Villar SIPAG gives P4 M for poverty alleviation initiative

MANILA, Philippines - A total of P4 million in cash prizes was given yesterday by Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) to the winners of the nationwide search for community enterprises that served as “engines for growth” to help lessen widespread poverty in the country.

Each of the 10 winners for Outstanding Community Enterprise received P250,000 while 10 winners for Most Promising Community Enterprise each got P150,000.

Former Senate president Manny Villar, Sen. Cynthia Villar and Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar handed to the awardees the cash reward and plaque of appreciation in simple ceremonies at Villar SIPAG building on C-5 Road Extension in Barangay Pulang Lupa, Las Piñas.

The former senator, also founding chairman of Villar SIPAG Awards, stressed that 100 percent of the cash prize came from their dividends from the family-owned Vista Land.

The Villar SIPAG Award intends to recognize community enterprises as models of good practices in poverty reduction. It honors community enterprises that have been helping their communities in minimizing poverty.

The 10 Most Outstanding Community Enterprises are: Sta. Cruz Savings Development Cooperative, Ilocos Sur (Region 1); San Jose del Monte Savings & Credit Cooperative, Bulacan (region 3); Lorenzo Tan Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Misamis Occidental, (Region 10); Badagoy Irrigation Association, Davao del Sur (Region 11); Masisit-Dacal Livelihood Cooperative, Cagayan (Region 2); Soro-soro Ibaba Development Cooperative, Batangas (Region 4A); Calapan Labor Service Development Cooperative, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro; Kaagap Development Multi-Purpose Cooperative, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; Nueva Vizcaya Alay Kapwa Multipurpose Cooperative, Solano, Nueva Vizcaya (Region 2); and Costales Nature Farms, Laguna (Region 4A).

The 10 Most Promising Community Enterprises are: St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Multipurpose Cooperative, Romblon (Region 4B); Don Bosco Multi-purpose Cooperative, North Cotabato (Region 12); Nagkakaisang Magsasakan Agricultural Primary Multi-purpose Cooperative, Talavera, Nueva Ecija, (Region 3); Midsalip Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, Zamboanga del Sur (Region 11); A&M Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Dinagat Island (Region 13); Capiz Small Coconut Farmers Marketing Cooperative-Ivisan Coco Capiz, Ivisan, Capiz; Tagum Cooperative, Davao del Norte (Region 11); Bad-ayan Buguias Development Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Benguet; Moncada, Women’s Credit Cooperative, Tarlac, Region 3 and San Dionisio Credit Cooperative, National Capital Region (NCR).

The criteria for selecting the winners for each other category are effectiveness, significance, financial viability, sustainability and adaptability.

For effectiveness, a community enterprise should have tangible results like increase in household income and creation of jobs. On significance, it should have addressed the problem of income poverty in a community.

Regarding financial viability, it should have generated its own income sufficient enough to meet its core operating expenses and financial obligations to invest in its future growth and development.

On sustainability, it can continue to operate in the long term while on adaptability, the initiatives of community enterprise have been successfully adapted by others.

Entries came from the NCR, Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Bicol and the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

The Villar SIPAG Awards for Poverty Reduction, a nationwide search, was launched in August 2013 to recognize the exemplary achievements of community enterprises that resulted in local economic development and improvement of lives.