cover of the April-May issue of YP Enewsletter

The latest issue of our YP Enewsletter is now out and available for downloading. For this issue, we give you the latest updates on the various project activities that TAO-Pilipinas has been involved with. There is an update about the ongoing Urban Container Gardening Project spearheaded by the ACCA Navotas youth leaders which is made possible by Give2Asia and Starbucks Philippines. There is also another article about the Knowledge Sharing Forum where the results of the recently concluded Pilot Demonstration Activity in Sitio Pulo, Brgy. Tanza, Navotas funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) was presented. The Knowledge Sharing Forum was organized by ADB and was attended not only by most of the TAO Staff but also the community leaders from Sitio Pulo as well as invited guests such as Dept. of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Francisco Fernandez. The enewsletter also discussed the Dialogue on Historic Preservation that was held last March 2013. This workshop was organized by TAO-Pilipinas with the cooperation of Bakas Pilipinas and Mapua Institute of Technology.

Aside from the mentioned articles, the enewsletter also contains book reviews on the titles that we have in our TAO Resource Center and network activity updates from our different partner networks like Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies, Inc. (PHILSSA) and Philippine Misereor Partnership Incorporated (PMPI).

Network partners

Some of the participants in the workshop which includes network partners and invited guests

Attended by close to 60 participants, the workshop was carried out to respond to the results of a survey on heritage conservation that TAO-Pilipinas conducted among its NGO network partners last December. In that survey, several of its network partners expressed a need to learn more about heritage conservation as it relates to community development and urban poor issues. Among those who attended the workshop were representatives of Community Organizers Multiversity (COM); Philippine Partnership for Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA); Foundation for the Development of the Urban Poor (FDUP); Urban Poor Associates (UPA); and Socio-Pastoral Institute (SPI). Participants from the academe likewise attended, representing PUP College of Architecture and Fine Arts; UP College of Architecture; UST College of Architecture; and the UP Archaeological Studies Program.

Program and speakers

TAO-Pilipinas tapped Bakás Pilipinas as resource person. The survey results were shared with them and they designed a day-long program with topics covering the various learning needs identified in the survey. The program was divided into five major topics: Introduction to Historic Preservation; Preservation of Architectural Heritage; Preservation of Intangible Heritage; Urban Heritage Conservation; and Disaster Relief for Heritage Properties.

Presenters consisted of the Bakás Pilipinas team, namely Roz Li, retired former Principal of Li/Saltzman Architects; Cristina Paterno, Executive Director of San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Fund; Pascale Montadert, Anthropologist Consultant; and Trix Rosen, Architectural Photographer. They brought to the workshop valuable knowledge and expertise gained from years of experience as historic preservationists.

Preservation projects

Roz Li leading the team of Bakas Pilipinas in educating the workshop participants about historic preservation

Roz Li led the team in presenting the different aspects of historic preservation. She discussed the significance of historic preservation, the criteria for determining historic structures and sites, and the scale of intervention. She explained the different types of intervention from the no-intervention approach to reconstruction and replication. She gave examples of historic preservation projects to highlight these various interventions. She stressed the need to establish the preservation philosophy of a project to determine the appropriate type of intervention to be done.

Many of the projects she presented were those undertaken by her firm, including landmark preservation projects in the New York City metropolitan area that have received preservation awards. One of the most interesting projects that she featured was the Tenement Museum in New York, a tenement building which housed immigrant families in the 1860s-1930s that has been restored as a historical landmark. The building reflects early 20^th century living conditions and is considered as a three-dimensional museum of housing laws development in New York City.

Ms. Li highlighted historic preservation as an interdisciplinary field, entailing the involvement of historians, architects, archaeologists, conservators/conservation scientists and anthropologists. These diverse expertise are needed throughout the preservation process, especially in the steps prior to the restoration of a historic building or site.

