Wonders of the
Coconut
By
DTI-MSG-Knowledge Management and Information Service
March 3, 2023
Eating without guilt
Almost 12 years ago, the
doctors made it clear to Leyte-born Andy Albao that he would need to
adopt healthier diet options if he was to fully recover from his
kidney ailment. With his condition, he switched to an alternative
and healthier food sweetener, the coco sugar.
Soon, he and his family –
including his four children – began using coco sugar for their
dietary requirements. However, sourcing affordable coconut sugar was
difficult, and this is when Andy’s interest in developing coconut
by-products germinated.
At the time, Andy was
running a smooth business from Makati supplying industrial spare
parts.
Turning a quest into an
opportunity
The need and drive towards
a healthier lifestyle led to the founding of Andy Albao’s
Corporation - CocoWonders in 2011. Andy’s personal interest in using
coconut sugar led to the company to produce 60 coconut products
including coconut jam, coconut chocolate spread and virgin coconut
oil.
Today, the entrance of the
administrative office premises of Coco wonders in Makati City is
adorned with a range of value-added coconut products indicative of
the many uses of the fruit.
Award-winning export
journey to Europe
Set up with an initial
capital of 2.5 million pesos (approximately $135,000 today),
CocoWonders was already exporting coconut products to Australia
after obtaining the FDA certification by the third quarter of 2011.
Initially, the export revenue was approximately $10,000 per year.
Today, it stands between $50,000-$60,000 per year with 35 permanent
employees providing their services.
The company now exports to all major markets including Spain,
Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland and the Czech Republic in the
European Union, where CocoWonders enjoys a good following.
Approximately 40% of Cocowonder’s production is exported to the EU.
The European market holds a special place in Andy’s heart. “European
buyers are aware and have the purchasing power. In 2014, we began
exporting to Europe as well. We penetrated more markets than others
and have been awarded ‘Best SME’ by the Philippine Coconut
Association (PCA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) two years
in a row, in 2020 and 2021.”
Andy grows coconuts at a rented farm in Quezon, that are processed
at his production facility nearby.
All these years, the family has been working hard to achieve
excellence with two sons helping their father with accounts and
production. With progressive introduction of automation, today
approximately 70% of production is mechanised. While business is
going well, there are some challenges.
“The war in Ukraine resulted in lower sales, but we continue. Most
of the customers in Europe are health conscious and do not
compromise on that.”
Andy is hopeful that the situation will improve soon.
Do that which is needed
The Philippines is one of the major producers of coconut sugar in
the world. CocoWonders produces coconut sugar that is EU organic
certified and compliant with good manufacturing practices (GMP).
In fact, this is one of the first requirements that Andy recalls he
had to meet before beginning to export to Europe
“In 2013, I participated in Anuga Trade Fair held in Germany.
Customers did not buy from us because we were not EU organic
certified at that time.”
He then set himself the duty to correct this quickly.
“In 2015, we applied for organic certification. This opened the
doors for us to European buyers.”
Andy worked with Netherlands based Control Union Certifications to
obtain the required certifications.
Support from government
Andy fondly recalls the support he received from the Centre for
International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export
trade promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Certified endorsement from DTI to participate in the international
fairs, renting of appropriate exhibition space, and support with
visa requirements has always been useful, according to Andy.
Being a member of the Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders
Association of the Philippines (VCO Philippines) was also
instrumental for Andy in maintaining a strong connection with the
DTI to receive support to participate in international trade fairs.
The company also improved its marketing thanks to government
support.
He attributes his company’s achievements in the export arena to
being actively engaged with DTI to remain on top of the latest
developments for Philippine exporters.
Accessing the EU market through the GSP+
The DTI also enabled CocoWonders to register in the EU’s Registered
Exporter system (REX system), a system of self-certification of
origin for exporters wishing to benefit from GSP+.
DTI assisted Andy along with other exporters in taking advantage of
the EU-GSP+.
“Availing of the GSP+ has made me more competitive in the European
market. Customers don’t need to pay tariffs once we avail of the GSP+.
We don’t need to pay for Certificate of Origin every time we make a
shipment. Now we just include our REX number in the commercial
invoice, and we are sorted.”
As a result, exporting to Europe has become manageable for
CocoWonders.
Expanding through ARISE Plus Philippines
With the opportunities available for coconut producers in Europe,
Andy responded to the call for application launched under ARISE Plus
Philippines for MSMEs in Coconut flour and VCO interested in
receiving support on Export Marketing and Market Linkages, including
the EU market.
Offered in partnership with the DTI and private sector
organizations, the support package is providing CocoWonders and
others with comprehensive capacity-building through coaching and
training on branding, marketing, and export strategy and planning,
as well as preparation for trade fairs, including sales and
negotiations. Selected beneficiaries may also benefit from the
support to participate in trade fairs and other trade events,
including overseas.
Marawi buildings – with
a price tag of P10B – are ready but empty
The
Sarimanok Sports Complex, which faces Lake Lanao, has a seating
capacity of 3,700. (photo by Bobby Lagsa) |
Marawi homes remain in
disrepair as P10-B is poured into the construction of government
buildings. Displaced residents are now pinning their hopes on the
newly constituted Marawi Compensation Board. But big challenges lie
ahead.
By CARMELA FONBUENA
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
March 2, 2023
The
bridges and the roads in Marawi City are sparkling and brand new,
but close to six years since followers of jihadist group Islamic
State laid siege to its city center, it’s still the sight of
abandoned and bombed out homes that immediately welcome visitors of
the former ground zero.
Past the Mapandi Bridge, which separated the safe zone and the
battle area in 2017, the pink walls of a newly painted commercial
building stood tall amid ruins. Nearby, a repaired house was painted
a neutral gray. They were few and far between.
The former site of battles is now called MAA or the “most affected
areas.” Life stood still here unlike the rest of Marawi City, called
the least affected areas or LAA, where residents returned and
rebuilt after the siege and new hotels have risen as well as coffee
shops that cater to visiting donors and development agencies.
There was a heavy downpour when the Philippine Center for
Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) visited the MAA in late January. The
first villages upon entry showed the presence of some residents, and
a few tricycles and private vehicles drove by. The humming sound of
electric saw and hammers hitting nails could be heard here and
there.
But deeper into the MAA, there was hardly no one. There were new
gates, but no work was done on the rest of the property.
Most
Marawi houses remain in disrepair. (photo by Carmela Fonbuena) |
Homes in these areas survived military air strikes during the
battles. The government wanted to demolish many of them at the start
of the rehabilitation work, citing safety considerations, but
residents protested. The large graffiti of the names and mobile
numbers of owners on walls pockmarked by bullets and bombs are
declarations of ownership, an assertion of their right to decide
what they would do with the property. A few cases of illegal
demolition are pending in courts against Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM),
the agency in charge of rehabilitation.
Time has doomed the abandoned Marawi homes to decay. But not the
government buildings. They were bright and shiny. New barangay
complexes, which cost almost P14 million each, have been completed
as well as village mosques and some school buildings. The police,
jail, and fire stations were almost done.
Electricity lines were in place. There was no power yet but the MAA
is expected to be connected soon. There were sun-powered light
posts, too. It’s the water source that is problematic.
|
The
big-ticket infrastructure projects are in sector 8 and 9 of the
MAA. Government funds did not cover the rehabilitation of
private properties. (photo by Bobby Lagsa) |
A total of P10.2 billion was released for the rehabilitation through
the years. The big-ticket infrastructure projects could be seen past
the rows of derelict homes, where modern public infrastructure was
built by the banks of scenic Lake Lanao. Many buildings were ready,
but without the residents, they were empty.
Samira Gutoc, an NGO leader, said the residents’ return to their
properties should have been the priority. She has been fighting for
residents’ right to return “without conditions.”
“Each house is crying for help. Naging secondary na ang bringing
back people. Di ba ‘right to return’ naman ang battlecry (Bringing
back people became secondary. Isn’t the battlecry ‘right to
return’)?” Gutoc said.
Not even 1% of MAA residents have returned
Only 100 families have been permitted to return to the MAA after
some repairs or reconstruction, based on data from TFBM, although
residents claimed a few families have returned without government
approval. It is not even one percent of over 17,793 households
displaced at the MAA during the siege.
A total of 953 families were resettled in permanent shelters and
4,916 others are still in transitory shelters elsewhere. The rest
have found temporary homes elsewhere.
Residents
visit their homes in the former battle area.
(photo by Bobby Lagsa) |
PCIJ chanced upon Rashmina Macabago, 57, at her family compound in
Brgy. Kapantaran. They secured a building permit before the pandemic
hit in 2020, but they did not have the funds to repair the property.
She and a few family members arrived with some construction
materials to reinforce a post that was already tilting. They hoped
to avert any further damage to the structure.
