Community Foundation Practitioners Visit Lipa

(September 19) – “Peer Learning Visit” to the Archdiocese of Lipa to observe and to have a first hand experience of how Pondong Batangan Community Foundation, Inc. works was what some members of the Association of Foundations did in their three-day visit, hosted by PBCF, Inc., under the leadership of Fr. Manny Guazon, executive director of PBCF, Inc..  He is also currently the AF chairman.

The group composed of Board members, executive directors and senior program staff  members of the different organization-members of AF arrived at the Parish of St. John Evangelist in Tanauan City last September 17.  There they got a good briefing on how Pondong Batangan works.  This parish has one of the more efficient methods of collection of the much-vaunted Pondong Batangan, aside from the evangelization program for this concept initiated by His Eminence, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, when he was the Archbishop of Lipa.  At Tanauan,  the group also had an encounter with scholars under the Dunong Batangan, one of the projects being undertaken and funded by PBCF, Inc.

The following day,  they hied off to Lipa City where they observed the Bigasang MSK, Tubig Batangan, and Botikang Batangan, all funded by PBCF, Inc. They had the chance to see how these projects work, interacting even among the recipients of these.

Highlighting their day’s visit was a luncheon at the Villa San Jose,  the Housing project for the poor of the Archdiocese.  At Villa San Jose, they met the out-of-youth trainees for Commercial Cooking, one of the vocational-technical courses being offered under the Galing Batangueno project of PBCF, Inc. The cook-trainees prepared their lunch and even entertained them with lively production numbers.  Fr. Nonie Dolor,  SVS Administrator welcomed the group in their visit.  Again,  they had the chance to see up close this project of Pondong Batangan.

They also had the chance to visit Archbishop Ramon Arguelles who had good words for what Pondong Batangan is doing to the Archdiocese.  Interaction with the members of PBCF, Inc Board of Trustees further contributed to their inside knowledge on how Pondong Batangan has been working.  After their pilgrim visit to famed Carmel Church,  they travelled back to Manila.

Among those that came were executives from Silay-Magalona Foundation (SIMAG), Simbayanan ni Maria Community Foundation, INc. (SMCF, Inc), Coalition of Social Development Organizations in South Cotabato (CSDO-SC), representatives of Batangas Development Council and members of PBCF, Inc.