Urban heritage conservation was also discussed by Roz Li. She explained the various levels of landmark designation and highlighted the role of NGOs in community-based preservation projects, giving several examples of successful urban preservation projects in the US. She likewise featured projects that addressed disaster relief for heritage properties and the various funding strategies that can be tapped for preservation projects.

Save San Sebastian

Cristina Paterno talked about the on-going conservation effort at San Sebastian Church

Conservator Tina Paterno presented the investigative work being done for the restoration of San Sebastian Basilica which is the initial project of Bakás Pilipinas. The basilica, a religious and architectural landmark, is an all-metal structure built in 1891 and has survived 11 major earthquakes. Ms. Paterno identified deferred maintenance and inappropriate repairs as the major challenges to conservation. In the San Sebastian project, she showed the deterioration and damage from severe corrosion and water leaks. She presented the historical research, photo-documentation and laser scanning of the whole structure that have been done as part of the diagnostic survey as she stressed that “the treatment or repair will only be good as its diagnosis”.

Intangible heritage

Anthropologist Pascale Montadert talked about the preservation of intangible cultural heritage or ICH. She explained the areas covered by ICH (oral traditions, performing arts, traditional crafts, social rituals, festive events, etc.) and the challenges to its preservation. She stressed that communities themselves must recognize their intangible cultural heritage and should decide for themselves what is their heritage. Further highlighting the challenges to preserving indigenous culture, photographer Trix Rosen showed a photo-essay of her journeys to Kalinga, Cordillera region in the 1980s and in the 2000s. Rosen’s series of photographs of the Kalinga tribal landscapes, peoples, and vernacular architecture documented the changes that have taken in the villages she visited in between a 20-year period. Ms. Rosen also gave tips to participants on the photographic documentation of historic sites and buildings, showing how photos can capture the character-defining features of a place.

Break-out sessions

After the presentations by the resource persons, the participants were divided into focus groups to discuss the challenges related to preservation affecting their work. Six groups were formed and each group shared the results of their discussion to the plenary. Among the issues that came out included the elitist perception about historic preservation and the need to broaden the public’s understanding of it. Political will of government officials in supporting preservation was also highlighted, with the proposed reclamation projects that will alter the famed Manila Bay scenic views given as an example.

Archaeologists mentioned artefacts looting, vandalism, and control over privately-owned lots with heritage structures as among their challenges in preservation. NGO workers and community organizers on the other hand shared the challenge they see in the social acceptance of preservation projects by urban poor communities as these may be seen as less space for them in the cities and their struggle for basic needs takes priority over preservation initiatives.  The need to explore opportunities for adaptive reuse of old structures for urban poor housing was therefore identified. Other challenges that the design professionals pointed out were the availability of materials to authentically restore heritage structures and the lack of research and focus on the interior design of heritage structures. These were all noted by the Bakás Pilipinas team as inputs for future capacity building efforts.

The team of experts from Bakas Pilipinas (L-R: Cristina Paterno, Roz Li, Trix Rosen, Pascale Montadert)

The workshop closed with brief remarks from Ms. Ana Marie Dizon, a member of TAO-Pilipinas’ Board of Trustees. Ms. Dizon expressed hope that the participants appreciated and will share the relevance of historic preservation and that the workshop would usher in similar awareness-building activities among the NGO network.

Aside from the abovementioned publication, TAO-Pilipinas, Inc. has produced publications as a result of the numerous capacity building training and the direct technical assistance given by the organization. These publications are available only in our office. Here are some of the books published by TAO-Pilipinas, Inc.:

Modyul ng Workshop: Pagpaplano ng Komunidad para sa Pabahay na Medium-Rise This book is a facilitator’s guide on how to conduct a participatory community planning for medium-rise housing. The book is written in Filipino so that communities will be able to understand the workshop much better. The module is divided into two parts: the Planning Workshop and the Validation Workshop. Included in the workshop module are visual aids and materials that can be used for the planning workshop. This workshop module is a step-by step guide on how community architects conduct participatory community planning and development.  This publication is sold at 175.00 Php. Delivery charges are not included.

