Villar Foundation Initiates Villar SIPAG Awards

In line with the Villar's thrust on giving value to 'Sipag at Tiyaga' (hardwork and perseverance), the Villar Foundation, through the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG),  launched the Villlar SIPAG Awards on Poverty Reduction a week ago.

Villar SIPAG Awards

With the perennial problem of poverty in the Philippines, the initiative comes timely in support of the government's effort in combating this situation. The awards hope to contribute to reducing income poverty  by  recognizing and promoting Philippine  innovations in poverty reduction at the community level and  creating jobs especially for the vulnerable sectors.

The Villar SIPAG Awards aims to recognize good practices or innovations of community enterprises, which grow jobs and increase household income. It will also highlight outstanding initiatives of community enterprises as models of good practices in income poverty reduction.

"Dahil kami ay naniniwala na ang kasipagan ay susi sa pag-ahon ng isang tao mula sa kahirapan. Ang sipag at tiyaga ay naging malaking bahagi rin ng aming pag-angat sa buhay., " shared Senator Cynthia Villar in the Filipino language in the closing remarks of the  Villar SIPAG Awards Launching Ceremony.

Senator Cynthia Villar in the Villar SIPAG Awards Launch

Now Accepting Nominations

The Villar Foundation is now accepting nominees or entries from all over the country for its first ever Villar SIPAG Awards on Poverty Reduction. Nominations and applications will be accepted until August 30. Nomination forms and other details are available at the Villar Foundation’s website: www.villarfoundation.org.

The Villar SIPAG Awards targets community-based enterprises owned and managed by local residents  having  a democratic governance structure with one member one vote system accountable  to its general membership. Not subsidized by government or supported by philanthropy,  they generate revenues through a wide array of initiatives like  trading or  by providing services for a reasonable fee needed by various sectors.   Any profit or surplus generated is reinvested in the community or distributed among its members.


Award Objectives

• To document and share these outstanding initiatives through the SIPAG Resource Center;
• To inspire exchange, transfer or adaption of these outstanding initiatives to other places in the country through action research,  capacity building, conferences and symposia;

The top ten awardees will receive a plaque and cash incentive of P 250,000.  The finalists will also receive a plaque and cash incentive of P 100,000.  The cash incentive should be used to start a new enterprise or expand the existing enterprise.

Villar Foundation Website

Screening & Selection

The process starts with either a direct application or a nomination by any individual or organization by submitting the prescribed nomination form found in www.villarfoundation.org.

Once nominated, the nominee is informed and requested to fill out the preliminary application form to be submitted to Villar Sipag.  Once received, the applicant is assessed for eligibility to apply.  If eligible,  the  applicant is requested to fill up the application form.  The eligible applicants pass through a first screening by the screening team using the selection criteria.  The first screening produces a short list of potential awardees  for site validation by a team of validators. The second screening will identify twenty finalists who will be invited for final interview by a selection committee to choose the top ten awardees.

Senator Manny Villar

More About Villar Foundation

The Villar Foundation is a a hub of advocacies, activities and actions who functions to help poor Filipinos through livelihood enterprises including water hyacinth weaving, coconet weaving, organic fertilizer making, charcoal making, citronella oil making, handmade paper-making, and producing school chairs out of waste plastics. These have been benefiting over 500 families in Las Pinas and have been duplicated in 242 towns and cities nationwide.

The Villar SIPAG is more than a showcase of the Villars’ efforts to reduce poverty in the country. It is a working hub and a proactive center.  The Villar SIPAG will guide, train, teach and empower womenfolk, the youth, jobless and even relatives of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to uplift their lives as well as enhance their skills and know-how. This has been a key advocacy of the Villar Foundation since it was established in 1995 by Senator Manny Villar and Senator Cynthia Villar, chairman and managing director, respectively.

Nominate Now!

Do you know of any community enterprises that needs to be recognized and is eligible for the Villar SIPAG Awards? Encourage them to join or nominate them yourselves. The Villar SIPAG plays a key role in the foundation’s efforts to combat poverty among Filipinos. To download nomination forms, visit the Villar Foundation website: www.villarfoundation.org.

Let us move towards a better Philippines with the Villar SIPAG Awards and by supporting our countrymen!