“Pera ang problema. Naghihintay kami sa ipamimigay. Wala pa rin (We
don’t have the money. We are waiting for what they will give us.
There’s none yet),” said Macabago.
Drieza Lininding, chairman of Marawi civil society organization Moro
Consensus Group NGO, said many residents cannot afford the
requirements to secure building permits, and not all who have
permits already have the money to buy construction materials. Many
others now live far away and cannot afford to return, he said.
The Marawi City local government unit (LGU) has so far only received
2,947 applications or 16.6% of households in MAA. Even for those who
could manage to afford processing building permits, Lininding said
there were fears that residents who have repaired their homes will
no longer be eligible for compensation. They will need the assurance
that it’s not true.
P10-B poured into government infra
The accomplishments of the
rehabilitation can be seen at the banks of Lake Lanao, the heart of
Marawi’s former city center which saw the fiercest battles and where the
siege leaders were killed. All but a few old structures were demolished
to make way for new buildings. It’s a reclamation area that the city
government said is government property, but which residents are
contesting.
The
Marawi Sports Complex has basketball courts, a running track,
and a football field. (photo by Bobby Lagsa) |
The new Sarimanok Sports
Complex can seat 3,700 spectators. The running track was newly painted
and goal posts were already placed at the football field. It can host
games for the youth not just in Marawi and Lanao Del Sur province but
all over the country. Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra’s smiling photo
appeared in a banner on a makeshift stage, hung during his enthronement
and coronation as sultan, a traditional leader. Events like this
occasionally bring residents back to the MAA, but they leave as soon as
the activities are done.
Adjacent to the sports complex
is a one-hectare convention center that can host indoor events such as
weddings of Marawi’s rich and powerful. Inside, there’s an auditorium
with 1,000 seating capacity. Workers were already installing seats. An
engineer introduced himself to PCIJ to say that visitors were not
allowed yet, but the TFBM staff sorted it out immediately.
The white and green minaret of
Bato Mosque, where the militants holed up with their hostages for
months, now stands beside the newly built Marawi museum. Bato mosque
itself has been reconstructed and has taken a modern look. The Grand
Mosque, too, has been repaired and has changed its color from green to
gold.
The rehabilitation work was
divided into 22 projects, out of which 17 were completed or almost
completed as of December 2022, according to TFBM’s December 2022 report.
The rest of the projects are to be completed by December 2023, the
report said.
More than half or 56% of the
funds went to the National Housing Authority (NHA). It cost the agency
P2.3 billion to clear bombs and debris and P3.17 billion to construct a
road infrastructure, which has an underground facility.
|
Bato
Mosque (front) was reconstructed to take on a modern look while
the grand mosque was repaired and repainted. Both mosques became
strongholds of the militants during the siege.
(photo by Bobby Lagsa) |
The Marawi City LGU received
almost P2 billion or 19% of the funds for the construction of projects
such as the Grand Padian Central Market (P443.25 million), the Peace
Memorial Park (P312 million), the Lake Lanao Promenade (P380 million),
and 24 barangay halls.
The Local Water Utilities
Administration (LWUA) was allocated about P1 billion for the
construction of a Bulk Water System and Sewerage Treatment Plant, but
the agency has yet to begin its work. TFBM Field Office Manager Felix
Castro Jr. said they are expecting quicker action from the new head of
the agency.
Marawi Compensation Board
Residents are now pinning
their hopes on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to fulfill the failed
promise of his predecessor. Marcos finally appointed the members of the
Marawi Compensation Board (MCB), a body created under Republic Act 11696
to provide compensation for the loss or destruction of properties and
loss of lives as a result of the 2017 Marawi siege.
Lawyer Maisara Dandamun Latiph,
the newly appointed MCB chairman, told PCIJ the board will fast-track
its processes. She said they are planning to conduct consultations in
the next two to three months in order to finish the implementing rules
and regulations (IRR) of the law.
The board aims to formally
begin accepting claims by May or before the siege marks its sixth year.
She recognized that big
challenges lie ahead. “We are expected to deliver our mandate to pay the
monetary compensation for the personal properties as well as
[compensation to the families] of [those who are] legally presumed dead
and missing persons. We will also recommend interventions for further
recovery and rehabilitation,” Latiph told PCIJ.
The board has an initial
budget of P1 billion for the compensation of siege victims. The maximum
amount claimants may receive is yet to be determined, she said.
Latiph, who once belonged to
the NGO community, has the support of civil society organizations. They
are counting on her to champion their causes.
Bean There, Done
That: Exporting to the European Union
|
AURO
chocolates, a Filipino company, is one of currently, only 24
companies in the country who are able to export products to the
European Union tariff-free under the EU’s Generalized System of
Preferences Plus (GSP+). |
Philippine chocolate firm
exports to the EU
By
DTI-KMIS Information
and Creative Service Division
January 16, 2023
New beginnings
It was in 2013, while finishing her university degree in Chicago,
that Kelly Go got a taste of an American craft chocolate using
Philippine-origin cacao.
From this point, her career aspirations became clearer. After
graduation, she decided to learn more about this craft by enrolling
in Le Cordon Bleu in Paris for a Diploma in Culinary Arts. This
training further enhanced her knowledge and skills about the food
business.
The love for food, culture, and chocolate directed her destiny in
Germany where she deepened her expertise in industrial chocolate
production.
“We saw the potential of elevating the fine chocolate market in the
Philippines and an opportunity to pursue our shared dream to move
back home and contribute,” Kelly shared.
Responsible production
Their company, Auro Chocolate, was eventually launched in 2017 as a
tree-to-bar chocolate brand and social enterprise introducing
community development programs and premiums above commodity price
for supporting farmers.
|
Kelly
Go, co-founder and manager of AURO Chocolate, talks with
operators of the grinding machine at the AURO chocolate
plant in Calamba, Laguna, in the Philippines. AURO Chocolate
benefitted from the EU’s GSP+ programme which facilitates
the entry of certain products tariff- free into Europe. |
With all beans directly sourced, Auro is promoting sustainability by
working directly with local farmers to cultivating fine cacao beans,
improving ingredients, and expanding retail products with unique and
bold tropical flavours, such as dried mango.
From a team of 20 staff, it has grown to over 100 employees working
towards the export of its products to the European Union (EU) and
other countries since 2018.
We involve ourselves in every step of the process by consistently
working with our partner farmers to enable them to produce fine
quality cacao beans that meet international quality standards,”
Kelly added.
Breakthrough
There were challenges to be hurdled before successful exports to EU
could materialize.
“At selling events, people would question the quality of our
products as chocolates from the Philippines are unheard of,” Kelly
said.
To win the trust of consumers regarding chocolate products grown and
made in the Philippines, Kelly must be abreast of mandatory
procedural requirements.
The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Export
Marketing Bureau (EMB) assisted Auro in completing the mandatory
regulatory requirements for exporting in EU. The Centre for
International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) further
supported the company in organizing country booths in key
international trade fairs such as Salon du Chocolat in France.
The initiatives worked wonders for generating interest in Auro’s
fine cacao.
A plus for the business: GSP+
Sales have increased by almost 200% since the Covid pandemic. Auro
is directly exporting to more than 15 countries with over 40
European chocolate makers using the company’s fine cacao beans to
make Philippine-origin chocolate.
Kelly was delighted to learn that chocolatiers in the EU countries
were using her company’s chocolate products. Being able to export to
the EU means that Philippine cacao can compete globally with other
well-known chocolate brands.
The EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) removes import
duties from products coming into the EU market from developing
countries, thus, Kelly was able to competitively price her products
vis-ŕ-vis other brands.
“Our chocolate bars are doing well due to GSP+, which serves as a
gateway support to the EU market,” Kelly added.
Kelly is proud of her products being able to stand side-by-side with
other internationally known brands, allowing her company to continue
to grow business with their EU partners.
Gaining together
The resultant increase in sales has benefited Kelly, together with
those who work for her company.
“Thanks to the GSP+ status, we have become part of the international
cacao beans market, which led to an increase in our sales. This
means there is a growing demand for our partner farming community’s
beans, thus generating more income for them, while providing a
stable market for their cacao.”
Moving Forward
Auro chocolates is ready to set higher standards of achievement
under Kelly’s leadership:
“We have exciting plans. On the farm side, we are to launch more
community initiatives that are interwoven with our current cacao
program. We are also expanding our sourcing to introduce new,
exciting origins of chocolates. Shifting to more environmentally
friendly practices and materials across the supply chain is also on
the cards.”
She leaves an inspiring message for aspiring exporters from the
Philippines: “Do not feel intimidated when trying to apply for GSP+.
DTI is there to assist you throughout the application and help make
your brand marketable. It’s also a great opportunity for your
products to be introduced and grow in the EU Market.”
Detained mother
reunites with daughter after 30 years
|
Anne
reunites with her daughter Jennifer at the Correctional
Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, Philippines.
