Highlights of accomplishments in key cities include:

QUEZON CITY

Formation of the Quezon City Council on Population and Development (QCCP), with the following major activities:

• Advocated for the creation of the Population Welfare and Development (POPWELDEV) Council.

• Initiated and implemented the first Quezon City demographic and health survey.

• Initiated the Art for Health (ARTH 2004) exhibit.

• Training on FP counseling involving males in FP.

• Development and distribution of the QCCP newsletter “QCCP Update”.

CALOOCAN CITY

Formation of the Kalipunan ng mga Sektor sa Caloocan para sa RH/FP (KASECA), with the following major activities:

• Strategic planning workshop and launching.

• Acquired a space at the Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Center (DMMMC) for reproductive health and family planning.

• Development of “Diyaryo KASECA”.

VALENZUELA CITY

Formation of the Valenzuela Health and Development Alliance (VHDA), with the following major activities:

• SEC registration.

• Accreditation by the City Council as member of the City Development Council (CDC).

• Formation of Women Leaders for FP/RH (WELEADRH).

• Orientation on non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) for Mayer Steel Corporation and the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA) in partnership with the City Health Office (CHO).

• Launching of “Machong Papa, Nagpaplano ng Pamilya”.

• Conduct of NSV Fiesta with 17 NSV acceptors.

PASIG CITY

Formation of the Pasig City Council for Population and Development (PCCPD), with the following major activities:

• Strategic planning workshop.

• Courtesy call to the City Council.

• Launching of Pasig City Council for Population and Development (PCCPD).

• Business Forum on FP/RH.

LAS PIÑAS CITY

Formation of the Las Piñas City Family Health Network (LPCFHN), with the following major activities:

• Leadership and advocacy skills training.

• Usapang Macho (6 batches, 8 NSV clients).

• FP orientation as an activity in celebration of the population and development week.

BAGUIO CITY

Partnership with the Baguio Center for Young Adults (BCYA), with the following major activities:

• Continued coordination and partnership with the Baguio Health Office (BHO).

• Conducted male involvement orientation workshops and fora.

• Radio talks.

• Management and maintenance of a resource center.

TANJAY, NEGROS ORIENTAL

Partnership with ProServe Foundation International and membership with the Negros Oriental Family Planning and Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (NEOFRHAN), with the following major activities:

• Continued partnership and coordination with the LGU.

• Conduct of “Erpat Fora”, with 17 NSV clients.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

Partnership with Community Development, Inc. (COMDEV), and chairmanship of the General Santos Reproductive Health Network (GSRHN), with the following major activities:

• Continued partnership and coordination with the LGU.

• Formation of the General Santos Inter-Faith Team on Responsible Parenthood (GIFT-RP).

• Capability building of the GIFT-RP.

• Initiation of partnership with the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce, Inc. for RH/FP at the workplace.

• Management and maintenance of a resource center.

Sustainable Coastal Resource Management Program (SCRMP) in Marinduque

Supported by the German Agro Action (GAA), this two-year program is the third phase of PRRM’s long-term intervention on the island-province that began as the Marinduque Sustainable Area Development Program (MSADP). The SCRMP has the following objectives: (1) improvement of the economic conditions of member households of partner fisherfolk organizations; (2) involvement of small fisherfolk in coastal resource management; and (3) establishment of multi-sectoral support for sustainable and equitable development.

Major accomplishments so far include: (1) cooperatives strengthening and project development for the fisherfolk federation; (2) membership of fisherfolk organizations in the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (MFARMCs); (3) maintenance/upgrading of marine reserves/fish sanctuaries for coastal resource protection and rehabilitation; (4) baywide formation of fisherfolk federations from the three (3) provinces of Marinduque, Quezon and Batangas; and (5) active participation in baywide activities and national campaigns on fisheries laws and policies.

Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project (ARISP) in Cavite

The ARISP in Cavite focused on institutional development of the agrarian reform communities (ARCs) in Magallanes, General Trias, and Naic. The project in Pacheco, Magallanes was implemented in partnership with the PRRM Chapter. The projects in General Trias and Naic started last November 2003 and ended in November 2004. Project strategies and components included cooperative consolidation and strengthening, education/capacity building, sustainable agriculture development support, sustainable livelihood and enterprise development, policy advocacy and networking, promotion of gender and development. Accomplishments included: (1) cooperative profiling; (2) formulation of cooperative action plans; (3) strengthening of capacities of leaders and members; (4) installation of management systems for project operations; and (5) increased level of awareness of the cooperative on gender issues and concerns.

