanded Value Added Tax
Seminars and Trainings
n Orientation on Alternative Health Care System- participants from SOCSKSARGEN and Maguindanao (May 30-31,2005)
n Basic Health Skills Training – participated by selected community health workers (June 1-3, 2005)
n Herbal Medicine Formulation Training-Workshop- done in series in Brgy. Sinawal,GenSan and Maligo, Koronadal, South Cotabato
n Leadership Skills Training given to Samal Women Association (October 6-8,2005,Cotabato City)
n Strategic Planning Workshop of KASAMAKKA of Zamboanga del Sur (Sept. 8-11,2005)
n Training of Trainor’s for Mentors – June 14-16, 2004; in coordination with AMIN and National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Women Studies
n Women Studies 2006 – participated by 40 grassroots women leaders (May 30-June 1,2006); launched in partnership with SMI
n Special Women Studies (November 2006) – theoretical framework of the tri-people women’s movement; launched in partnership with SMI
n 4-months Health Training held in Manila through INAM Philippines prequalified eight (8) women community health workers
n Basic Health Skills Training - May 19 – 20, 2006 @ Maligo, Polomolok, South COtabato and May 20 – 23, 2006 @ Sitio Pao-Pao, Brgy. Sinawal, GenSan City
3. Research, Documentation, Publication & Advocacy Program
n Campaign and Advocacy
ü Production of primer on: Value Added Tax, Urban Poor Housing and Land tenure Issues, Alternative Medicine and Western Medicine (distributed to the network, media outfits, and participants to the regular Saturday Forum)
ü Documentation of the status of rape cases in Region XII was also done by the RDPA program in collaboration with Public Attorney’s Office and RTC 13-15.
ü Research on Health- covering the areas of Cotabato City; Gen. San; Polomolok, South Cotabato; South and North Upi, Maguindanao
ü Publication – bi-annual publication of Bai Libon, the official publication of MTWF
Campaign and Advocacy
ü Active participant to the “OUST GMA” campaign of the NGO/PO and founding member of KUMAKALABAN- a political campaign machinery
ü Participated in the formation of the Central Mindanao People’s Forum attended by concerned citizens of Cotabato City, North Cotabato and Maguindanao on December 10, 2005. This is to heighten the advocacy for good governance.
ü Joined the NGO/PO network of Maguindanao and Cotabato in its “Pa Sindol ng Bayan” during the observance of the Holy Month of Ramadhan.
ü Kumakalaban Assembly and Labor Day Celebration
ü Symposuim on Lebanon war
ü Forum on Rhamadan – perceptions of the tri-people on Rhamadan Celebration and Mindanao situation
4. Health Program
n Basic Health Skills Training, May 19 – 20, 2006
n Maligo, Polomolok, South Cotabato; and May 20 – 23, 2006 @ Sitio Pao-Pao, Brgy. Sinawal, GenSan City
Alternative Health Care System Orientation - August 30, 2006 @ Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte
Community Mobile Clinic -September 29, 2006 @ Barangay Rifao, North Upi Maguindanao; and November 8, 2006 @ Purok Mangga, Katuli, Sultan Kudarat
Acupuncture Clinic
5. Institutional Building
For the enhancement of staff skills and knowledge, network invitation for trainings and seminars were attended, to wit:
ü 1 staff attended Paralegal training- September 20-23, 2005Bethel Guest House, Dumaguete CityThe training is sponsored by Women Crisis Center- National Network of Family Violence Prevention Programs
ü Gender Studies - May 3-31,2005, Teresian Daughters of Mary Retreat House, Matina , Davao City. Training includes: Gender and Social Construction; Women and Religion; Feminist Theories; Ecofeminism; Sexuality and Health; VAW and GAD ; Feminist Process in Education ; Module Development
Networking and Other Activities
n Partnership and collaboration with other development agencies were also done by the MTWRC. She maintained and strengthened her relation with INAM- Philippines, WCC-NNFVPP, NURSIA-IWS, OXFAM UK, Mindanao Peoples Peace Movement, Department of Health and Department of Social Welfare and Development. Her involvement ranged from participation to their program activities, renewal of registration, human resource development, campaign and mobilization.
n The Center also assisted in the conduct of skills training in Maguindanao and Sarangani Province:
ü Oct. 27-28, 2005. Ms Margelie Sulanie facilitated the topic Gender Identity and Social Construction to women leaders organized by TRIPOD in Lun Padidio, Sarangani Province.
ü December 3, 2005. Mr. Khairudin Amerol joined TRIPOD in their LGBT orientation to the 50 youth peace campers of LunPadido, Sarangani province.
ü Feb. 12-13, 2006 Mrs. Babes Tanudra facilitated the topic on Women’s Fertility in the two days training of ALMAKKA.
ü Feb. 20-21,2006. The two-days Leadership Skills Training of ALMAKKA was facilitated by Ms Irene Dillo and Ms Margelie Sulanie.
ü Urban Poor Action Center Assembly
ü Sindol ng Bayan
ü Katawhang Lumad and Mindanao Migrants Pre-Peace Summit
ü Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Caravan and 4th Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Summit
Open Forum:
Q: We are new of MTWRC. Can we avail livelihood programs e.g. training on health?
A: the center has no capital but can facilitate for finding for partners. Later plans will be presented and if it isn’t there, we will try to insert your proposal.
After the session, they had a vigorous and lively game “bahay, bata, bagyo.”
CRAFTING ORGANIZATIONAL RESOLUTIONS as facilitated by Mabella Carumba
Carumba presented to participants some pertinent resolutions on Women Studies dated November 2006, MPPM Peace Summit 2006, the Women Studies of 2006, resolutions from this conference, and the women legislative agenda of 2004. Details of these are shown below:
Women Studies November 2006