(Photo by CIW) |
By
ICRC
October 20, 2022
MANILA – "Nasaan
ang anak ko? (Where is my daughter),” asked Anne* looking straight
at Jennifer*, who was introduced to her by a staff of the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Smiling,
36-year-old Jennifer pointed to herself. They had last seen each
other over 30 years ago. Continuing to look at the younger woman
with some disbelief, Anne recalled that her daughter had a birthmark
somewhere around the nape of her neck. As she spotted it on
Jennifer, they were both overcome with emotions and embraced
tightly.
Jennifer was only six
years old when Anne was offered a job as a saleslady in Malaysia.
Like many Filipinos in search of a better life, she accepted it. “I
did not tell my mother that I wanted to work abroad because she
would have refused to let me go. So, I just left without a trace. I
was sure I would come back and my family would understand me because
I did it for them,” said Anne.
But the job in Malaysia
turned out to be a scam. Anne was tricked into becoming an
entertainer with a measly salary. When she was released from that
job, Anne became a domestic help and then toiled as a construction
worker.
After her contract ended,
Anne returned to the Philippines in 2006. However, she did not go
back to her family because she was afraid to see her mother. “I
thought she would reproach me for what I had done. I convinced
myself to pretend as if I were dead to my family,” she said, adding
that she chose to settle in another village in Mindanao and started
a farm.
Detained in the
Philippines
In 2017, Anne was arrested
in relation to armed conflict. The ICRC visited her at Taguig City
Jail a few months after her arrest as part of its humanitarian
mandate and activities in the Philippines. “We have been helping
detainees all over the world for more than 150 years, focusing on
people deprived of their liberty in relation to armed conflicts and
other violence. We look into how detainees are treated during their
arrest and detention and monitor their health and living conditions.
We also help to restore and maintain communication between detainees
and their family members,” explained Alvin Loyola, the ICRC staff
who accompanied Jennifer to meet Anne.
Anne learned about the
ICRC’s Family Visit Programme (FVP), under the Restoring Family
Links (RFL) initiative, to help detainees separated from their loved
ones because of armed conflicts. The RFL initiative involves tracing
detainees’ family members, re-establishing and maintaining contact,
reuniting families and seeking to clarify the fate and whereabouts
of those who remain missing. Through the FVP, families of detainees
can travel from their hometowns to visit their detained loved ones.
“It is very important because it allows detainees to re-establish or
maintain contact with their families and improves their
psychological well-being,” said Mariegen Balo, ICRC staff.
Anne also desired to meet
her daughter when she found out her whereabouts through relatives.
But the programme was suspended in 2020 because of the COVID-19
global pandemic. When the travel restrictions were eased in 2022 and
family visits resumed, the ICRC scheduled Anne’s long-awaited
reunion with her daughter.
Together at last
In July, an ICRC team
accompanied Jennifer to visit her mother, who is now detained at the
Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City. Anne
said she did not know how she would approach her daughter, whom she
had last seen three decades ago. “I wondered, should I ask for
forgiveness first, or do I just hug her?”
But Jennifer, who had
managed to beat the odds and graduate from college with her
grandmother’s help, said her mother did not need to worry at all.
Even though they had not been in contact for 30 years, Jennifer said
she did not harbour any resentment against her mother. In fact,
every year on 30 January – Anne’s birthday – Jennifer would put a
post on social media in her honour. “The only photo I had of my
mother was destroyed in a flood so I used photos of my siblings and
me for the posts. I used to pray hard for the day that I would see
her again,” said Jennifer.
The mother and daughter’s
reunion happened just a few days after Jennifer’s 36th birthday, so
the ICRC team asked Anne about her wish for Jennifer. “I wish her
more happiness in life and that she may be given more
opportunities,” said Anne.
As part of the FVP, Anne’s
family will make two ICRC-supported visits every year to meet her.
Now that she has been reunited with Jennifer, Anne said she looks
forward to making up for lost time.
*Names have been changed to protect identity.
2021 Eastern Visayas poverty situation
22 in every 100
families in Eastern Visayas are poor
By
PSA-8
October 14, 2022
TACLOBAN CITY -
Poverty incidence among families in Eastern Visayas in 2021 was
estimated at 22.2 percent. This implies that in 2021, about 22 in
every 100 families in the region were poor or have income that were
below the poverty threshold, or the amount needed to buy their basic
food and non-food needs.
Among provinces, Eastern
Samar posted the highest poverty incidence in 2021 at 29.4 percent,
while Southern Leyte registered the lowest poverty incidence among
families at 16.0 percent. Eastern Samar and Samar registered higher
poverty incidences among families than the regional level in 2021,
while the rest of the provinces posted lower poverty incidences than
the regional estimate at 22.2 percent.
Significant improvements
in poverty incidence among families were noted in Eastern Samar and
Northern Samar. Poverty incidence among families in Eastern Samar
dropped to 29.4 percent in 2021 from 40.9 percent in 2018. The
province of Northern Samar, meanwhile, registered 19.3 percent
poverty incidence among families in 2021, lower than the 27.6
percent in 2018. On the other hand, poverty incidence among families
in Biliran significantly increased to 19.9 percent in 2021 from 13.7
percent in 2018. Samar registered 27.0 percent poverty incidence
among families in 2021, significantly higher than the 22.2 percent
in 2018 (Table 1).
Given the new master
sample, PSA was able to generate reliable statistics down to the
provincial level as well as for highly urbanized cities (HUCs).
Poverty incidence among families for Tacloban City, the lone HUC in
the region, was significantly higher in 2021 at 10.7 percent
compared with its recorded 5.3 percent poverty incidence among
families in 2018.
Around 29 out of 100
individuals in Eastern Visayas are poor
Poverty incidence among
population in Eastern Visayas in 2021 was estimated at 28.9 percent.
This implies that in 2021, around 29 in every 100 individuals in the
region belonged to the poor population whose income were not
sufficient to buy their minimum basic food and non-food needs.
Among provinces, Eastern
Samar posted the highest poverty incidence among population in 2021
at 37.7 percent, while Southern Leyte registered the lowest poverty
incidence among population at 21.5 percent. Eastern Samar, Samar,
and Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) registered higher poverty
incidences among population than the regional figure in 2021, while
the rest of the provinces posted lower poverty incidences than the
regional estimate at 28.9 percent.
Significant improvements
in poverty incidence among population between 2018 and 2021 were
noted in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. Poverty incidence among
population in Eastern Samar dropped to 37.7 percent in 2021 from
49.5 percent in 2018. The province of Northern Samar, meanwhile,
registered 25.9 percent poverty incidence among population in 2021,
lower than the 34.3 percent in 2018. On the other hand, poverty
incidence among population in Biliran significantly increased to
27.2 percent in 2021 from 19.6 percent in 2018 (Table 2).
Further, poverty incidence
among population in Tacloban City in 2021 significantly increased to
15.6 percent from 8.1 percent in 2018.
Subsistence Incidence
among Families
The subsistence incidence
among families in Eastern Visayas in 2021 was estimated at 7.2
percent. This means that in 2021, about 7 in every 100 families in
the region have income below the food threshold or the amount needed
to buy their basic food needs and satisfy the nutritional
requirements set by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI)
to ensure that one remains economically and socially productive.
Among provinces, Eastern
Samar posted the highest subsistence incidence among families in
2021 at 12.1 percent, while Northern Samar registered the lowest
subsistence incidence among families at 3.7 percent. Eastern Samar,
Samar, and Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) registered higher
subsistence incidences among families than the regional figure in
2021. The rest of the provinces posted lower subsistence incidences
than the regional estimate at 7.2 percent.
Significant improvements
in subsistence incidence among families between 2018 and 2021 were
noted in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. Subsistence incidence
among families in Eastern Samar declined to 12.1 percent in 2021
from 16.5 percent in 2018. The province of Northern Samar,
meanwhile, registered 3.7 percent subsistence incidence among
families in 2021, lower than the 7.2 percent in 2018. On the other
hand, subsistence incidence among families in Biliran significantly
increased to 6.6 percent in 2021 from 2.2 percent in 2018 (Table 3).
In addition, subsistence
incidence among families in Tacloban City significantly increased to
2.1 percent in 2021 from 1.0 percent in 2018.
Subsistence Incidence
among Population
Subsistence incidence
among population in Eastern Visayas in 2021 was estimated at 10.4
percent. This translates that in 2021, about 10 in every 100
individuals in the region have income below the food threshold or
the minimum amount needed to buy their basic food needs.
Among provinces, Eastern
Samar posted the highest subsistence incidence among population in
2021 at 17.1 percent, while Northern Samar registered the lowest
subsistence incidence among population at 5.8 percent. Eastern Samar,
Samar, and Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) registered higher
subsistence incidences among population than the regional figure in
2021. The rest of the provinces posted lower subsistence incidences
than the regional estimate at 10.4 percent.
