Commitment and dedication for the poor

Gratefully, elections do not last. Gratefully too, elections or none, there are genuine people and genuine groups and organizations.

FORGE's Gwen Ngolaban comes to mind as one of those who have offered their lives (literally speaking) in the service of our people. Among the first organizations that we partnered with in Cebu, we have witnessed how FORGE (which stands for Fellowship for Organizing Endeavors) developed, amidst much challenges and much perseverance, through the years, with Gwen's invaluable committed leadership and just as dedicated partners to assist the disadvantaged to help themselves.

FORGE encouraged and organized those who thought life had nothing more to offer them because they had been prostituted. FORGE joined and organized the vendors at the pier and the residents in other communities to go beyond their difficulties and proceed to plan together, to decide better effective alternatives, better lives for themselves.

They have not only organized the working children, the urban poor, the women, the pier vendors and trisikad drivers. FORGE has also been very active in engaging public officials to include the civil society representatives in the planning, decision-making and implementation networks of local government units. And more.

Among the greatest achievements of this organization that genuinely works for and with the poor and disadvantaged among our people is the inspiration they have instilled among the youth to dedicate their lives as well for the service of the poor.

We have witnessed how many new young recruits have risen through the challenges encountered by FORGE as an organization and how they offered and continue to offer their committed service throughout the various communities and groups that they have proactively engaged with.

Alvin Dizon is one of these young members of FORGE Inc. we had the occasion to meet since the 1990s. Quiet and reflective, we saw how Alvin grew up in the service of our people. At the pier, in various communities, always with and for the poor and the disadvantaged, Alvin joined FORGE where he could offer his commitment and dedication for our people.

Not one to mouth slogans, Alvin showed patience and depth of understanding far beyond his tender age then to process contending views and conflicting parties and to suggest fair, just and constructive compromises as effective win-win solutions for all. Where blatant injustice however was present, Alvin never hesitated to show his commitment and dedication in favor of the unduly disadvantaged and abused.

We also witnessed how he could easily persuade others to take his position. No grandstanding for this person, just calm, patient, persuasive dialogue and engagement.

   Since FORGE or with FORGE, rather, Alvin has gone on to share his brand of committed, dedicated engagement for the poor, for the youth, for the unduly disadvantaged beyond Cebu, with other national and global networks.

Incidentally and gratefully, Alvin Dizon has made that major decision to run for Cebu City councilor (north district) under BOPK in the coming May elections.

Personally, he wrote us, he would have preferred " not to subject my life to unbridled public scrutiny and the nuances of politics." But after series of consultations with groups that urged him to run and after soul searching, Alvin decided, that " the time is ripe for us to engage from within with the people backing us and with whom, we are truly accountable."

Alvin Dizon hopes to bring his long years of engagement for and with the people and communities and focus on institutionalizing participatory mechanisms and processes for effective empowering of barangay communities. He hopes to facilitate the creation of an advisory council to be composed of key leaders from urban poor groups, NGOs and concerned individuals to provide input for legislative work and to guide local governance work.

 Aside from institutionalizing citizens' participation in legislative work and governance, Alvin Dizon also aims to promote genuine transparency and accountability by sharing regular reports of his legislative work to the general public through a people's assembly.

Gratefully, FORGE Inc. and Alvin Dizon are very much around to prove that there are those who genuinely engage and dedicate their organization and even their lives for the poor, for the genuinely disadvantaged in our society.

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