Coconut farmers, led by coconut farmer advocate former Sen. Wigberto “Bobby” E. Tañada, filed a Petition in Intervention with the Supreme Court to reverse the Sandiganbayan decision last November 28 declaring that the 20% San Miguel Corporation shares being claimed by Danding Cojuangco are not public property and not part of the coco levy funds.

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The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), the Philippines oldest non-governmental organization (NGO) engaged in rural development, recently received the “Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award for 2007” from the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA).

PRRM, which was founded in 1952 by a group of civic-minded Filipino leaders headed by the late Dean Conrado Benitez, received the award “in recognition of its outstanding achievements as a volunteer development organization, as a pioneer and leader in harnessing volunteerism as a strategy in accomplishing its goals and objectives.” the organization was the first NGO to send youth volunteers to work in the rural villagers in order to carry out an integrated fourfold program of education, livelihood, health and self-governance.

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The PRRM is this year’s recipient of the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, conferred annually by the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), an attached agency of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

In a letter dated 4 December 2007, PNVSCA Executive Director Joselito C. de Vera informed PRRM President Ding Navarro of the National Volunteer Month Steering Committee’s decision to confer the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award to PRRM as an organization that has “consistently contributed talents, efforts and resources to volunteer work” in its sustainable development work in the provinces (Outstanding Volunteers To Be Recognized).

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GALVAN, NUEVA ECIJA – The sky was overcast when the vehicle we were riding passed the main arterial road from Gerona, Tarlac towards Nueva Ecija. The trip from Quezon City took three hours due to the incessant rain along the North Luzon Expressway. Tarlac City was still plagued with heavy traffic. But hey, any discomfort, I believed, will be compensated upon arrival at our destination.

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Last 15 September 2007, members of the Conrado Benitez Institute of Sustainability (CBIS) led by VP Isagani R. Serrano plunged their feet in the dirty waters of Manila Bay in observance of the International Coastal Clean-Up activity. Also present were PRRM Bataan Chapter members led by Orion Vice-Mayor Virgilio Isidro, Trustee Emmanuel Gloria, and provincial manager Crispin Tria.

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