Gabay Para sa Paggawa ng Bahay na Yari sa Konkreto This book is a construction manual that gives design and construction tips to those who are interested on building a house made of concrete. The book was created for our urban poor community groups who are interested into doing self-help housing construction. The book aims to give the layman a basic knowledge of how to build a house made of concrete. It is written in Filipino and the guidelines are categorized according to structural elements (example: foundation, walls, floors, etc.). The book is just a basic guide and would be most useful to individuals with construction know-how (example: mason, carpenters, etc.). This is available for sale at 150.00 Php. Delivery charges are not included.

Gabay sa Pagsasanay sa Community-based Solid Waste Management TAO-Pilipinas, Inc. has been giving CBSWM training to our partner communities through the years. This training module is a result of those trainings. This book is a facilitator’s guide on how to conduct a community-based solid waste management (CBSWM) training. It is written in Filipino and serves as a step-by step guide on doing CBSWM. The book is divided into 10 modules that includes the monitoring and evaluation portion of CBSWM. Visual aids and workshop tools are also incorporated in the book to better facilitate the training. This training module is sold at 300.00 Php. Delivery charges are not included.

Integrating Disaster Risk Management in Site Planning and House Design in Resettlement Projects This book is a result of the research done in Albay Province about integrating disaster risk management in site planning and house design of resettlement projects. The research was done from 2008-2009 during the construction of resettlement sites for Typhoon Reming victims. This book contains three research reports namely: Good Practices and Gaps in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Education and Disaster Preparedness in Albay Province by Rosalyn-Frances Marcelo, Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Considerations in the Design of Shelter Units in Albay Resettlement Sites by Geralding Matabang, and Enhancing Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Awareness of Communities in Taysan and Anislag Resettlement Sites by Beryl Baybay. This book was made possible through the ProVention Consortium Applied Research Grants for Disaster Reduction. It is written in English and is available for 140.00 Php. Delivery charges are not included.

For those interested in purchasing the books, please call 441-0998 and look for Ms. Angel Sales to inquire about the availability of the books. We only have limited stocks of the books so please call first before going to our office.

cover photo for TAO Shelter Double Issue

A new issue of TAO Shelter Magazine is now available for purchase at the TAO Office. The latest issue tackles the theme of resettlement in the Philippines and housing programs by the government. Included in the issue is a photo gallery of pictures from a resettlement site in Rodriguez, Rizal taken just days after the onslaught of southwest monsoon or what we call habagat. Also part of this latest issue are stories from community leaders of Kasiglahan Village in Rodriguez, Rizal describing their experience after relocating to the resettlement site. The issue is available in printed format for 150Php. Delivery charges are not included.

Dear Colleagues,

Happy New Year despite many odds.

Below is an update from TREES, lead organization in the Relief Efforts of PMPI Davao Cluster which was rendered to communities hit by typhoon Pablo.

A relief fund was accessed from Misereor and partner organizations in the Northern Luzon Cluster and Central Luzon gave financial support amounting to at least more than 50,000 pesos.

We also thank other members who initiated efforts to respond to the appeal – notably members of Central Luzon, Kidmaco and Cabustam cluster.

Thank you for the generosity.

Best
Yolly

RELIEF EFFORT UPDATE:

Activities Conducted:

In response to the situation experienced by the indigenous people caused by typhoon Pablo in the communities served by TREES in Barangay Manurigao, New Bataan, Compostela Valley and Barangay San Pedro and Pantuyan in Caraga, Davao Oriental, TREES conducted the following activities:

1. Rapid area assessment on the effects of typhoon. This was done two days after the typhoon hit the areas.

2. Accessing funds for the victims which MISEREOR responded positively.

3. Coordinating and attending meetings and conferences with local government units, DSWD and other humanitarian groups.

4. Coordinated and assisted Saved the Children and Peace Builders on the relief goods distribution

5. Repacking of relief items/ goods with some 40 volunteers of students and individuals recruited, it took four (4) days to finish. The repacking was made at TREES office.

