News archive:

Ms. Kathleen Deckmyn visits Davao

DISOP Coordinator to Southeast Asia, Ms. Kathleen Deckmyn-Cordero, conducted a monitoring visit to the beneficiary associations of Doňa Luisa R. Lorenzo Community Development Foundation, Inc. (DLRLCDFI) last November 26-29, 2008 in Mindanao. On Day 1 she visited 2 associations in General Santos City, namely, GUGMA and SPARK, respectively. GUGMA have 23 members. They are currently producing aprons for the plantations and retailing NFA rice. They have many cows and are looking forward to a training on cow raising and fattening. SPARK, on the otherhand, is newly organized and have 26 members (only 2 males). They are raising native chicken for their livelihood.

Beneficiary of SPARK Association with her native chicken and ducks raising project.

2nd day (November 27, 2008) of her visit took her to 3 associations (KMCA, SMMC and IGPAW) in Davao del Sur. KMCA have 21 members and are engaged in T-shirt, rag, curtain and pillow case making association projects. members are also into food business, fish vending, pig and goat raising, vegetables production and sari-sari store. SMMC have 30 members and are all fishermen. They are planning to raise milkfish and grouper in fishcage as an association project since according to them they have plenty of wild fingerlings. IGPAW have 23 members and supplies LAPANDAY with tree seedlings. The association is also engaged in dressed chicken, softdrinks, rice and slippers vending.

Corn and banana plantations between South Cotabato and General Santos (forefront) and Mount Apo (background) between South Cotabato and Davao del Sur, the tallest mountain in the Philippines.

On the following day (November 28, 2008), she visited 2 associations in Davao del Norte. First is the UFCA, a unique association which gathered "officials" of the barangay (school principal, barangay health worker, barangay captain and some elected officials, etc.) who are dedicated to help their communinty in improving their living conditions. They have a total of 22 members and some are not officials. They have already sent 14 of their youth to technical trainings DLRLCDFI. The other association she visited is BTEA. Composed with mostly women, this association is just newly organized and still planning for their activites.

She also visited the Technical Training Center of LAPANDAY. The selected youths coming from the 10 associations are being sponsored by the DISOP project for training on cellphone repair, motorcycle mechanic, welding and electric wiring installation. Some of the participants have already established their small shops as entrepreneurs.

DLRLCDFI technical training for the youth - motorcycle mechanic training (top). After having been trained on cellphone repair, this beneficiary sets up his own cellphone repair shop (lower left). One of the beneficiary of DLRLCDFI has established a business of grafted fruit trees and ornamental plants production with help of a credit from her association.

10th Annual DISOP Philippines Conference Conducted

The DISOP Philippines held the 10th Annual DISOP Philippines Conference at Vicmar Beach Resort, Baybay, San Jose, Tacloban City last October 27-31, 2008. The conference was attended by a total of 34 participants from 17 partner organizations from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, 16 of which are currently assisted by DISOP Philippines while the other one had already completed its DISOP-assisted project. Since 1998, 20 partners organizations have been assisted by DISOP Phils and continue to be part of the DISOP partners network.

This activity is conducted annually to serve as a venue for the partners to exchange knowledge and experiences, especially for the partners with similar projects. This year's conference was hosted by GIOS, Inc. whose project sites are located in Daram, Samar.

Day 1 (October 27) saw the arrival of the participants at the venue from their respective places, and Day 2 opened the conference proper with a prayer, singing of the Philippine National Anthem and the Welcome Address by Ms. Kathleen Deckmyn-Cordero of DISOP Philippines. Introduction of the Participants followed, after which followed, the Partners' Reports.

The Field Visit of the 3rd day took the participants to the Islands of Daram and Parasan, Municipality of Daram, Province of Samar, the project sites of GIOS, Inc., were they interacted with the project beneficiaries.

Day 4 started with the opening prayer followed with the recap, general observations and impression of the previous day's Field Visit, then followed by a training on "Baseline Research Tool". At the end of the day, some announcements were made before the participants prepared for the next day's travel home.

Belgian Ambessador visits Bohol

The Belgian Ambassador Hon. Gregoire Vardakis together with Ms. Kathleen Deckmyn-Cordero, DISOP Coordinator to Southeast Asia, and Mr. William G. Granert, SWCF Executive Director, visited the Soil and Water Conservation Foundation, Inc.(SWCF) project in Bohol last October 9, 2008. Overall, the visit was very successful amidst frequent rainshowers during the whole day activity. 

The Belgian Ambassador to the Philippines, Mr. Gregoire Vardakis was welcomed
by the SWCF staff during his visit to Bohol Biodiversity Complex (BBC) on October 9, 2008.

During the visit, both Hon. Vardakis and Ms. Deckmyn made a symbolic tree planting at Bohol Biodiversity Research Center in Roxas, Bilar, Bohol. The field visit was made in three (3) barangays of the 16 barangays covered by SWCF.  The visiting Party made their first stop at Bohol Biodiversity Research Center, where a report of SWCFs achievements in the last 10 years in the field of integrated natural resource management and enterprise development were presented. 

Mr. Bill Granert, Executive Director of SWCF, presented the project to Mr. Gregoire Vardakis and
Ms. Kathleen Deckmyn, DISOP Country Coordinator, at the BBC Training Hall.

After lunch, the Party visited the project sites.  They went first to Barangay Danicop in the municipality of Sierra Bullones, then Barangay Lataban of the same municipality and lastly at Barangay Taytay of the municipality of Duero.  The Ambassador appreciated the warm welcome of the project beneficiaries facilitated by their PO leaders, barangay and municipal offcials present.  Each PO they visited reported their accomplishments and extended their gratitude for the assistance given by DISOP. 

