Asia Foundation
assures partnership with SIPPAD
By EMY C. BONIFACIO, Samar
News.com
October
5, 2010
CATBALOGAN, Samar –
The Asia Foundation through its Director of Programs, Ms. Maribel T.
Buenaobra, assures the Samar Island Partnership for Peace and
Development (SIPPAD) a strengthened partnership in terms of financial
assistance in the pursuance of its advocacies relative to good
governance, human trafficking, armed conflict management and more
other relevant issues.
This was manifested during a forum held at RSCJ-SHIFT,
Sophie’s Farm in Barangay Dona Lucia, Mondragon, Northern Samar, where
Ms. Buenaobra attended. SIPPAD was positively identified by DILG
Secretary Robredo as a potential beneficiary of projects in one of his
speaking engagements in Metro Manila, Buenaobra informed.
It may be recalled
that during Sec. Robredo’s guesting at the Samar Island Partnership
for Peace and Development (SIPPAD) forum held in Maqueda Hotel,
Catbalogan last September 22, the necessity of establishing
transparency and accountability networks with the Civil Society
Organizations (CSOs) was highly recognized. In line with the
activity’s theme, “Good Governance: A development imperative for Samar
Island”, the secretary shared his leadership experience as a Local
Chief Executive for 19 years in Naga City where he focused on
capacitating the private sector in getting informed and engaged in his
governance efforts. According to him, an existing collaborative
mechanism such as the SIPPAD in
Samar, is commendable and will surely bring
Samar towards progress
and development.
The Samar Island
Partnership for Peace and Development (SIPPAD) is participated by
three (3) peace and development networks namely; the Eastern Samar
Peace and Development Forum (ESPDF), the Samar Partnership for Peace
and Development (SPPADE), and the Northern Samar Peace and Development
Forum (NSPDF). Its Executive Committee is composed of Bishop Isabelo
Abarquez of the Diocese of Calbayog, Bishop Emmanuel Trance of the
Diocese of Catarman and Bishop Crispin Varquez of the Diocese of
Borongan.
Recently, the Asia
Foundation has been working with the Social Weather Stations (SWS) for
the conduct of the 2010 Post-election Surveys that aimed to obtain the
voting public’s perspectives on the first ever nationwide automated
elections in the country particularly with the use of the new
technology to cast and count votes. Ms. Linda Luz Guerrero, SWS
Vice-President, presented during the Mondragon forum, the survey’s
findings. In so far as the consensus of the Filipinos was concerned,
75% were generally satisfied with the conduct of the May 2010
elections, SWS confirmed. However, the issue on vote buying was raised and
the immediate undertaking of a massive values education and citizen
empowerment were proposed to arrest the problem. In this regard, the
Asia Foundation offered to support project proposals that will be
initiated by the SIPPAD.
Moreover, the
“People’s Evaluation of the May 2010 Automated System” held at the
Sophie’s Farm was part of the pubic presentations throughout the
Philippines on the 2010 post-election survey results conducted by the
SWS with the Asia Foundation. In the
island of Samar, the
presentation was facilitated by the Northern Samar Peace and
Development Forum (NSPDF) under the sponsorship of the Asia
Foundation. “It was made possible by the generous support of the
American people through the United states Agency for International
Development (USAID),” Sister Lydia Collado stressed.