6. Relief Operations/ Distributions – On different dates the distribution was conducted in two separate areas. For Caraga, Davao Oriental relief operation was made on December 22, 2012 in two barangays of San Pedro and Pantuyan with Palo 4 as the distribution center. While in Manurigao, New Bataan, it was distributed on December 27, 2012 in New Bataan.

Relief Goods/ Items and number of household beneficiaries – With a total amount of One thousand four hundred pesos (P 1,400.00) each pack, the contents are the following:

- 20 kilos rice

- 2 dozens 3 in 1 Coffee

- 5 cans sardines

- 2 dozens Milo

- 3 bags biscuits

- 2 bags candies

- ½ kilo dried fish (bolinao)

- 1 kilo mongo

- 1 small pack of salt

- 6 packs of bath soap

- 2 long bars detergent soap

In two barangays of Pantuyan and San Pedro in Caraga, Davao Oriental, a total of 1,027 family victims of typhoon in eight (8) communities received the relief goods. While in Manurigao, a total of 385 families benefited the relief goods in (8) communities. All these 16 upland areas are IP communities served by TREES.

PMPI – DRC Participation

As agreed during PMPI – DRC meeting in December 13, the DRC member participated and assisted in the repacking of goods, helped negotiate storeowner/ dealer of goods and one member representative of DRC accompanied the distribution in New Bataan. Others visited while repacking was going on.

Process/ System of Distribution – With the helped of community-based organizers and purok chairman, claim stubs were distributed to each family beneficiary prior to the scheduled distribution. These stubs with number coding with TREES logo and signature of executive director printed on it will be presented during distribution proper to be able to received the relief items.

Other Assistance/ Contribution Received

· Infuzed – Contributed P 15,000.00 for transport of relief goods to New Bataan and Caraga, Davao Oriental and 100 sheets of blankets

· PASALI of Sarangani Province, Tambayan Center as well as Balay Pasilungan of Davao City donated blankets, canned goods, school supplies and bottled water. They were also present during distribution.

· MAGI of Davao City donated 6 sacks of rice for 11 staff who were also victimized by typhoon BOPHA

· LUNA of Davao City also donated P 1,000 cash for staff.

Needs of People affected:

· Reconstruction of totally damaged houses and renovation/ repair of partially damaged houses

· Rehabilitation of submerged farm and support for livelihood

We want to thank everyone who donated to our partner networks.

Dear Colleagues,

Peace and goodwill despite odds.

The magnitude of the impact of Typhoon Pablo becomes clearer day by day. The images of the destruction is immense. The hunger and injuries suffered by people is disheartening. It is indeed a miracle how people managed to survive specially during the onslaught of this super typhoon.

The past weeks, we made efforts to ascertain how can we help. Members of the Davao cluster went around areas of Davao Oriental and CARAGA to evaluate what help is needed specially by our partner communities while Cabustam and Kidmaco seek information from partner members. To date, several member organizations from the three clusters have already made stop-gap efforts to respond in their own modest ways.

Sustaining this effort, Misereor expressed openness to release a quick relief fund via partners in Davao. Thus, the Davao Cluster is now organizing relief efforts in Davao Oriental and CARAGA regions focused on communities not being reached by government and private institutions. TREES , a member organization in Davao with the support of cluster shall take the lead role in this effort.

Even as Misereor has again pledged support to this effort, we would like to continue to appeal for generosity from the network members. We need to gather all the support we can muster both in cash and kind given the enormity of the devastation it brought to our people and communities.

Kindly send your donations to:

A. For Cash Donations
Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc.
Bank of the Philippine Islands
SA # 3281-0275-72

B. For In-Kind Donation
We shall tie-up with groups who have means to transport the goods. Just kindly give us a note the description of the goods so we can coordinate.