Significant improvements
in subsistence incidence among population between 2018 and 2021 were
noted in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. Subsistence incidence
among population in Eastern Samar decreased to 17.1 percent in 2021
from 22.0 percent in 2018. The province of Northern Samar,
meanwhile, registered 5.8 percent subsistence incidence among
population in 2021, lower than the 10.6 percent in 2018. On the
other hand, subsistence incidence among population in Biliran
significantly increased to 10.1 percent in 2021 from 3.5 percent in
2018 (Table 4).
Subsistence incidence
among population in Tacloban City significantly increased to 3.3
percent in 2021 from 1.6 percent in 2018.
Food Threshold
In 2021, a family of five
(5) in Eastern Visayas needed at least P7,819 per month, to meet the
family’s basic food needs. This amount represents the average
monthly food threshold for a family of five (5). This figure is 6.5
percent higher compared with the 2018 level of P7,345.
Biliran posted the highest
food threshold among the provinces in Eastern Visayas with P8,471
average monthly food threshold for a family of five (5) in 2021. On
the other hand, Samar had the lowest average monthly food threshold
for a family of five (5) at P7,342 in the same year (Figure 5).
Increases in food
threshold between 2018 and 2021 were observed in all provinces,
except in Eastern Samar, which registered a -0.5 percent decrease in
food threshold. Biliran posted the biggest increase in food
threshold at 20.5 percent (Table 5).
Meanwhile, average monthly
food threshold for a family of five (5) in Tacloban City was
estimated at P8,075 in 2021. This registered an increase of 16.4
percent compared with its P6,940 level in 2018.
Poverty Threshold
The average monthly
poverty threshold for a family of five (5) in Eastern Visayas in
2021 was estimated at P11,187, an increase of 7.4 percent from its
2018 level of P10,411. This represents the amount needed every month
to meet the family’s basic food and non-food needs.
Among the provinces, the
highest average monthly poverty threshold for a family of five (5)
was observed in Eastern Samar at P12,052 in 2021. On the other hand,
Samar registered the lowest average monthly poverty threshold for a
family of five (5) at P10,525 in the same year (Figure 6).
Increases in poverty
threshold between 2018 and 2021 were observed in all provinces,
except in Eastern Samar, which registered a -0.5 percent decrease in
poverty threshold. Biliran posted the biggest increase in poverty
threshold at 16.8 percent.
Meanwhile, average monthly
poverty threshold for a family of five (5) in Tacloban City was
estimated at P11,564 in 2021. This registered an increase of 16.4
percent compared with its P9,935 level in 2018.
Clustering of Provinces
based on Poverty Incidence
All provinces in the
country were clustered from 1 to 5 using poverty incidence among
families as the clustering variable. Cluster 1 comprises the bottom
poor provinces and Cluster 5 comprises the least poor provinces.
In 2021, two (2) provinces
moved one (1) cluster lower from their cluster categories in 2018,
namely Biliran and Samar. Two (2) provinces, Northern Samar and
Southern Leyte, moved one (1) cluster higher from their cluster
categories in 2018. The rest of the provinces maintained their 2018
cluster categories.
Among the provinces, only
Southern Leyte was categorized as Cluster 4. Three (3) provinces,
namely: Biliran, Leyte (including Tacloban City), and Northern Samar
belonged to Cluster 3, while Eastern Samar and Samar were classified
in Cluster 2.
Massive fraud
observed in Philippine elections
Press Release
June 28, 2022
QUEZON CITY – The
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
has completed its independent monitoring and assessment of the
Philippine elections that took place on May 9, 2022. The main
finding is that the election was not free, honest, or fair by
international standards. It was a classic ‘guns, goons, and gold’
contest and marked by a successful massive social media campaign to
rebrand the kleptocratic Marcos family’s brutal dictatorship as the
golden age of Philippine politics. The return of the disgraced
Marcos family to center stage in the Philippines is consistent with
the feudal dynastic system that is the centerpiece of political life
in the country.
Evidence gathered by the
International Observers Mission
The Philippine Election
2022 International Observer Mission (IOM) was established as a
response to Investigate PH’s independent international investigation
into human rights violations in the Philippines. The IOM has had
over 60 observers from 11 countries on the ground since April 1, who
have meticulously documented the campaign, the vote, and the
aftermath in various areas including Central Luzon, National Capital
Region, Southern Tagalog, Southern Luzon, Central Visayas, Western
Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Mindanao. IOM observers included
members of national parliaments, lawyers, trade unionists, church
people, youth and students, educators, scientists, and human rights
advocates. At various times, the IOM observers themselves were
subjected to harassment and red-tagging by the police and military.
“The observers reported
that the May elections showed a higher level of failure of the
electronic voting system than ever before, along with a higher level
of blatant vote-buying, a disturbing level of red-tagging of
candidates and parties, as well as a number of incidents of deadly
violence. A large number of voters did not get to cast their vote,
and many had to trust that election officials would later put their
marked ballot paper through a Vote Counting Machine, thus
undermining the secrecy of the vote,” said Lee Rhiannon, former
Australian Senator and Commissioner of the IOM.
Massive fraud and failure
of the democratic process
The main conclusion of the
IOM is that the recent Philippine national elections were a failure
of the democratic process. The elections took place in the most
repressive context seen since the time of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Military and state officials openly campaigned against the
opposition by red-tagging the Leni Robredo campaign, as well as
other candidates for Senate and partylist groups. “Throughout the
election campaign, the Duterte government continued its orchestrated
campaign of state terror. As part of its war on dissent, the
government marshalled the entire machinery of government, including
the judiciary, the military and police; and government departments
of education, social services, and local governments,” said Danilo
Arao of the anti-election fraud organization Kontra Daya. The IOM
observed soldiers in Eastern Visayas up to the election day
intimidating people not to vote for Bayan Muna and other progressive
party lists.
The May 9 election did not
meet the standard of “free, honest, and fair” because of these
prevailing conditions. It robbed voters of access to reliable
information, access to voting places without intimidation, and a
credible vote counting system. The IOM has reported election-related
violations of human rights since early March in the form of
political killings, shootings, abductions, death threats, political
arrests, harassment and surveillance of candidates and supporters,
large-scale red tagging, widespread vote-buying, media manipulation
and repression, fake news, and harassment of journalists by the
Marcos campaign. IOM researchers identified that the 2022 election
results were the first time in five presidential elections in the
Philippines that the number of votes garnered by an Automated
Electronic System (AES) president is higher than the number one AES
elected senator, suggesting massive fraud.
Rule of political
dynasties
“The tendency towards a
one-party state evident under the Duterte regime was omnipresent in
the results of the May vote. In essence it was an exercise in para-military
democracy fused with a system of feudal dynastic rule,” said Chris
Ferguson, IOM Commissioner and former General Secretary of the World
Communion of Reformed Churches. While there remain many political
parties, most pay fealty to the Marcos-Duterte bloc. The opposition
was all but wiped out in the Senate, with only one of the 12
candidates elected not allied with the Marcos-Duterte bloc in one
way or another, and 3 political dynasties now controlling a quarter
of the Senate seats. Similarly, the partylist system has been
corrupted by dynastic politics to the point where only a shrinking
sliver of the successful groups represent disadvantaged or
marginalized sectors in Philippine society. “The partylist system
should return to its intended purpose because now it is yet another
failed attempt to democratize the Philippine political process,”
continued Ferguson.
Democratic reforms needed
within the Philippine political system
The results of the May
election are the latest in a series of chronic failures of the
Philippine political system to offer the economic and social reforms
required to advance social rights and speaks to the need for major
reform. These political reforms required to democratize the
Philippine polity include removing the feudal family dynasties from
politics, reviewing the efficacy of the AES and renewing the
partylist system to give a greater voice to the marginalized and
dispossessed sectors.
“For the international
community and proponents of human rights, the results of the
election represent a worst-case scenario. ICHRP’s concern is that
the new Marcos-Duterte government will continue to provide legal and
legislative cover for past and future human rights violations and
crimes against humanity,” said Rev. Michael Yoshii, Commissioner of
the IOM and member of the ICHRP Global Council.
Yoshii continued, “the
return of a Marcos to the presidency and the virtual elimination of
legislative opposition represents a huge challenge for the
international community. There must be a renewed effort to
strengthen civil society and the organizations representing the
popular sectors. A renewal of the democratic foundations of
Philippine society will be essential to combating the pervasive
authoritarian tendencies in Philippine society.” This ultimately
means elimination of oppressive institutions such as the National
Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and reducing the
role of the military in public affairs, both of which played such a
strong anti-democratic role in the electoral process.
Monitoring and reporting
of the international community
“Looking forward, there
needs to be an intensified international focus on the new Marcos-Duterte
government and their ongoing human rights record. The international
community needs to strengthen the capacity of internal and external
human rights organizations to monitor and report on the situation in
the Philippines,” said Peter Murphy, Chairperson of the ICHRP Global
Council.
