2011 Annual Report - PhilDHRRA-Mindanao

MESSAGE from PhilDHRRA-Mindanao Chairperson
Last year was a busy and productive life for us. It brought significant and meaningful changes and challenges in
our organization.
PhilDHRRA seized the opportunities offered by the current dispensation to engage government in
strengthening and expanding a reform constituency, especially at the grassroots level, which is dedicated to
good governance, poverty reduction, peace and sustainable economy. We partnered with various agencies
such as DILG, DAR, DSWD, CODE-NGO, MinCODE in the promotion of transparent and accountable
governance in selected provinces in the region. We believe that good governance is crucial to a viable
economy and political stability.
In our quest to maintain solid membership and, in response to the clamor of funding agencies, PhilDHRRA-
Mindanao undertook a deliberate review of its members' performance as part of critical self-examination of its
principles and practices with regard to 'good housekeeping'. This undertaking, sadly, resulted to the
removal/expulsion of three (3) of our network members belonging to the CARAGA cluster from the roster.
With the realization that PhilDHRRA's gains in doing thematic and sectoral work is being threatened by the
impacts of climate change, the Regional Assembly (RA) in 2010 took a serious look to find the right path to
embark on appropriate response to the challenge. Consequently, the RA approved and adapted the Road
Map in Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCA/DRR).
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In this year's 47 Regional Assembly of PhilDHRRA-Mindanao with the theme, “Sustaining our Gains and
Commitments Towards Rural Development in the Context of Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk
Reduction (CCA/DRR), we will revisit the Road Map in the light of the current realities and the capabilities of
our network members. We shall ask ourselves the following questions: 1) What are we doing in CCA/DRR?;
2) Where and how do we engage in CCA/DRR?; and 3) How can we integrate CCA/DRR responses in our rural
development work?
In the coming years, we shall focus our energy and resources in strengthening our network by providing
appropriate institutional assistance to the NGO members. We shall continue and expand our engagement
with the present government, along with our CSO allies. We shall expand our constituency to generate
stronger force to support our advocacy for a sustainable environment as well as integrate and expand
CCA/DRR responses in our rural development programs. We shall also review and enhance our Sustainable
Integrated Area Development (SIAD) approach in rural development.
Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who stayed with us in our journey and who
continue to believe in the cause of PhilDHRRA, despite the challenges we encountered: our Regional Board of
Trustees, our Network Members, our Secretariat our Funders and Allies in development. We have been
together for almost three decades. Together we shall continue to traverse the path that we collectively have
chosen with vigor and unity, we the thought that challenges will always be part of our journey.
Mabuhay ang PhilDHRRA!!!
Nestor R. Carbonera
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