Sikap Buhay
I do not yet have the complete position paper of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel on amending the Philippine Constitution, particularly on the shift from the presidential to the federal system of government. I’m interested to know more about this proposal. My interest is to see what it means in advancing the
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I was taken aback when a friend told me that Optical Media Board (OMB) Chairman Edu Manzano has, for the past six months, been working on a holdover capacity because he has yet to be reappointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Considering Manzano’s string of anti-piracy achievements at the helm of OMB, such as playing a major role in getting the Philippines delisted from the US Trade Representatives watch list, despite the miniscule annual budget of P25 million that his office gets, one wonders why he has not been given an official reappointment.
There is talk that influential people, including a Chinese national whose main business is mining, have been lobbying to keep Manzano at bay. Their businesses have reportedly been affected by the continuous raids that the OMB makes on their establishments which manufacture and distribute pirated materials. Up to how long can they hold Edu back? Probably up to the time when certain candidates who lost in last year’s elections will no longer be banned from being appointed to government positions. That ban will be lifted in June. If this is true, the fakers should start rejoicing.
Sad.
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What a pity that a gay patient who sought help at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Hospital in Cebu City for the removal of a perfume canister inserted into his rectum while he was in a drunken state, would be subjected to ridicule and humiliation when he was told that the medical procedure performed on him was videoed and posted on YouTube. The patient rightfully filed charges — although not naming names, these would include the doctors and medical team who performed the procedure. Health Secretary Francisco Duque II is looking into the case. I know a lot of people who want the erring medical practitioners to be stripped of their licenses.
Dr. Florence M. Tadiar, president of the
Dr. Tadiar also takes issue with Cebu Archbishop Achilles Dakay who was quoted as saying the patient has only himself to blame for the humiliating incident by engaging in an “abnormal” sexual activity with a male. Dr. Tadiar said the bishop’s attitude “is basically discriminatory and attaches a stigma to ‘abnormal,’ marginalized persons.”
I hope the investigation into the medical team’s behavior will be concluded as early as possible, and the appropriate penalties imposed. I also hope the bishop would also focus on the errant, nay, immoral behavior of clerics who have made vows of celibacy and yet have been sexually abusing children as well as fathering some.
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But a good number of the women are entrepreneurial and hard-working, and are able to lift themselves out of the level of poorest-of-the-poor, thanks to Sikap Buhay (Puhunang Pangkaunlaran ng Sikap Buhay), a city government program that assists micro entrepreneurs to access capital loans.
The program, began in 2001 with Romy Flores as head, now functions, since 2006, as the city’s Cooperative Development Office (or SB ECO). With funds provided by its current seven conduit cooperatives, SB ECO has assisted more than 40,000 local micro-entrepreneurs not only access capital loans but also develop their entrepreneurial capabilities and promote entrepreneurial mindset and values.
La Rainne Sarmiento, who is now head of the office, says with many competing demands on limited local government resources, Mayor Belmonte, with the endorsement of the city council, forged a MOA with seven banks that would loan out capital for the small entrepreneurs. As of December 2007, these banks have lent out P360 million to more than 40,000 micro-entrepreneurs. Out of this, some 28,000 from 92 of the city’s 142 barangays, continue to be active borrowers.
Majority of the Sikap Buhay borrower-partners, says La Rainne, are “hardworking, but they continue to be small traders and vendors.” Only 30 to 40 percent venture into service and small manufacturing businesses, where there are greater chances for expansion and corresponding increase in income.” Accordingly, La Rainne says SB ECO links up the micro-entrepreneurs with agencies to train in starting and operating and expanding their businesses, as well as take up courses in basic accounting and managing human resources.
La Rainne says a significant number of SB ECO clients’ family incomes have increased by 50 to 300 percent and developed their savings capacities. With the availability of low-interest, non-collateralized capital loans, they are able to source the needed capital replenishment.
Very important to La Rainne is the program’s slowly building a “culture of credit discipline and integrity, accountability, hard work, savings, living by one’s means, resourcefulness, having the courage to take risks, and engaging in charity and volunteerism and developing creativity.”
The partners-borrowers must have started their businesses already, and are not just starting, so they loans they get are for additional, not start-up capital. Their repayment scheme varies — from the Grameen type of clusters, to individual borrowers. Loans start at P5,000 then become bigger to as much as P150,000 depending on the progress made in building one’s business enterprise.
Last month, Women’s Month,
Amalia Roquero, 53, a bayong maker, said she was able to send her five children to school, and set up a store, and plans to open another business with another loan. A seamstress, Fely Farinas, 49, said with loans from Sikap Buhay, she was able to add five edging machines, had a phone installed in her house, and go into sub-contracting production of Barbie, Garfield and Penshoppe garments to SM. Lea Alfonso, 40, has expanded her RTW clothes outlet, and buy a a school transport service. They all are saying, “Thanks, Sikap Buhay, and Mayor Belmonte!”
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