BCCF PROJECTS
ECONOMIC
Butuan City Charities Foundation (BCCF) aims to help ease the hardships of the poor in economically depressed areas through self-sustaining projects.
BCCF-IVORY MICROENTERPRISE PROJECT
In March 2002, BCCF turned over $2,000 to Ivory Charities Foundation (ICF), a sister nonprofit foundation in Butuan, for their joint microenterprise livelihood project (modified "Grameen" type).
Inspired by the success of "Grameen" microlending in Bangladesh, the project provides financial capital to the deserving poor without requiring collateral. They are grouped into cells of four or five persons, with each being liable for the others in the cell. Part of their earnings pays a portion of their loan, part increases their capital, and the rest goes for food and other needs. Their enterprises include making peanut butter, peddling dried fish, piglet raising, "sari-sari" retailing, and buying and selling bananas and coconut.
The project is managed by the Ivory Village Fund Committee chairman, Rev. Fr. Lito Cubillas, with Ferdinand Piencenaves (retired Philippine Ports Authority manager and CPA), Vicente Lagnada (construction company executive), Rene Vargas (physician-surgeon), and Pete Santiago (motor sales executive) as volunteer members.
Some BCCF Board of Directors have already tasted the peanut butter, brought by BCCF donors Nando and Nene Balla, who stopped in Los Angeles on their way from Butuan to Norfolk, Virginia. In June, one cell group paid its loan in full within four months instead of the expected six.
According to ICF President Dr. Rene Vargas, "All donations through the Butuan City Charities Foundation of Southern California are used solely for village funding as envisioned in this project. All administrative expenses are borne by Ivory Charities Foundation. IVFCom members serve without remuneration. Repayment by the grantees is used to replenish the fund, so that others may be given the same opportunity. Repayment, however, is not the project's end. The project intends to ease the hardships experienced by poor village folks living in economically depressed areas. The grant of capital is not a dole. It provides opportunities for deserving barrio folks to rise above their dismal situation and become financially independent and 'empowered'. It is hoped that self-esteem, human dignity and confidence will be enhanced, while hopelessness, frustration, and discontent will be allayed. In addition, the cluster system, wherein one member is jointly liable with the others, will foster healthy bonding among themselves as neighbors, concerned for one another and for the community."
Many more people need to be served in many more communities. They wait today, hoping for a break, as their parents must have waited and hoped in their lifetime.
(Please click here to donate to this project)GENERAL ASSISTANCE
FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOR THE HOLIDAY
BCCF sent $1,000 in December 2001 for holiday food distribution to the poor and for other ICF projects. About 400 indigent families were fed in barangay Pinamanculan in early January 2002. The rest of the money were used for their microenterprise projects.
(Click here to donate to this project)HEALTH
To supplement health needs and facilitate donations of hospital/medical equipment, well-equipped ambulance, medical supplies, and solicit services from any medical and surgical specialist to perform needed services to the indigents.
10 BOXES OF TYLENOL RECEIVED
BCCF received 10 boxes of Tylenol worth $4,010 from Operation USA, a large US-based nonprofit who gives assistance to 501(c)(3) nonprofit entities. Each box contains more than 25,000 tablets with an expiration date two years hence. These tablets will be shipped to ICF in Butuan as soon as sufficient cash donations for their shipment are received. ICF will distribute the tablets to rural barangay health units for the use of the poor. ICF President Dr. Rene Vargas, and Mrs. Liwanag Vargas were present during the turnover of the boxes to BCCF in Los Angeles.
(Click here to donate to this project)NEW NEUROSURGICAL UNIT IN THE CITY HOSPITAL
BCCF together with Dr. Bert Layno of Cebu and Lianga, Surigao del Sur, and the Ivory Charities Foundation, sponsored a new Neurosurgical Unit at the Butuan City Hospital.
Many poor patients who have head injury from vehicular accidents or from a fall or having cerebral strokes will not only receive prompt assessment of their condition but they don't have to travel far to Cebu or Manila to get the needed surgery. A trained neurosurgeon, Dr. Dacudao, will be treating their injuries. He is a recent neuro graduate trained under Dr. Bert Layno. Dr. Layno is a prominent neurosurgeon in Cebu who trains future neurosurgeons in Southern Islands Hospital in Cebu. He will closely supervise the operations and will visit Butuan every two weeks and more often if there are big cases. They will provide free service to the indigent poor.
BCCF will purchase and donate the cranial instruments to be used in the new unit as well as the purchase of medicines that can be used for the indigent cases.
(Click here to donate to this project)MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND USED CLOTHING
In March 2002, BCCF sent 20 "balikbayan" boxes of medical supplies, used clothing, and books to ICF. ICF received these in the first week of May. According to ICF President Dr. Rene Vargas, the medical supplies were distributed to the provincial and city hospitals in June. The used clothing will be distributed to the needy in the rural barangays, and the books will be turned over to the city library which in turn will distribute them to the barangay reading centers.
This is an ongoing project of BCCF. Twenty seven boxes of used clothing, toys, and books and medical supplies were shipped in March 2001. ICF received these at the end of May and distributed them to the needy in barangays Taguibo and Pianing with the help of the barangay churches.
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