“At the same time, the
international community should continue to hold the outgoing Duterte
team accountable for its abysmal human rights record. This work is
underway at the International Criminal Court, and in the United
Nations Human Rights Council processes, and can be pursued in
national jurisdictions with Magnitsky-style laws. There should be no
hint of a green light for continued human rights violations under
the incoming Marcos-Duterte administration,” Murphy concluded.
A new leg and
renewed hope for a single father in Mindanao
|
Ricardo
arrived at the DJF office. He learned about the foundation
through the ICRC's social media page. (Photo: M. Lucero/ICRC) |
By
ICRC
June 6, 2022
MAKATI CITY – “My
heart is crushed each time my children ask for something that I
cannot provide because of my disability,” says Ricardo Tapican.
In July 2019, Ricardo
Tapican lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident. “I was riding
home with my cousin and nephew after a long day at work when the
brakes of my motorcycle failed,” he recalls.
Although his relatives,
who were riding pillion, emerged unscathed from the accident,
Ricardo suffered severe injuries in his right leg. “I thought I was
going to die. On regaining consciousness, my first thoughts were of
my children. I told my nephew to take care of them if anything were
to happen to me,” says the 34-year-old single father of three.
The doctors told Ricardo
that the severity of his injuries had left them no choice but to
amputate his leg. To this day, Ricardo cannot believe what happened
to him. “It’s been three years since the accident and I still cannot
fully accept what happened. My disability has made life very
difficult for me as a single father. I feel that the accident took a
big part of me. I can no longer provide for my children,” says
Ricardo, who is from Agusan del Sur in Mindanao.
The loss of his right leg
made it difficult for him to land a stable, well-paying job. And the
money he earned from odd jobs wasn’t enough to support his children,
forcing him to send them to live with their mother and other
relatives. It was a heart-breaking decision and not one that he
wanted for his kids.
“My children are only 13,
12 and 9 years old. I could not take care of them on my own,
especially with no stable income. I tried, but no one would hire me
after knowing about my disability,” says Ricardo.
He tried to go back to his
old job as a rubber tapper, but the once enjoyable job became an
intensely challenging task with only one leg. “The uneven and
sometimes muddy terrain made it difficult to move around with
crutches. Several times I lost my balance and fell to the ground,”
says Ricardo.
Finding solutions
But Ricardo is not giving
up. He wants his children to finish school because he knows that an
education will open many doors for them in the future.
“I had made a promise to
myself not to neglect or let my children suffer just because their
mother and I separated. When I was still a student, I didn’t take my
education seriously; I want my children to finish school and not end
up like me,” says Ricardo.
Determined to get his life
back on track, Ricardo realized he needed an artificial leg. Three
years after his motorcycle accident and following months of
research, Ricardo came across the Facebook pages of the non-profit
foundation Davao Jubilee Foundation (DJF) and the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which supports the DJF. He
learned about DJF’s rehabilitation work with disabled people in
Mindanao.
Ricardo travelled from his
hometown, San Francisco in Agusan del Sur, to DJF’s Davao City
office where, after an evaluation by the DJF staff, he was declared
eligible to receive a prosthesis. Ricardo felt that God had finally
answered his prayers.
“As a father and padre de
pamilya [head of the family], I don’t want to depend on others to
provide for my family. I can’t wait to complete my physical
rehabilitation programme here at DJF and look for a decent job,” he
says.
Ricardo’s physical
rehabilitation journey started on 29 March 2022. The DJF provided
him with a physical rehabilitation programme, including a
custom-made prosthesis. He also received unconditional cash grants
from the ICRC to meet his family’s basic needs.
“I was in disbelief when I
first heard that I’d be given a new leg. It felt like a dream. But
after arriving at DJF, the reality of what is happening started to
sink in, that my dream of walking on two legs again is about to come
true,” says Ricardo.
About Davao Jubilee
Foundation
DJF is a non-governmental
organization located in Davao City, Philippines, that provides a
variety of physical rehabilitation services to disabled people and
people in need of supportive braces, wheelchairs, artificial limbs
or other mobility support devices. The DJF helps all disabled
Filipinos, wherever they may be.
DJF’s physical
rehabilitation services include physical therapy, custom
manufacturing of artificial limbs, providing orthosis wheelchairs
and mental health and psychosocial (MHPSS) counselling for disabled
people. The ICRC’s close partnership with DJF has improved disabled
people’s access to comprehensive and high-quality physical
rehabilitation services, mitigating the challenging circumstances
they face in the Philippines. The ICRC also supports the
socio-economic needs of vulnerable DJF beneficiaries.
For more details, please
contact Davao Jubilee Foundation at 0975-781-7514 or message them
directly on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DavaoJubileeFoundation).
Weaving towards
success
|
From
livelihood to hobby. Twelve years ago, Mary Ann Parado starting
weaving buli bags as a source of income. Now, even when her life
has significantly improved, she continues to weave bags to bring
happiness to other people. |
By
LYNFA A. TAN
April 6, 2022
SAN PABLO CITY –
For the longest time, creating handicrafts has been one of the major
businesses in the Philippines. Handicrafts promotes the Filipino
heritage and culture. In the Quezon Province, one of the most
popular raw products is buli or the buri tree.
Buli is a common palm
found in the Philippines and can live up to more than 30 years.
Being widely found and due
to its life span of more than 30 years, the palm tree became a
popular resource in the province. In fact, it became the inspiration
for the Bulihan Festival every April in Sampaloc, Quezon Province.
During this time, local producers and investors display their buri
products.
Mary Ann Parado is a local
Buli weaver and microentrepreneur who used to join this festival.
She started making buli products in 2010, allowing her to sustain
the needs of her family of five members. Her income from this
business also supported the educational needs of her children.
However, Mary Ann’s road
to success was not always smooth. There was a time when she almost
lost hope. She received an order from three buyers who refused to
make payments. This almost drained her capital.
This is also the time when
she met CARD Bank, a microfinance-oriented rural bank. The bank does
not only provide financial assistance but also access to
microinsurance, business development service, marketing support and
educational support to its clients. She later on became enticed with
the benefits that CARD Bank offers. With the low interest and
flexible payments, she decided to become a client.
Her first loan amounted to
PhP5,000. Because she managed her fund well, she can now avail a
higher loan that she can use in her other businesses aside from buri
making. Her handicrafts like hats, bags and wallets are now
distributed to various parts of the country. She has also started to
customize her products to be used as gifts and souvenirs for
birthdays and weddings.
During the COVID-19
pandemic, she also found ways to adapt to the new normal. She
started online selling of her products, expanding her network
nationally and internationally.
“If my life would be
compared to a thing, it's definitely the buli. Producing a buli
handicraft involves twisting, criss-crossing and entwining. But
after the complicated process, it turns into a beautiful and useful
product. Same goes with my life, there might be unpredictable twists
in my fate, criss-crossing with my decision-making, and sometimes I
might get entwined with problems, but still I know, everything will
fall in their places,” Mary Jane shared.
Mary Jane has been a
client of CARD Bank for twelve years, while her husband has also
been a CARD client for four years. Through CARD financial
assistance, the couple managed to sustain their business which is
locally known as Prado Handicrafts. They have also availed
educational loans for their children to support school maintenance.
For them, the help they received from CARD is enough to keep their
business alive despite the many challenges.
More dreams, zero
dropouts
By
CARD MRI
January 20, 2022
SAN PABLO CITY - The number of young people, who were left with no
choice but to drop out of school, reached more than five million for
the academic year 2021-2022.
Alas,
the COVID-19 pandemic left families bereft of grand celebrations.
Birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries were celebrated with small,
immediate families, more often than not, at home.
The pandemic should have crippled businesses related to food, events,
and party services, but one family in Lemery, Batangas, took the
pandemic as a challenge and came up with a way to celebrate in a
practical, fun, and safe manner.
Gracelda “Grace” Dalisay and her family were dining together, when a
portion of cooked food and camote with cheese were left untouched.
From here, they tried to sell the excess to neighbors who were more
than enthusiastic to try Grace’s cooking. As days passed, the
Dalisay family was urged to hold a small surprise for a few close
friends who were celebrating their birthday, but due to the
pandemic, this was no small feat. However, with the new seven-seater
minivan they loaned from CARD SME Bank, the Dalisay family explored
the idea of using the vehicle to hold what is now popularly known as
a car trunk surprise.
These were the beginnings of Taste of Home, the Dalisay’s food
delivery service that holds car trunk surprises for those
celebrating their birthday, anniversary, and other special events in
the comforts of their home.
A Taste of Success
The family business started in February 2020, ironically, at the
onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to cater to families who want to
celebrate special occasions without breaking the government’s
protocol, which is set to immobilize the spread of the virus.