Symbolic Tree Planting. Ambassador Vardakis planted a dipterocarp tree at Biodiversity Complex
after the presentation of SWCFs project.

In the last barangay visited- Barangay Taytay in the Eskaya Tribe of Bohol, the Ambassador met the Hon. Manuel Tan, Mayor of Duero.  Mayor Tan had been very supportive of the project since SWCF started it in 2003.  He also expressed his gratitude for the DISOP support in one of his barangay constituents and even requested to assist more barangays in his municipality.  At the end of the day, the visit was very fruitful and successful.  The beneficiaries of the project truly appreciated the presence of the visiting Parties.  It further boosted their confidence and look forward to another visit in the future.

Visit to Danicop MP Cooperative. Mrs.Reineria Cagas, the coop’s current Chairperson
presented the programs and projects of the cooperative to the Visiting Party.


Mrs. Benyl Logico presented the services and programs of Lataban Agrarian Reform
Multipurpose Cooperative during a short program to welcome the Ambassador.


At Taytay Community Nursery. LUMAD Multipurpose Cooperative General Manager and
Barangay Captain Mr. Candelario Bag-o presented the cooperative
accomplishments, services and programs to the visiting group.

2008 DISOP Annual Training Conducted

The 2008 DISOP Annual Training entitled "HOW TO BETTER ASSIST BENEFICIARY ENTREPRENEURS IMPLEMENT SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISES" was conducted last May 19 - 23, 2008 in Mango Park Hotel, Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City. The training was attended by 32 participants from all the DISOP partners and was facilitated by 4 resource persons from SCDAsia.

The objective of the training was to assist partner-organizations of DISOP to design best practice enterprise development initiatives and to improve the outreach, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of their services/assistance to target groups.

Ms. Kathleen Deckmyn-Cordero, DISOP Philippines Coordinator, welcomed the participants
to the 2008 Annual DISOP Training in Cebu City on May 19, 2008.

Social Action Center (SAC)-assisted Coops in Calubian, Leyte visited by the Belgian Ambassador.

Mr. Gregoire Vardakis, the Belgian Ambassador to the Philippines, paid a visit to the Social Action Center (SAC) and assisted cooperatives in Calubian, Leyte. He was accompanied by Mr. Werner Caekelbergh, the Asia Desk Coordinator of DISOP, Ms. Kathleen Deckmyn-Cordero, the DISOP Coordinator to South-East Asia and around 30 representatives of 15 DISOP Partners in the Philippines.

The group was welcomed by the Municipal Mayor Hazel R. Po, Vice-mayor Lucita Palconit, some councilors, SAC employees and the beneficiary cooperative members. The group toured to the project sites of the beneficiaries and treated them for lunch and a program at the Lotus Beach Resort, still in Calubian, Leyte.

The Ambassador and company was welcomed by Mayor Hazel Po in Calubian, Leyte (click to view full size)

Trader shows sacks of mussels to the visitors (click to view full size)

All seated are (from left to right) Mr. Kramer, the owner of Lotus Beach Resort, Vice-Mayor Palconit, Mr. Werner Caekelbergh, Mr. Vardakis, Ms. Kathleen Deckmyn-Cordero, Bishop Bactol, Mayor Po and Father Jess, were treated to a lunch during the visit. (click to view full size)

Belgian Ambassador to the Philippines visits the CUFCC and CFRS in Capoocan Leyte

After his visit to from Calubian, Leyte, the Ambassador and his companions proceeded to visit the Capoocan United Fisherfolk Credit Cooperative (CUFCC) and the Capoocan Family Rural School (CFRS), both located in Capoocan, Leyte on that same day.

They were welcomed by the Barangay Officials of Brgy. San Juaquin, Capoocan, Leyte, parents and student of the CFRS who prepared a program and snacks for their visitors.

CFRS trio perfoming a musical number to Mr. Vardakis and company (click to view full size)

Mr. Vardakis deliver a message to the CFRS students, parents and community members (click to view full size)

9th Annual DISOP Philippines Conference held in Ormoc City

DISOP Philippines held its 9th DISOP Philippines Annual Conference at the Sabin Resort Hotel, Bantigue, Ormoc City last September 25-27, 2007. Objectives of the conference were: first, to have an overview of the DISOP Philippines program for the last 5 years, and to enhance the collaboration and linkaging among the project partners; and second, to share the impact of each project and the best practices each partner NGO has experienced.
Thirty participants from 15 NGO partners attended the conference. They were from GIOS, CAPS-R, DLRLCDFI, FRS, JVOFI, PBSP, SAC, SWCF, TRESP, CUFCC, SEKAP, PIFDP, SACRED, FAPBAPI, and AKAP.

Mr. Gregoire Vardakis, Belgian Ambassador to the Philippines, attended the first two days of the conference. He participated in the field trip at the Social Action Center (SAC) assisted projects in Calubian, Leyte and at the Capoocan Family Rural School (CFRS) in Capoocan, Leyte. He observed reports and/or presentations of some project partners the following day before leaving for Manila.

The participants did a workshop on best practices on the last day of conference. (click to view full size)

Belgian Ambassador to the Philippines graced the 9th Annual DISOP Conference in Ormoc City.

The Belgian Ambassador to the Philippines, Mr. Gregoire Vardakis, joined the conference participants in the field visits during the first day of the conference and observed the conference proper in the morning of the following day before going back to Tacloban to catch a plane for Manila.

Conference participants posed with the Ambassador at the Sabin Resort Hotel lobby before he left for the Tacloban Airport on September 26, 2007. (click to view full size)