Support To Agrarian Reform in Central Mindanao (STAR-CM)

This project aims to help communities and civil society organizations plan for their development, pursue feasible and sustainable economic activities, participate in governance and sustain development gains beyond the period of direct assistance. It has facilitated the strengthening of POs and interest groups directly benefiting from various sub-projects and ensured the effective and efficient operation and management of infrastructure, agricultural production and enterprise development (APED) sub-projects in the agrarian reform communities (ARCs) of MaGarBu, MalaMala, MSARC and Buayan in North Cotabato.

Status of support infrastructure sub-projects:

• Three (3) multi-purpose buildings (MSARC, Buayan, MaGarBu) have been completed and turned over to the communities.

• Construction of one (1) farm-to-market road (MaGarBu) is still on-going.

• Two (2) solar driers (MSARC, Buayan) have been completed and turned-over.

• One (1) communal Irrigation system has been approved for implementation.

Status of APED sub-projects:

• Banana fruit trees production (in MalaMala) for 60 households with a budget of Php1.22 million has been completed and turned over to the beneficiaries; another Php2.35 million for 102 households is still on-going.

• Banana chips production (in MalaMala) is on-going with a budget of Php441,034 for 98 household beneficiaries.

• Cultivation machineries (in MalaMala) still on-going with a budget of Php881,544.80 for 153 household beneficiaries.

• Tilapia production in Buayan has been completed and turned over.

Micro Finance for Women in North Cotabato

This project aims to increase women’s productive capacity by establishing a women’s development fund that would cater to the credit needs of rural women and thus create employment while strengthening their enterprises, increase the awareness of target beneficiaries by giving them training, and promote savings and capital build-up, generation and mobilization to increase the bankability of the women beneficiaries. Accomplishments include:

• Resource mobilization: two (2) project proposals have been sent to different funding agencies for possible additional capital.

• Savings generation: total of Php116,936.64.

• Expansion: 390 new beneficiaries.

• Provision of loans to project partners: loan releases in the amount of Php8,037,500.00.

• Repayment rate: 98%.

• Income generation: total of Php641,649.78.

Couples for Gender and Development (GAD) as a Mechanjsm for Increasing Male Participation in Reproductive Health Among Small Rice Farmers in Northern Nueva Ecija

This project was an approach to establishing equitable gender relations between husbands and wives (with emphasis on reproductive roles) at the household level, supervised at the community level by “gender sentinels” (the GAD committee of each community organization) tasked with monitoring the integration of GAD as a major program of all member organizations of the KALIKASAN-NE federation. At the federation level, the KALIKASAN-NE Women’s Forum, composed of all women members of the federation, served as the overall project coordinator.

Supported by the Japan People-to-People Aid Movement (P2), the project was a one-year capacity building program that focused on volunteer recruitment, capacity development, partnership development and policy legislation. The beneficiaries were 19 barangays from the municipalities/cities of Guimba, Talavera, Lupao, Munoz and San Jose. The PO implementers undertook preparatory activities such as planning and volunteer recruitment of Couples for GAD. In June 2004, the “Couples for GAD” and “Gender Sentinels” underwent a series of orientation and capacity development activities. These activities revolved around developing personal relationships, gender and development, reproductive health, and planning, monitoring and evaluation (PME) work.

Secondary School Scholarship Project (S3P) in the Bicol Region

Supported by P2-Taifukyo, this is a four-year secondary-school scholarship assistance package to provide direct support services for 30 child laborers in the three (3) provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Albay. The program started in June 2003 and will continue until 2007. The program aims to achieve the following: (1) contribute to a decrease in the number of child laborers in the provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Albay through education/scholarship assistance; and (2) gain the active support of provincial, municipal and barangay executives and other organizations for the elimination of child labor in the three provinces.

Members of the PRRYA in the three provinces have been playing a big role in monitoring the performance of the students. Scholarship committees were created in the PRRYA organizational structures to oversee activities related to the development of the scholars. The mentoring done for the scholars by the PRRYA in each province has contributed to the development not only academically but also in the interpersonal skills of the scholars. Also, other initiatives such as exposure visits, tutorial sessions and regular meetings/dialogues with the scholars and their parents have facilitated the implementation of the project.

Baseline Survey of Working Children in Small-Scale Mining Communities of Camarines Norte

This project is a follow-through study after three phases of the ILO-IPEC Action Programme against Child Labor in Camarines Norte. The study was conducted in preparation for the implementation of the project “Supporting the Time-Bound Programme on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor in the Philippines”, a component of the Philippine government’s National Program Against Child Labor.