Together with her husband and her sister, Grace cooks an assortment
of food including pasta, noodle dishes like pansit, various Filipino
delicacies including maja and puto, sandwiches, spring rolls, and
many more.
With a car trunk surprise, not only is food delivered to the
doorsteps of a family, but it also prevents families from stepping
out of their homes and risk compromising their health. It also
brings incredible joy to families in the midst of a health crisis
that affects the rest of the world.
Through word of mouth, Grace’s car surprise has reached different
parts of Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna. According to Grace, their
minivan became a big part of their lives as it brought them a steady
source of income during the pandemic.
“The car we loaned is a blessing to us. We are grateful to CARD SME
Bank for giving us a chance to own a car that we have never dreamt
of using for our business. With the grace of God, we have never
lacked anything because of this. I am really grateful,” Grace said.
Through her son, Grace and her family availed the Drive Ur Wheels
car loan amounting to P1,000,000 from CARD SME Bank, a
full-fledged thrift bank that provides financial assistance,
microinsurance, and other community development programs to
microentrepreneurs and their family.
The Journey with CARD
Grace has been a client of CARD since 2007. From CARD, Inc., she was
then transitioned later to CARD SME Bank. Therefore, CARD has been a
witness to her journey from being an overseas Filipino worker to a
cook in a small restaurant in Mahayahay in Lemery, Batangas, to
finally being a businesswoman of her own car trunk surprise service.
CARD was also present in her children’s life, particularly with her
second youngest son, Victor Manuel, who was a recipient of the
educational loan during his time at Batangas Science High School.
Aside from these milestones, Grace is also now an authorized
konek2CARD Agent in their community since May 2021. A konek2CARD
Agent is a trusted partner of CARD in bringing konek2CARD, its
mobile banking service, closer to clients in the community. Through
agents like Grace, clients of CARD SME Bank can withdraw, deposit,
pay their bills, and settle their weekly dues without going to the
bank.
Grace is currently holding 14 centers with a total of P250,000
collected payments weekly and P1,000,000 monthly. Through
konek2CARD, Grace earns an extra income that she uses for leisure
activities to bond with her husband and their children.
If there is one thing the Dalisays are good at, it is celebrating
small wins in life and sharing their family’s love and joy with
other people. With Taste of Home, Grace and her family believe that
people can still celebrate and create memories with their loved ones
even in the midst of adversities.
Braving storms; One
Paborita at a time
By
CARD MRI
August 27, 2021
SAN PABLO CITY – The outpouring rain brought by Typhoon Glenda may have torn through
the Philippines in 2014, but it has also watered the beginnings of Fadullo’s Bakery and their paborita business. Specializing in soft
bread, Irene Fadullo and her husband have been in the baking
business in Lipa City, Batangas since 2008. Four years later, the
couple ventured into baking paborita crackers, but it did not become
popular in the market instantly. They lacked the necessary permits
to continue the production of the paborita.
However, opportunity stormed through the Fadullos as they weathered
Typhoon Glenda with fresh will and perseverance. As a great demand
for paborita dominated the market, the Fadullos worked day and night
through the power cut in Lipa, Batangas to produce their biscuits.
At first, they had to leave one bundle (100 pcs.) of paborita in the
market and wait for a call to retrieve their unsold crackers back to
their bakery. One day, an unexpected call came asking for more
paborita to be delivered to them.
From then on, the Fadullos started delivering 30 bundles to the
market every week. As their production grew, their need for extra
capital also intensified. They sought the help of CARD SME Bank in
growing their business, starting with a P2,000 loan which helped
them to purchase flour. To increase their production, they decided
to loan P10,000 to buy a secondhand oven. This helped them in
constantly supplying their growing market for paborita.
Now, the Fadullos have increased their capacity by employing their
relatives as well as students with their parents’ consent. This
allows them to provide a source of living to their community and
train the youth to prepare them for their future.
The Fadullos are also now using 31 ovens to help them with their
production. Now, they create 432 bundles of paborita every day.
Walking with CARD has also led the Fadullos to cross paths with
CARD-Business Development Service Foundation, Inc. (CARD-BDSFI)
which helped them improve their facility and secure their
accreditation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Aside
from this, the Fadullos were also introduced to Mga Likha Ni Inay (MLNI)
which supports underprivileged communities through the promotion of
their local products. With the Fadullo’s excellent performance and
contribution to their community, the couple became an awardee in
Pagkilala sa mga Likha ni Inay as the “Gawad Maunlad” in 2017, which
won them P50,000 and a computer package.
Because of the relationship they have built, the Fadullos also
supplied paborita to MLNI that continually promotes and sells their
products to its market. Hijos Tours also integrated the Fadullos
paborita to their travel boxes, proof that CARD has absorbed the
paborita as one of its staple products.
Irene also appreciates the programs offered by CARD to its clients.
“CARD has various programs that will help every individual grow.
Aside from absorbing our products, they also provide trainings on
financial management which helped us greatly,” Irene shared.
However, the pandemic became one more storm they had to overcome to
succeed. The COVID-19 pandemic birthed not only health-related
problems but also competitors who do not have permits but sell
paborita at a cheaper price. Because of this, the Fadullo’s
customers have set their sights on different paborita suppliers. To
counter this problem, Irene set up their own Facebook page where
customers may order paborita when not available in the market.
“As an entrepreneur, you need to know the kind of business you are
dealing with,” Irene said. She continued, “More importantly, you
should trust the product you are selling. You should not give up
easily,” Irene concluded.
With the Fadullo’s dedication and their unceasing mission to grow
their business, the Lipa-based bakery is sure to conquer storms one
paborita at a time.
For two mothers,
justice harder to reach amid pandemic
Two
mothers share how it feels to be prisoners of misery. On top of the
uncertainties brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, Marites Asis
agonizes over how the justice system has treated her daughter and
her late granddaughter, baby River, while Barbara Ruth Angeles has
to endure the loss of a daughter to sickness while seeking justice
for her son, who’s been in jail for months.
By
AIE BALAGTAS SEE
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
December 2, 2020
The wheels of justice are
grinding exceedingly slow for Marites Asis and Barbara Ruth Angeles.
Marites is the mother of
Reina Mae “Ina” Nasino, an urban poor leader who was arrested in
Manila in November 2019. Ina learned she was pregnant weeks before
her transfer to Manila City Jail and gave birth to baby River on
July 1, only to be separated from her newborn after a month.
Marites became worried not
only over Ina’s freedom and safety, but also over baby River’s
health. River, who was dependent on formula milk and donations from
the milk bank, was confined at the Philippine General Hospital after
contracting pneumonia in September. Baby River’s death sparked
public outrage as Ina was not allowed to visit the hospital and was
given only six hours to say goodbye to her baby.
Painter Barbara Ruth
Angeles has a similar story. It’s been months since she last saw her
son Inno, who was arrested on what she said were trumped-up drug
charges in Quezon City in 2018. To add to her misery, Inno’s older
and only sister died of bladder problems in August.
Inno was not able to say
goodbye.
Barbara Ruth has yet to
properly mourn the sudden passing of her eldest child as she is busy
earning a living while finding ways to free Inno. Barbara Ruth is
also busy taking care of her 12-year-old granddaughter, who is now
an orphan.
Marites and Barbara Ruth
are free but mired in misery that could only be cured by the
delivery of justice.
Here are their stories, in
their own words.
Justice is heavy handed for Reina Mae
Nasino and baby River
By
Marites Asis (as told to Aie
Balagtas See)
I found out that my
daughter Ina was pregnant the same time Covid-19 struck. I felt the
weight of heaven crash down on me.
I couldn’t give an
interview without crying. At night, I even cry myself to sleep.
You’d think I was crazy.
I learned about my
daughter’s pregnancy in February, a few weeks before the police were
set to transfer her to Manila City Jail.
That’s why when lockdowns
were imposed, I was anxious. You need social distancing, but they’re
cramped in a dormitory that houses 111 people.
It seemed risky for my
daughter to be pregnant and at the same time detained in jail, where
she could catch the virus.
I was asleep when Ina was
arrested [on Nov. 5, 2019]. Someone went to my house at about 5 a.m.
and told me about Ina’s arrest. The person said she was taken to the
CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) office in Manila
Police District (MPD). In short, I rushed to MPD around 5 a.m.
I was hysterical.
I went to Ate Vicky, my
older sister, the woman who raised all of us, including Ina. We
consider her our mother.
Ate Vicky said we should
go to MPD. At MPD headquarters, however, they did not allow us to
see Ina immediately.
Investigators were asking
them if they really owned those guns.
I was furious.
The police planted
evidence against Ina. I know my daughter. They planted guns and
grenades. During the arrest, the cops covered their faces with
pillows. Who in his right mind would do that to our youth?
It hurts so much to see
your child in jail.