- Bantay Pamilya- organize VAWC monitoring
- More Information on Gender and Development and Accessing of GAD Funds
- Literacy Institute Program
- Consultation for Moro and Mindanao Migrants Agenda (Lumad for review)
- Intensive Discussion: Domestic Violence, Discrimination and racism, access to health services, economic empowerment and Migration Isues
- Tri-people Women Orientation (develop a module for theoretical and practical orientations)


Summit Resolutions December 2006

- livelihood projects, trainings and education, campaign and advocacy
- address issues on Violation of Women's Human Rights (domestic violence, --0--- sexual harassment, arranged marriage,)
- Installation of women’s desk, education to assert the rights of women (Sulu)
- help in the lobbying to pressure the release of GAD budget for the livelihood
- Help stop VAWC
- Politically empower the women
- Voters education especially to women
- Pressure the government to increase the budget for social services (esp. - --- shelter for the insane women in the streets)
- Organize and educate


3rd Grassroots Women Conference May 2007

Initial Recommendations ( based on Cluster Assessment):

-more education and training
-sharing of resources
-joint activities of organization
- find ways and means to look for financial assistance for women
- Educational training
- to deepen the tri-people women orientation
- review plans
-monthly evaluation and updating
-strengthen women organizations
-


WOMEN LEGISLATIVE AGENDA 2004

a. Lanao del Norte and Iligan City:
i. Make a formal resolution regarding the “Plan of Action” to be signed by legislators
ii. Distribute the gender code which already exists, most particularly the Implementing Rules and Regulations, to LGUs/POs and NGOs
iii. Establish “Bantay Pamilya” at the NGO/PO level; in the province of Lanao del Norte this resolution is already existing, but in the local NGOs and POs this still needs work in order to coordinate the efforts of the LGUs
iv. Technology transfer in the livelihood projects for women
v. Access the 5% from the GAD to use in the municipality
vi. Rehabilitation project among evacuees
vii. Observe International Humanitarian Law; emphasis on women and children as the first priority for security during conflict situations
viii. Literacy for women in remote areas
ix. Health, sanitation and personal hygiene
x. Waste disposal
xi. Violence against women, children and family; support from the legislators must not only be financial but moral as well
xii. Proclamation of March 8 as national legal holiday
xiii. Reproductive health care service access; in Lanao del Norte for instance this can only be accessed by women in the city but not in the rural areas

b. MagNoCot:
i. Make the International Women’s Day as a holiday
ii. Give back the benefits for the OFWs
iii. Give space for balut vendors
iv. Listen to the complaints of the poor
v. L ivelihood assistance for women’s organizations
vi.Implement the 5% of the IRA to GAD
vii. Review policies and program of the DENR
viii. Moro and Lumad women ancestral domain and right to self determination