The research aimed to estimate the incidence and distribution of child labor in the mining sector at the provincial level and further identify 4,000 child workers, their siblings and children at risk in small-scale mining. The research area included the six sites covered under the Action Programme as well as three expansion areas from the towns of Jose Panganiban, Paracale and Labo. The short-term project ran from February to March 2004.

Pilot Study on Participatory Control of Kaingin and Timber Poaching in Nueva Vizcaya

Supported by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) through Global Link Management, Inc. (a Japanese NGO/consultancy firm), this was a seven-month research project that covered four (4) barangays in the municipalities of Aritao, Kayapa and Sta. Fe. The project started last December 2003 and ended in June 2004.

The project had three major outputs. The Social Capital Survey Report I was submitted to the JBIC Study Team last 04 February 2004. The Report contains the outputs of the household survey on social capital and the focused group discussions conducted among leaders, men and women groups of the pilot study sites. The Socio-Economic Household Survey and the conduct of Participatory Rural Appraisal have also been completed, the reports of which were submitted to the JBIC Study Team last 09 April 2004.

Education and Training

CONRADO BENITEZ INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABILITY (CBIS)

CBIS Institutionalization

We are six billion souls on this planet who everyday are getting educated about living and dying - six billion individuals valuing, believing, thinking doing different things.

At millenium's end, there's still about a billion excluded because of basic illiteracy. Education for all is still more vision than reality. While education has helped us read asd write the past, it should also enable us to read and write a better future.

What to learn, how to learn, how to evaluate what and how we learn are the key questions for learning sustainability a kind of education which enables us to explain the ways of unsustainability and to do something about it.

We need a king of education that results in greater equality and justice, in an inclusive society, in shifts of thought and action, toward a more sustainable society.

To this, the PRRM's CBIS proposes education for sustainability - a kind of education that enables us to question the fundamental assumptions, values and institutions of the present order of things and to assist us to see the pathways to sustainable future.

CBIS further believes that education is a life long process where each individual shares in the responsibility of educating all memebers of the community towards raising their quality of life.

With respect to the completion of priority modules, additional content has been incorporated into the course outlines for the Basic Course on Sustainability (BCS), social entrepreneurship and enterprise development/sustainable local economic development (SEED/SLED), and new and renewable energy (NRE). Archiving, cataloguing and indexing of resource materials, as well as clipping of news reports according to thematic areas, is ongoing at the PRRM Library-cum-CBIS Resource Center.

The CBIS spearheaded the conduct of three (3) Conversations on Sustainability: on poverty eradication, the system of rice intensification (SRI), and the information divide (with proposed legislative agenda). The documentation of four (4) Conversations has been completed: on ecological economics, globalization, poverty eradication and SRI. The CBIS also facilitated the reproduction of compact discs (CDs) on two (2) Earth Summit reports, Conversations (which were distributed to the branch offices), SRI, and various articles by Senior Vice-President (SVP) and CBIS Director Isagani R. Serrano.

In the area of project development, the CBIS facilitated the formulation of two proposals on Gender and Development (GAD), which were submitted to the European Union (EU) and the Japan Foundation Asia Center (JFAC). The CBIS is also in the process of negotiations with the Winthrop-Rockefeller Foundation (Winrock Philippines) on a Renewable Energy and Livelihood Development (RENEW) project for the poor of Negros Occidental, as well as with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a training project on participatory resource appraisal (PRA) for LGUs and PENRO/CENRO implementers of community-based forest management (CBFM) in four (4) model sites of Region III (inclusive of the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales in Central Luzon).

Community Learning Centers

Initial studies on schemes for the operation of three (3) local learning centers have been completed: for the Bataan Pawikan Center, the Sustainable Agriculture Training and Resource Center (SATRC) in Nueva Ecija, and the PRRM Bicol Resource Center (PBRC). The CBIS shall build up on the studies conducted by the former Technical Services Office (TSO) for the operation of community learning centers in Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, and Marinduque.

POLICY ADVOCACY AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

In line with its 2004-2007 operations plan, PRRM’s policy advocacy and development cooperation work in 2004 aimed to influence the national (and sub-national/regional) policy environments so that these contribute to good governance at the local (i.e., barangay, municipal and provincial) level. This included the finalization and promotion of policy positions on key issues such as the review of Philippine commitments to the GATT/WTO-AoA, the issuance of executive/administrative orders on the coco levy and delineation of municipal fishing waters (“DAO 17”), review and proposal of amendments to the CARL, the integration of a sustainable agricultural framework into the AFMA, and the passage of legislative bills on local sectoral representation (LSR) and electoral/political reform.