You couldn’t even go out
because of coronavirus. You’re stuck at home. Anxious and worried.
Before coronavirus hit, I
would visit her in jail every day. I never missed a visit until
visitation rights were cancelled last March.
With the lockdown in
place, I felt helpless.
I always wonder how my
daughter is doing. Is she eating well? Can she take a shower in
private or do they take showers in groups?
I pity my daughter.
Because of the virus, we
could not see each other, especially when she was still pregnant.
Covid-19 exacerbated my pain.
She said maybe I could see
her again in October.
It’s difficult. It’s
really, really difficult. I couldn’t sleep at night. I would always
think of her. She would talk to us through video calls, and we were
happy to see her tummy grow.
But I felt so guilty. I
couldn’t take care of my own daughter.
Ina was supposed to give
birth on July 10 but she gave birth nine days early, on July 1.
I didn't even see her at
the hospital.
I was asleep. A jail
personnel called me at midnight. She instructed me to go to Fabella
Hospital as Ina was about to give birth.
I rushed to Ate Vicky once
again. Together we went to Fabella, hoping we could be by my
daughter’s side on that important day.
When we got there, the
hospital administration said visitors were not allowed because of
their Covid-19 protocols.
Anyway, the hospital said
Ina had given birth.
Ate Vicky and I went back
to Fabella on July 3 to bring diapers and water for the baby.
The security guards said
my daughter was still there. They didn’t allow us to see her, so we
asked if they could hand the package over to Ina.
On our way home, about
noontime, Ate Vicky’s phone rang. It was Ina. She said the baby was
crying because she could not produce milk. The baby was hungry.
It baffled us because we
thought she was still in the hospital. Ina said they returned to
jail on July 2.
No one told us. We just
found out. That gave us another bout of sharp pain.
The security guards played us for fools!
We attended to Ina first. When we reached the city jail, we were
told the baby was already given formula milk.
Then we stormed Fabella Hospital to confront the guards. We demanded
that they return the diapers and water. Those belong to us.
They didn’t even want to return the water and diapers, so I
complained at the hospital’s information center.
I last saw Ina when she handed the baby to us on [Aug. 13].
We barely met her. We were not supposed to see Ina. I just asked the
warden if I could have a glimpse of my daughter.
How do I feel? I’m filled with pain. I can witness the suffering of
my child.
I felt that Ina and my granddaughter did not want to be separated
from each other.
How I feel about Ina is the same with how she feels about my
granddaughter.
I don’t know why they treated her that way. As a mother, I felt
hurt. I don’t know how to explain it. She is not convicted yet.
It was painful to watch them [policemen and jail guards] surround my
daughter. It’s okay if they made her wear PPE (personal protective
equipment) because she needed to go back to jail. But to handcuff
her? As if it’s not a wake.
I have yet to move on.
I skip social media posts that remind me of what happened because
they bring back memories of when she was handcuffed at the wake. She
was looking at her child. She was not able to come close to her
infant’s coffin.
Then there’s the memory of men with high-powered guns barging in to
inspect the room and the toilet because they were afraid of getting
outfoxed.
You see? They did not give us the chance to bond.
That day, I ran out of tears to cry. All I could do was call them
out.
I didn’t have any tears left to cry after seeing my daughter’s
situation.
It was difficult to cry because I was enraged. I asked them to leave
the room because we didn’t need guns there.
They didn’t have to guard the burial. There were so many of them
that they outnumbered the mourners.
I tried to appeal to their hearts. I told them we knew it was an
order and we couldn’t do anything. Just the same I hoped they
realized it was a burial and a mother would be separated from her
child.
I only wish they had thought of that.
During our last conversation at the cemetery, Ina told me: “Ma, it’s
okay to put the baby inside the niche.”
Ina held my hand twice: during the wake and during the burial.
She told me: “Ma, give me your hand.” She held it tight.
She was trying to tell me that I needed to be strong. I told her:
“Be strong, we will fight back.”
Postscript:
I’m okay. But it’s not easy to forget because the trauma is still
there. I can go to work now.
Ina said it’s not yet the end of everything.
I filed a legal complaint over what they did during the baby's wake
and burial. How will I attain justice if I don’t complain? This
should serve them a lesson because they must not treat other people
the way they treated us.
Baby River died of pneumonia on Oct. 9. The court gave Reina Mae a
couple of three-hour furloughs to bid her child goodbye. The first
was to visit the wake, the second was to bury her child.
Not even an inch of her skin was able to touch River’s coffin. She
was made to wear a full hazmat suit during the visits because of the
threat of Covid-19. She was in handcuffs most of the time and was
surrounded by heavily armed government forces.
Their family was never given a chance to grieve.
Legal shortcuts in the drug war: From
‘palit-ulo’ to ‘amin-laya’
By
Barbara Ruth Angeles (as told to
Aie Balagtas See)
My son Inno will enter
into a plea-bargain agreement. I don’t have any choice left. I have
to take him out of jail.
My son does not want it,
but I have no choice. How else are we going to set him free? That
was why we opted for “amin-laya” (plea bargain).
The advice came from
lawyers and BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) personnel.
They said it’s his first offense anyway.
I’m worried for my son, of
course, as entering into a plea bargain means having a permanent
criminal record. It’s similar to being convicted already, although
he is innocent.
But my son’s case has been
pending in court for two years. Within that period we only had about
four hearings even if the court had released a monthly schedule.
Reset. Reset. Reset.
Since my son couldn’t
prove his innocence in court, I told him that once he’s free, it’s
up to him to prove to himself that he’s not what the government had
accused him of.
Besides, the cops offered
this solution to us before, and they promised us they wouldn’t
oppose it.
I can take better care of
my son if he’s with me. I can tell him, “Don’t go out, don’t go with
these people.”
I just want this problem
to end. We’re all suffering because of it.
Then, there’s the
pandemic. The BJMP does not tell us the exact number of inmates
infected with Covid-19. It’s difficult because it’s congested there.
Actually, I had to take
risks and buy my son a P15,000 kubol (hut) so he could have his own
space, and that’s just plywood about a quarter of a meter in size.
It is very expensive
inside city jails. You’re aware of this: If you are poor, you will
starve to death inside our jails.
Since visitation rights
are suspended, my son and I communicate with each other through
phone calls. Imagine this: to get in touch with me, he needs to buy
call cards worth P100 for P300. The BJMP asks you to buy the call
cards from them.
I won’t tell you the exact
amount that I spend on my son but his budget for a week is my budget
for two weeks.
I don’t know what else
could happen. That’s why I said, “Son, just plead guilty.”
My son was arrested on May
3 (2018). Arrests of drug suspects spiked during that period because
of the drug war “quota”. I learned about that so-called quota from
the BJMP personnel. They blamed it for their population boom.
Go back to the day Galas
police station was raided over an extortion case. That’s how we
learned Inno was there.
At first, we had no idea
that Inno had been arrested. We looked for him in barangay halls and
police stations. We reported him as missing because we couldn’t
reach his phone.
I kept crying.
My daughter and I searched
everywhere. I thought he was killed because deaths related to bike
theft were rampant those days, so we scoured hospitals and funeral
parlors.
I posted about our search
for Inno on Facebook. One of my school batchmates advised me to
report it to 8888. I reported it to the Duterte hotline 8888 but it
was not able to help us.
On May 4, Galas Police
Station was raided over an extortion case involving its
anti-narcotics team.
A police investigator called me and said: “Go to Galas Police
Station immediately. Your son is here. Bring food and clothes.”
I was shocked. How did he
end up there?
No one entertained me at
the police station until I lost my cool.
Someone from GMA News told
me to get a good lawyer.
At that time, hiring a
private lawyer cost P300,000. Our case got delayed because we
couldn’t find one. Some were too old. His grandmother found someone
but I think he’s from Aklan.
We couldn’t grasp what was
happening. We were desperate to find a lawyer. It was mental
torture. We weren’t used to this. It was the first time someone in
the family got involved in a court case.
The most enraging part was
my son didn’t violate any law.
You know, initially, the
police didn’t even have a record of his arrest.
I talked to detainees and
some policemen at Galas. I learned that the SAID (Station
Anti-Illegal Drugs Division) cops were supposed to kill Inno as a
replacement for big fish that they’re extorting money from.
The policemen in Galas
said my son was intended for “palit-ulo.” (Palit-ulo, which
literally means head-swapping, is a scheme in which a drug suspect
gets freedom in exchange for ratting out on his or her suppliers.)
They said it was for a
“zero-zero.” You know zero-zero?
That meant they would kill
him.
The policemen tortured my
son.
I have evidence, including
the medico-legal report, and X-ray and CT scan results.
At the hospital, the
doctor said he had fractured ribs. They also saw a “metallic
forensic” in his left leg.
The doctor did not want
him to leave, but Galas police did not allow him to be operated on.
Despite his fractures and injuries, Galas turned him over to the
city jail.