c. SOCSKSARGEN and Davao
i. Livelihood: hog dispersal and cooperatives within the community
ii. Education: scholarship program for single parents and those with financial
problems, and street children
iii. Health: health education for alternative medicine, and Alternative
Medicine Center within the community
iv. Politics: reconstruction of roads


d. Zamboanga del Sur Cluster
i. Health: The government should allocate a bigger budget for health rather than the armed forces; if there are medicines to be distributed these should be bgiven directly to the communities rather than the local officials
ii. Migrants: government should make an serious effort to make the legislation in order to protect the OFW particularly the women
iii. Drug addiction: there should be a legislation to control the distribution of drugs; drug pushers and users, whenever they are apprehended by the police, must be presented to the public, this however is very difficult to control because the drug lords are powerful politicians and businessmen; give emphasis to livelihood projects particularly for women who don’t have opportunities for livelihood
iv. Center for Women: need for a centre for women with psychological problems rather than let these women wander around and get raped

e. Open Forum:
i. challenge to RWCRC to help Zamboanga del Sur cluster to put up a crisis center in this area; this should be one of the suggestions in the resolution
--RWCRC had actually accepted a case of rape/incest from Pagadian
ii. There should be initiatives to help the Badjaos, especially as it is the women who beg for livelihood. At the moment there is a project headed by Mayor Lobregat but this is just a showcase. First, there must be a study to study their economic situation, culture, etc.

3rd Mindanao Grassroots Women’s Conference Resolutions

Education and Training
Formulate Tri-people Women Orientation
GAD Education and Accessing of Funds
Livelihood Projects
Campaign and Advocacy on VAWC
Pressure government to increase budget for social services
Migration Issue (include human trafficking)
strengthen clusters, establish center and communication
Sulu and Basilan cluster
Research on Moro, Lumad and migrant settlers
paper on the role of women on peace process


A participant asks what the relation of these proposed resolutions to Agenda 2004. The Agenda 2004 was left hanged. How are we going to treat Agenda 2004?
Carumba replied, it’s a raised matter as a process-check. Supposedly, we ought to have a review of what has been achieved since 2004. But there’s a critique that the agenda was not refined. Maybe we should reflect on agenda 2004 or just make a prioritization? What’s the common? Or make an immediate agenda?
Padilla proposed that a technical committee be form to review and refine agenda 2004. She also propose that there should be a paper defining the relationship of MTWRC and MTWF. There ought to have an orientation paper and structures be made. Torres volunteered to draw the basic structure of the organization and the forum. She explained the structure.

The technical working group will be composed by Gittel, Elizabeth, Tata, Mabel and Yennah. They will consolidate the agenda 2004 and the proposed resolutions.
Moreover, there are still organizational things to do. These are as follows:
-relationship with LGU
-create a body to refine and consolidate the agenda resolution with cluster representative
-determine all women issues to advocate for campaign
-TWG on drafting the women orientation
-consolidation of workshop results of previous consultations and gatherings
-intensify gender and peace advocacy and come up with a campaign plan

Election: Caucuses per People and per cluster
After dinner, participants gather together per people and elected their representatives. When done, they also regrouped per cluster and elected their cluster representatives. Sister proposed that a directory be made. Elected persons are as follows:
Representation Per people:
Moro:
Baina Flores
Mouminah Said
Norhata Mundi
Lumad:
Esterlita Lingating
Rebecca Dayen
Marithess Ting
Migrant Settlers:
Yennah Torres
Gittel Saquilabon
Mariz Hata-as

Representation Per Cluster:
ShakiaMagNoCot
Sittie A. Calid
Sr. Lalyn Macahilo
Norena Suenan

Socsargen
Divine Bangonon
Maribel Balonto
Nostarie Bayoc

IC/LN
Renefe Padilla
Mary Ann Vicoy
Josie Taneo

Greater Davao Area
Sitti Hani A. Edres
Manolita L. Barquin
Rosita P. Jimenez

Caraga
none


Zamboanga Peninsula
Porferia Carpina

Basulta
Suraiba Hassan
Nelda Ammad-Bahani
Aneta Jajali

They afterwards crafted a one year MTWF Plan of Action.