PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS AT MARIKINA AND CBM

  This week we have two very productive meetings that help get our name out. The first was with Hon. Jose Fabien I. Cadiz, M.D., the Vice Mayor of Marikina City. Pete had set up the meeting to meet the Vice Mayor and see about a partnership with the city. I mentioned earlier that Pete has a lot of influence and helps us meet the right people to get things done.
  We met for an hour and before we left, we had an agreement with Vice Mayor and had scheduled a wheelchair training for the 23rd and 24th of August.

 

During our visit the Vice Mayor starts to sing. He has a beautiful voice and loves to use it. 

 

 

On Wednesday, we traveled into Manila for a meeting with CBM. We thought we were going to a catastrophe meeting and wanted to see how they handled it as a warm up for our meeting on July 31st.

CBM is a worldwide NGO that covers many initiatives, but focuses on CBR (community based rehabilitation). That doesn't truly say what they really do. They work with local government to promote education, disability programs, social programs and other things. They help the LGU be able to structure how to develop programs and sustain them. One philosophy they share with us is the ability for the work we do to be able to sustain itself after we leave. Others in attendance were Disabilities International, and I forget the others (too many to remember).

It was a good exchange of ideas. At the end of the meeting we discovered really what the meeting was about. They wanted to form a network of service providers to help each other in major activities. We were in aggreement that there is duplication in some areas and other areas that need help.

There were many suggestions of the type of network that those in the room would with. They asked my opinion. I said as LDS Charities, we could not enter into an agreement that had any real structure because of the makeup of our organization. I suggested a loose organization that would help us in our efforts to partner with other NGOs. That would entail a small group that would operate on fees for services, such as inclusion on a website that give all pertinent information on the NGO's purpose, focus, and areas of operation. One gentleman from Holland was pushing for a more structured network and wanted a formal agreement signed the same day. Of course we couldn't agree to that. The measure was tabled, but more information is being sought. After we got back to the office, I investigated more about the option of an already existing group. I found PCNC (Philippine Commission on NGO Certification). This group does accreditation and list the members on a web site similar to what our needs would be. I also found of the 24 members of the group we meet with only 6 were accredited.

I feel we won't pursue the avenue they were proposing. The man in the blue is Barney, He is from Northern Ireland and facilitated the meeting. He as well as others in the group, are very instrumental in helping the Philippine people.