The promised rewards of 'Sipag at Tiyaga' ('hardwork and perseverance') came into fruition as the Villar SIPAG Awards, which was launched August of 2013, was recently concluded with winning community enterprises focusing on poverty reduction.
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| Villar SIPAG Awards Held |
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Villar SIPAG Awards 2013
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With almost
200 entries received nationwide,
Villar SIPAG (
Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) recently announced the chosen
10 Most Outstanding Community Enterprises and
10 Most Promising Community Enterprises. It aimed to recognize good practices and innovations of community enterprises, which grow jobs and increase household income. It also highlights outstanding initiatives of community enterprises as models of good practices in income poverty reduction.
Villar SIPAG Awards
The criteria considered in this search included
effectiveness,
significance,
financial viability,
adaptability, and most importantly
sustainability. The last was given focus since the search seeks long-term solutions to help the selected
community enterprises.
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| Villar SIPAG Awards On Poverty Reduction |
In her speech, Senator Cynthia Villar recounted: "When we opened the doors of Villar SIPAG, in December last year, during the opening ceremony, Manny and I emphasized that the name of this place is anchored on SIPAG primarily because ‘sipag’ or hard work coupled with perseverance (tiyaga) are values that we both hold in high regard in ourselves and in other people as well."
10 Most Outstanding Community Enterprises
The announced
10 Most Outstanding Community Enterprises are the following:
- Andres M. Soriano Employees Fresh Fruits Cooperative in Kapalong (Davao del Norte)
- Baclaran Vendors Development Cooperative (Baclaran Parañaque)
- Bukluran Multi Purpose Cooperative (Dasmariñas, Cavite)
- Kalasag Farmers Producers Cooperative (San Jose City, Nueva Ecija)
- Malapatan Multi Purpose Cooperative (Malapatan, Sarangani)
- Nueva Segovia Consortium Cooperative (Caoayan, Ilocos Sur)
- Paglaum Multi Purpose Cooperative (Misamis, Occidental)
- People’s Alliance for Progress Multi Purpose Cooperative (Panamao, Sulu)
- San Francisco Associations of Differently-Abled Person Multi Purpose Cooperative (San Francisco, Agusan Del Sur)
- San Joaquin Multi Purpose Cooperative (Sarat, Ilocos Norte)
On a special note,
Senator Villar specifically cited the Agusan Del Norte-based disabled persons group
San Francisco Association of Differently Abled Person Multi Purpose Cooperative who manufacture of chairs and other furniture. It was founded by
Roland Ordona who was bedridden for two years after suffering from a spinal column injury.
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| 5 of 10 Most Outstanding Community Enterprises |
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| 5 of 10 Most Outstanding Community Enterprises |
10 Most Promising Community Enterprises
On the other hand, the
10 Most Promising Community Enterprises are the following:
- Catmon Multipurpose Cooperative (Catmon, Sta. Maria, Bulacan)
- Davao Ventures Employees Cooperative (Calinan, Davao City)
- Danlugan Farmers Multi Purpose Cooperative (Danlugan, Pagadian City)
- Davao Oriental Coco Husk Social Enterprises, Inc.,(San Isidro, Davao Oriental)
- Ipil Market Vendors Multi Purpose Cooperative (Ipil, Zambaonga Sigubay)
- Light House Cooperative (Paco, Manila)
- Paco Soriano Pandacan Development Cooperative (Paco, Manila)
- People’s Officials, Employees and Community Multi Purpose Cooperative (Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte)
- Southern Iloilo Area Multipurpose Cooperative (Oton, Iloilo)
- Valenzuela Development Cooperative (Valenzuela City, Metro Manila)
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| 5 of 10 Most Promising Community Enterprises |
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| 10 Most Promising Community Enterprises |
"Goodness is its own reward. The virtues of hard work and persistence are its own rewards," encouraged Senator Cynthia Villar about Villar SIPAG Awards.
Congratulations to all the winners! May you serve as an inspiration to your countrymen and fellow community enterprises.
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| The Villar Family |
P3.5 Million Cash Prize
Former
Senate President Manny Villar and
Las Pinas Rep. Mark Villar were also at the awarding ceremonies to lead the event and awarded a total of
P3.5 million cash prize to the winners of the nationwide search.
Each of the
10 winners for
Outstanding Community Enterprise received plaques of appreciation and
Php 250,000 cash while each of the
10 winners for
Most Promising Community Enterprise got
Php 100,000 cash whenit was held in
Brgy. Pulang Lupa,
Las Pinas.
“We had the Zamboanga crisis, the Bohol earthquake that toppled centuries-old churches, the Napoles chaos that was even known in the whole world, and just recently, super typhoon Yolanda. These all happened within a few months,” recounts the former Senate President.
He added that this was one of the reasons the Villars came up with this effort to help alleviate the lives of poor Filipinos as the cash prize came from their dividends from the family-owned
Vista Land.
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| One of the 10 Most Outstanding Community Enterprises:San Francisco Associations of Differently-Abled Person Multi Purpose Cooperative (San Francisco, Agusan Del Sur) |
Moreover, Sen.
Cynthia Villar said the award acknowledges the best community social enterprises that give jobs and livelihood to our countrymen amidst the prevalent poverty levels in the Philippines.
“I am happy that 10 of the 20 winners came from the Mindanao region. This means that the Island is fighting poverty despite all its problems,” said the neophyte senator.
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| Villar SIPAG Awards On Poverty Reduction 2013 Winners |
With the success of the Villar SIPAG Awards, it will be conducted annually moving forward as it continues to recognize best practices of the community enterprise in increasing income and reducing poverty. As they say, "Sipag at tiyaga ang kailangan"!
Congratulations to Davao Ventures Employees Cooperative for winning!
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