Priority Advocacies

Sustainable agriculture and agrarian reform

PRRM participated in the formulation and planning for a year-long campaign on the rice industry in celebration of the International Year of Rice, as a member of the National Rice Farmers’ Council (NRFC). PRRM also participated in discussions on the Farmlands as Collateral (FAC) bill.

The Conrado Benitez Institute for Sustainability (CBIS) facilitated the conduct of the third national conference on the system of rice intensification (SRI) technology as part of its Conversations on Sustainability series. The CBIS has also taken on the reproduction and distribution/sale of the SRI brochure, video and reference materials.

Still in relation to trade, agriculture and fisheries, PRRM attended a conference on the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) that was highlighted by explanations from experts on the details of multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements and issues, as well as the development of strategies by civil society organizations (CSOs) in relation to engagement on these issues. PRRM has also dialogued with the Ateneo School of Government and the Department of Agriculture (DA) on surfacing of issues in relation to trade liberalization, safety nets, access to credit, fisheries, and budget reform in the DA.

Social development

In partnership with Social Watch Philippines (SWP), the CBIS facilitated the conduct of three (3) regional conferences on the millennium development goals (MDGs), and has prepared a draft briefer on the MDGs. The CBIS likewise prepared a project proposal for capacity building of local government units (LGUs) on the MDGs.

PRRM also played an instrumental role in the publication of SWP’s 2003 Monitoring Report, “Tracking Progress: Accomplishments and Shortfalls in Local Social Development”. The book is part of SWP’s continuing efforts to monitor the commitments made by the Philippine government during world conferences and to measure actual progress towards the agreed goals and targets by highlighting the situation in selected local areas in the Philippines.

Local governance, political and electoral reform

PRRM participated in lobby work as a member of the Consortium for Electoral Reform (CER) and the Local Governance Policy Forum (LGPF) for the passage of bills in the House of Representatives (HoR) on overseas absentee voting, political party development and campaign financing, in addition to the bill on local sectoral representation (LSR) that was passed on third and final reading in the HoR.

Electoral reform issues tackled by the CER included: (1) electoral modernization, i.e., ensuring the ballots’ sanctity, cleaning up the list of voters, safeguarding against disenfranchisement, and ensuring the orientation of voters through a comprehensive voter education campaign; (2) political party and campaign/ political finance reform, i.e., developing relevant, differentiable and working political parties and instituting political/campaign finance reform (disclosure of contributions, contribution limits, spending limits, possibility of public subsidies); (3) voter education (development of effective and comprehensive strategies for voter and civic education); and (4) COMELEC reform (transparency and accountability, engaging the process of appointing commissioners).

The CER intends to strengthen its regional engagements and build a wider election reform constituency. In relation to this, the most important task at hand is to engage in the process of the upcoming elections in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The possible areas of interest are voter and civic education.

As a member of the LGPF, PRRM also contributed to the completion of two policy studies: one on the cost/financing of local sectoral representation (LSR) and the other on establishing benchmarks for the functionality and operation of local special bodies (with the DILG).

One of the suggestions of the 11 UP professors on how to avert the impending fiscal crisis was through the reduction of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of LGUs. The National Government was pressuring the Union of Local Authorities in the Philippines (ULAP) and its member leagues, i.e., the League of Provinces in the Philippines (LPP), League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), League of Cities (LCP), and Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB), to agree to the proposed IRA cuts. The Local Governance Policy Forum (in which PRRM acts as convenor) was able to influence the LMP to position against the IRA cuts. The Ateneo School of Government through the LGPF presented a study on how the IRA cuts would affect the operations of local governments, which the LMP adopted as its official stand. Among the member leagues, only the LMP opposed the measure.

The Local Sectoral Representation (LSR) bill is pending in the 13th Congress. LSR bills were filed in the Senate by Senators Estrada, Pangilinan and Defensor-Santiago and in the House of Representatives by the AKBAYAN Representatives and Rep. Del Guzman (Marikina). PRRM and LGPF are part of the Task Force LSR which is in charge of all activities and campaigns for the immediate passage of the LSR bill. Also, the LGPF is planning to conduct case studies to analyze whether current Sanggunian members are able to address the needs of marginalized sectors in their respective areas.

The LGPF has also decided to explore and research the bills filed in Congress regarding amendments to the Local Government Code (LGC). Senator Pimentel has filed an omnibus LGC Amendments Bill to “address new needs and recommend solutions to the burgeoning problems of local governance”. In line with this, the LGPF will study the proposed amendments.