We look forward for your generosity

Best,
Yolly
The Secretariat
Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc.
Unit 204 Pacific Century Tower
1472-1476 Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon Ave.Quezon City, Philippines

Baba’s Foundation, part of the PHILSSA Network in Mindanao, has done an initial ground assessment and consultation with relief authorities in Compostela Valley. The following are the identified needs (in order of priority) for Compostela Valley:

1. Cooked Food (for those in the evacuation centers);
2. Blankets, Mats
3. Medicines (for fever, diarrhea, wounds)
4. Temporary shelter materials (tents, etc)
5. Used clothes, footwears (slippers,)
6. Cooking equipments, utensils
7. Uncooked Food (Rice, canned goods, etc)

Baba’s Foundation is running a Relief Operation Center with base in Nabunturan, and with cooking station in Compostela Town Proper, targetting to serve a total of 2,000 evacuees every day, serving  (morning in New Bataan and Monkayo, and afternoon in Compostela and Montevista) for an initial of 2 weeks or 14 days. For the feeding, they need help for the following food materials during the 14 days operation:

1. Noodles – 600 packs per day
2. Rice (for lugaw) -1 sack per day
3. Oatmeal – 1/2 sack per day
4. Bihon – 300 kilos (for 14 days)
5. Water – 2,000 bottles per day

For those within Davao City, they can pick up your in kind donations , by calling Tel. Nos.(082)241-1596 / 3005640 and for cash donations, it can be deposited at Baba’s Foundation Acct. No. 880-01-00050-0 UCPB Savings Bank, Bajada Branch, Davao City.

Once again, the people of Mindanao needs our support. We are appealing to all our partner networks and communities for help and we thank everyone who has already helped.

Urban Poor Person of the Year Award given to TAO-Pilipinas

Last December 07, 2012, TAO-Pilipinas, Inc. through its Executive Director, Arch. Arlene Christy Lusterio received the Urban Poor Person of the Year Award given by the Urban Poor Associates, Community Organizers Multiversity, and Community Organizers of the Philippines Enterprise. The award was given as recognition for all the efforts done by TAO-Pilipinas in improving the lives of urban poor communities.

The award was given during the gala performance of the play produced by Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) entitled “Maryosep”. The play is a story of Christmas and the urban poor. It mirrors the plight of the urban poor communities. Some of the cast in the play came from different people’s organization.

Atty. Leni Robredo with TAO Staff

The guest of honor for the award ceremony was Atty. Leni Robredo, the wife of former DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. Aside from TAO-Pilipinas, other awardees were Mapua Institute of Technlogy School of Architecture, Palafox Associates, and Roy Cuerpo. The awards were a way for urban poor communities to express their gratitude to all the people who have been helping them. A special recognition was also given to Sec. Jesse Robredo from the Urban Poor Alliance (UP-All).

cover of yp enewsletter

The October-December issue of the YP Enewsletter is now available for download. This issue contains the latest updates on our DRR-community infrastructure projects. Activities organized by our partner networks that TAO-Pilipinas was able to attend. It also features announcements about our annual gift-giving activities this coming holiday season.

The YP Enewsletter is a quarterly e-publication done by the Education and Training Program to keep the YPs and other partners updated of the latest activities and projects done by TAO-Pilipinas. To subscribe to the enewsletter, please email Arch. Geraldine Matabang at yp@tao-pilipinas.org.

You may send us children’s toys, storybooks, school items, clothing and candies. Educational toys will be very much appreciated. You can also donate old toys and clothes but these should be in usable condition. (Please have them repaired and cleaned before you send them to us.)

Kindly send in-kind donations to TAO-Pilipinas, Inc. 27A Matiyaga St., Barangay Central, Diliman, Quezon City. For cash donations, deposit to the BPI account of TAO-Pilipinas, Inc. [Account number 4431-0074-31] Please fax or email the bank deposit slip to (632) 441-0998 or info@tao-pilipinas.org for verification.