2011 Annual Report - PhilDHRRA-Mindanao

MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN AGENCY FOR ADVOCACY, RELIEF AND
DEVELOPMENT, INC.
Despite of financial problem and operational
sustainability, MuCAARD maintained and
continues its development works in the seven (7)
Provinces covering 87 Municipalities and 4 Cities
of Mindanao. And most of these areas are
among the poorest areas in the Philippines and
the conflict prone areas in Mindanao.
One of MuCAARD's strategies in development
works is to facilitate the barangay planning. In
most cases the barangay being served have
formulated their Barangay Development Plans
and Annual Investment Plan and being adopted
by the barangay councils. Every year the AIPs
were reviewed to suit the real needs of the
populace. In BDPs formulation and AIPs review
the barangay councils extended financial,
materials, and food assistance. Through BDPs
formulation it resulted to different programs and
projects being accessed and implemented by the
barangays. And in 2011, the Municipalities of
Damulog, Bukidnon and Balindong, Lanao del
Sur, MuCAARD member organizations (BISAP
and POM) were tapped by the Local Government
Units to review and update their Barangay
Development Plans as these were pre-requisite
for their MRDP Project.
Most of the areas the staff, Local Community
Organizers (LCOs) and PO leaders continue to
sit and actively participated/involved in the
different local special bodies, in order to lobby for
the allocation of budgets regarding the priority
projects of the community reflected in the BDPs.
These budgets are on gender & development,
livelihood initiatives, health services, budget for
senior citizens, honorarium to day-care workers,
peace and order funds, disasters and calamities
funds. These are some of the advocacies
MuCAARD which are being brought in the local
special bodies in order to ensure that budgets are
allocated properly aside from barangay
counterparts on infrastructure projects.
22
In expanding new organized groups, the
MuCAARD had organized 22 POs. Learning
activities such as the 9 elements of
organizational development, including
leadership training and other capability building
were conducted to the newly organized POs.
This is to enhance their knowledge, attitudes,
and skills in managing their groups for
sustainability. The POs are accredited to the
BDC and MDC. They are also registered to
Bureau of Rural Workers under the Department
of Labor and Employment (BRW-DOLE).
On MuCAARD's good governance program, on
its December general assembly has discussed
and decided that one of the strategies in order to
meet the objective of good governance program
was to participate on electoral system and will
endorse pro-people candidates from its rank or
from the POs. And during the last 2007 and 2010
local election, MuCAARD support few municipal
and provincial candidates, and was able to
succeed one Provincial Board in Lanao del Sur, 6
Municipal Councilors, 1 Vice-Mayor, and 1
Mayor. In Barangay election a total of 398 PO
members won either Barangay Captains or
Barangay Councilors.
Aside from endorsing pro-people candidates, the
agency conducted voters' education and
resulted to more voters turn out and elected
credible officials. The elected officials who are
PO members brought the organizations' agenda
during their sessions and accessed program and
projects needed by their constituencies. It
brought also strong coordination and
collaboration with the municipal and barangay
local government units. Elected barangay
officials from organized POs regard politics as
opportunity to deliver basic services to the
communities.