Peace and Development

Sulong CARHRIHL (Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law) is a network formed to act as a “third party” for the prevention of violations to and supporting the observance of human rights/international humanitarian law within the framework of the GRP-NDF CARHRIHL. It aims to provide a forum for coordinative analysis and response among third-party peace advocates focused on accompanying and sustaining the peace process between the GRP and the NDF, and to serve as an additional mechanism for dialogue among the main stakeholders. PRRM President Wigberto E. Tanada was part of the group that formed Sulong CARHRIHL as a member of the Citizens Peace Council (CPC). A Civil Society Peace Conference on the Promotion and Advancement of CARHRIHL was held in November 2004 and the main resolution was to help in strengthening the Sulong CARHRIHL network.

Membership in Coalitions and Networks

Maintenance of PRRM’s membership/leadership in the major coalitions/networks of which it is a member entailed the integration of institutional policy and campaign positions into coalition and network policy agenda, as well as the participation of institutional and sectoral partners in coalition or network functions (e.g., sectoral and provincial caucuses, roles in major committees, council of leaders, etc.).

The legislative agenda of PRRM’s partner national sectoral federations (NSFs) have been included into the policy and electoral agenda of major coalitions and networks such as the People’s Legislative Agenda Network (PLAN), People’s Advocacy for Land Use Reform (People’s ALARM), Consortium for Electoral Reform (CER), Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN), ALTERNATIBA (a people’s political movement on governance), and water issues carried by the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC).

PRRM has likewise maintained its membership in formations such as the Education Network or E-Net (which has a new Board of Directors, officers, and three-year plan), the Earth Day Network (for advocacy on ecological solid waste management), Sustainability Watch (which is currently involved in efforts to localize the Philippine Agenda 21), and SRI-Pilipinas.

Electoral Interventions

The Advocacy and Development Cooperation Office (ADCO) facilitated the crafting of the sectoral electoral agenda of PRRM’s partner sectoral organizations through the conduct of area-based electoral agenda-building and planning exercises in 12 provinces. This was capped by the conduct of a national electoral/political conference for the POLAC and Chapters last 12 March 2004 that yielded leveling-off and unity on the framework for treating the elections, inputs for the institutional electoral agenda, and an electoral program of action.

A voters’ education program was undertaken, focusing on criteria for good governance and criteria for selection of national and local leaders (“good governors”). This entailed a review and enhancement of the voters’ education program design, the identification of geographic areas for the conduct of the voters’ education program, and actual conduct of area-based voters’ education training in two (2) provinces: Quezon and Camarines Sur.

Advocacy Projects

Monitoring and Evaluation of the ADB’s Environmental Policy

Supported by the Finnish Embassy, this joint project with the NGO Forum on the ADB has produced the book entitled, “ADB and the Environment: A Monitoring Framework for ADB’s Environment Policy”. The book contains four (4) case studies from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. The Philippine case is on the impact of the Marcopper Mining Corporation on the small island-province of Marinduque.

Enhancing Civil Society Participation in Responsible Governance in ARMM and SZOPAD

PRRM actively participated in a survey of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the Southern Philippines Zone of Peace and Development (SZOPAD). The research project was sub-contracted to the LGPF by the DILG, with funding from the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO).

Fair Trade Alliance (FTA)

Major accomplishments/activities for the first semester include the following:

• Conduct of press conference and forum on the new tariff schedule: presentation of FTA statement on how the new Executive Orders (EOs) on tariffs put the country at a disadvantage, and why tariff recalibration remains an urgent and unfinished agenda (17 February 2004).

• Consultation on the situation of the automotive industry, participated in by the Automotive Industry Workers Alliance and the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (23 February 2004).

• National conference on women’s jobs in the garments industry, with 150 participants from the garments and textile industry, labor centers and federations, labor unions from the garments sector, leaders of the informal sector, government, church, academe and youth sector (10 March 2004).

• Research colloquium of economic ideas, at which research papers were presented on industrialization and industrial culture; technology “laddering”, blending and clustering; benchmarking manufacturing costs; and labor-only contracting (23 March 2004).

• Seminar on women, youth and business in the face of globalization, participated in by 24 women and youth leaders involved in various micro, small and medium enterprises from several areas (29-31 May and 18-20 June 2004).

• Strategic planning and leadership training for the FTA-Youth, participated in by 30 youth leaders from three (3) universities, the PRRYA, the informal and young professionals sectors (12-13 June 2004).

• Social entrepreneurship and enterprise planning: a web-enhanced training course that required a five-day face-to-face seminar/workshop and four weeks of voluntary online interactions and consultations, with 27 participants from five (5) provinces and one (1) city (15-18 June 2004).