We lost the chance to have
him treated. His wounds eventually healed in jail.
You asked how I’m doing?
It’s the first time
someone asked me that question.
Well, I’m not… I’m not
okay. I try to do my normal routine but emotionally, no, I’m not
okay. My daughter died in August while my son is in jail. She’s my
eldest and the only one I could rely on to deal with this problem.
We were able to get hold
of the CCTV [showing Inno’s illegal arrest] because of her.
I still couldn’t accept
that my daughter had passed away.
Inno was not able to say
goodbye. They had not seen each other for two years.
She was sick but was not
confined. Her resistance was down and I was afraid that she might
catch the virus in the hospital.
My daughter left behind
three children. The eldest child, an 11-year-old girl, does not have
a father. I’m taking care of her.
My granddaughter is
already worried that her life will fall apart if something happens
to me. I told her, nothing’s going to happen to me because I still
have a purpose in life.
I have faith in the Lord.
I never questioned God for
everything that I’m going through. I know he will not give me these
trials if I cannot overcome them.
I’m trying to be strong
for my son and for my granddaughter. If I falter, who would be
strong for them.
But it’s difficult.
Postscript:
I think my daughter is
guiding me. I feel better now. I started painting again 40 days
after her death.
I used to paint with dark
colors, colors that you can associate with death. This time, I’m
using positive and vibrant colors. My artwork seems alive.
Do I have peace of mind?
No. I can only have peace
of mind when my son is finally with me. -- PCIJ, December 2020
Aie
Balagtas See is a freelance journalist working on human rights
issues. Follow her on Twitter (@AieBalagtasSee) or email her at
aie.bsee@gmail.com for comments.
Inspired by The Marshall Project's Life Inside, Marites' and
Barbara's stories are part of PCIJ’s series on the criminal justice
system, which includes first-person accounts from current and former
detainees and their family members.
A
Dumagat woman breastfeeds her six-month-old baby while
waiting for their sitio’s turn to line up for relief
goods. |
Promotion,
protection of breastfeeding practices reap rewards
By
ANGELICA CARBALLO PAGO
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
October 21, 2020
Exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0 to 5.9 months has nearly
doubled, from 30 percent in 2003 to 58 percent in 2019.
Women should still
breastfeed despite the pandemic, even those found to be positive for
Covid-19, according to a Department of Health (DOH) memorandum. This
shows how the government has been relentless in promoting
breastfeeding in the face of a formidable opponent – milk
manufacturing giants who have made their way into the consciousness
of Filipino mothers through massive advertising.
Despite the passage of the Milk Code 33 years ago, myths and
unfounded beliefs persist amid aggressive promotions by milk
manufacturers that claim to give a child advantage in terms of
health and IQ points.
Only 35.1 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed until 5 months
of age, according to the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey of
the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition
Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), although exclusive breastfeeding
percentages have been increasing since 2003, but took a dip in 2015.
Nathalie Verceles, director of the University of the Philippines
Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, said the Milk Code was meant
to protect the interest of mothers and babies from aggressive
marketing strategies of formula milk companies. (See related story:
Milk and the pandemic: Milk Code confusion cripples LGUs response
for infants)
Mothers need support, according to Save the Children Philippines
health and nutrition adviser Dr. Amado Parawan. A mother’s decision
to breastfeed, he said, predates the birth of the child and will
depend on what she believes – or is made to believe. This decision
can also be affected by the support she gets – or doesn’t get – from
home, work and community.
|
Maryjoy
Mota shows the bottle used to feed baby Pia, when her family was
able to scrape a few hundred pesos to buy formula milk. |
Here’s a timeline of breastfeeding policies and how they have
influenced breastfeeding rates.
May 1981 – The International Code on Marketing of Breastmilk
Substitutes is adopted by the World Health Assembly. The aim is to
protect and promote breastfeeding by ensuring appropriate marketing
and distribution of breastmilk substitutes.
20 October 1986 – President Corazon Aquino signs Executive Order 51
or the Milk Code with its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
The Code regulates advertising of breastmilk substitutes, including
infant formula, other milk products, foods and beverages, feeding
bottles and teats.
1990 – Guided by the World Health Assembly resolutions, which state
that “follow-on or follow-up formulas are unnecessary because after
six months the baby starts to take complementary foods together with
sustained breastfeeding,” improvements were introduced on the IRR,
such as the ban on follow-on formulas. This was prompted by the 1987
Wyeth's invention of follow-on milk for children aged six months and
above that undermined the importance of breastfeeding. When the Milk
Code was being drafted, follow-on milk was not yet invented.
“Complementary food” includes food that is part of the local
culture.
2 June 1992 – The Rooming-In and Breast-Feeding Act, Republic Act
(RA) 7600, is passed, provides legal basis for rooming-in as a
national policy to encourage, protect and support breastfeeding.
2003 – The exclusive breastfeeding percentage among infants 0-5.9
months stands at 29.7 percent.
2004 – The Task Force Milk Code begins discussion and debate on the
first draft of the revised IRR of the Milk Code. Among those
consulted was Swiss multinational Nestlé, who represented formula
milk companies.
23 May 2005 – DOH Administrative Order (AO) 2006-0014 or the
National Policies on Infant and Young Children is issued. It states
that in times of crisis, breastfeeding is the first and best feeding
option for infants and young children. It requires mothers and
babies to remain together after delivery. Support must be given for
mothers to breastfeed even in crisis or emergencies.
2006 – The Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association of the Philippines
(PHAP) seeks a temporary restraining order on the revised IRR’s
implementation. After initially denying PHAP’s petition, the court
overturns its decision and issues a TRO on the revised IRR.
28 May 2007 – DOH AO 2007-0017 or the “Guidelines on the Acceptance
and Processing of Foreign and Local Donations during Emergency and
Disaster Situations,” states that “Infant formula, breastmilk
substitutes, feeding bottles, artificial nipples and teats shall not
be items for donation. No acceptance of donation shall be issued for
any of the enumerated items.”
09 October 2007 – The revised IRR of the Milk Code takes effect
after the Supreme Court partially upholds its validity. It strikes
down certain provisions, such as the prohibition on advertising and
promotion of breastmilk substitutes and introduces sanctions not
found in the law.
01 April 2008 – The Department of the Interior and Local Government
releases AO 2008-0055, or the “Guidelines on the acceptance and
processing of foreign and local donations during emergency and
disaster situations.” It endorses DOH AO 2007-0017 to all local
government units.
2008 – The exclusive breastfeeding percentage among infants 0-5.9
months rises to 35.9 percent.
16 March 2009 – RA 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Act, which
amends RA 7600, is signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. It
establishes standards for workplaces, health facilities (with the
establishment of milk banks) and public places, and calls for
breastfeeding breaks and designated facilities in the workplace.
2011 – The exclusive
breastfeeding percentage among infants 0-5.9 months rises anew, to
48.9 percent.
21 December 2012 – RA
10354 or The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of
2012 is signed by President Benigno Aquino III. It includes
breastfeeding as an element of reproductive health care and provides
a basis for breastfeeding promotion and education.
2013 – More than half, or
52.3 percent, of infants 0-5.9 months are exclusively breastfed.
2015 – The exclusive
breastfeeding percentage among infants 0-5.9 months dips for the
first time to 48.8 percent.
29 November 2018 – RA
11148 or the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” is signed by
President Rodrigo Duterte. The law seeks to address the malnutrition
of infants and young and lactating women.
2018 – The exclusive
breastfeeding percentage among infants 0-5.9 months recovers
slightly to 54.9 percent.
17 April 2019 – RA 11311
or “An Act to Improve Land Transportation Terminals, Stations,
Stops, Rest Areas and Roll-On/Roll-Off Terminals, Appropriating
Funds Therefor and for Other Purposes,” establishes lactation
stations in transport terminals, stations, stops and rest areas.
2019 – Exclusive
breastfeeding improves to 57.9 percent.
11 May 2020 – DOH
Memorandum No. 2020-0237 or the “Interim Guidelines for the Delivery
of Nutrition Services in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic” states
that mothers who are asymptomatic, or those with close contacts,
suspect, probable, or confirmed case of COVID-19 who do not have
severe illness and/or who are not in respiratory distress, can
continue breastfeeding, provided that they observe strict infection
control measures.
15 May 2020 – DOH
Memorandum No. 2020-0231 or the “Guidelines on the Standardized
Regulation of Donations, Related to EO 51,” provides guidelines on
how LGUs can help provide nutrition for non-breastfeeding children
under 3 years old. While donations are banned as stipulated in
various laws and orders, LGUs can procure formula milk and give them
to identified families. The memorandum still upholds the promotion
and protection of breastfeeding for infants and young children.
Sources:
Food and Nutrition Research Institute for breastfeeding data
Babymilkaction.org for Milk Code RIRR timeline
