Alabang, Muntinlupa City — In its Annual General Meeting today, Malampaya Foundation Inc. Chairman Rufino Bomasang delivered the following 2005-2015 report:
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD’S TEN-YEAR (2005-2015) REPORT
By year-end 2015, Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI) marked a decade of being SC 38’s main social arm working with communities in Malampaya’s areas of operation. Ten years ago when the foundation was in its infancy, we started with 11 staff members and our first program was the provision of solar systems to 449 barangay health centers and rural health units for the whole province of Palawan. We selected El Nido, Palawan, being closest to the Malampaya offshore platform, as the launch site of MFI and its first program.
We were joined by many key stakeholders on that eventful day. Though we did not have an idea how we would turn out ten years later, our mission was clear: and that is to make lasting, effective contributions to people and communities the best possible way we can, guided by the principles of sustainable development.
Today as we celebrate our decade-long existence, Malampaya continues to be an international model for sustainable development in the upstream oil and gas industry by ensuring no harm to people and environment through responsible operations and provision of lasting benefits for communities through MFI.
MFI has grown from 11 staff in 2005 to peak at 42 in 2015, working on implementing various programs, including those for Malampaya Phase 3.
TEN YEARS AND COUNTING
In ten years, what have we accomplished? Below is a preview of all our efforts and outcomes:
I. Marine Conservation programs (BAHURA and VIP Conservation): Our marine conservation program spans 10 marine key biodiversity areas, 2 National Parks, and 2 Marine Protected Area (MPA) Networks in the Sulu-Sulawesi seascape, the first priority seascape in the Coral Triangle. To date, MFI provides the largest and most comprehensive direct support to conservation actions in the sites covered from North Palawan, the whole east coast of Oriental Mindoro to Batangas City. These areas bound the Verde Island Passage which is known as the center of the center of shorefish biodiversity in the world.
By end-2015, we have directly contributed to the improvement of 12,270 hectares of existing and new community-managed MPA’s, forged 22 conservation covenants with partner coastal barangays and community-based people’s organizations, initiated species re-stocking in Palawan, set-up community-based coral, mangrove and tree nurseries for rehabilitation, improved community-based enforcement, upgraded ecological monitoring, and provided conservation incentives to community partners ranging from mariculture to land-based and ecotourism projects, as well as academic scholarships for future conservation advocates.
Our contribution to MPA Networks in Verde Island Passage and the improved management of individual MPAs gained recognition with Batangas MPA and Enforcement Network garnering the best managed Network award in the country and the Agsalin MPA in Gloria, Oriental Mindoro recognized as the best managed MPA in Luzon and ranked 3rd in the country. MFI is recognized as among the key NGO partners for biodiversity conservation gaining a spot among the few case studies in the ASEAN Region for the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity Outlook, a testament of what effective partnerships can achieve;
II. Livelihood and Enterprise Development programs (LAMBAT, SIKAP, GANDA, BLP): A combined number of over 6,000 has been reached for all of the various types of community-based skills trainings we have implemented geared for employment, self-employment and enterprise development since 2006, resulting in many successful cases of economic and social gains by those who utilized their skills and tools properly. These have generated incomes for many who previously had none, and increased the incomes of those who were already earning, some by more than 100%;
III. Bridging Employment through Skills Training (BEST): Since 2007, BEST has benefitted more than 4,200 individuals in various industrial as well as tourism skills with the aim of obtaining gainful employment in the job market. Of the number, approximately 80-85% have been employed as an outcome of the skills gained, with some 50-55% landing work overseas;
IV. Disaster Preparedness and Response programs (NEST and SHORE): Over 4,000 individuals capacitated on disaster preparedness and management since 2007 and 139 bgy disaster risk response mgmt. councils made functional under our SHORE program. More importantly, community awareness and response procedures have greatly improved at the grassroots level where many challenges lie. For this, we have received three (3) regional GAWAD KALASAG Awards from the NDRRMC-OCD since 2008 and being considered as a national awardee;
V. Health Programs: In Batangas, more than 22,000 service counts for community-based insurance Impok Pangkalusugan and over 19,900 service counts for Doctor-to-the-barangay has been logged while health education was imparted to more than 2,200 since 2007. The Malampaya Clinical Laboratory was inaugurated in 2015 and will be operated by Red Cross by March 2016. In Palawan, 2,636 barangay health workers’ skills were upgraded as a result of a partnership with the Palawan provincial government from 2012-2015, vastly improving community-based health service. This approach was replicated by the Department of Health in other provinces utilizing the manual we produced;
VI. Education Programs: On education, we have improved the English proficiency of more than 2,000 public school teachers since 2007 for the ACCENT program, provided science laboratory tools to 32 Palawan schools under Adopt-a-School, provided solar-powered education technology tool for 3 pilot schools and another 3 schools with only the education technology under Tanglaw Paaralan and USETEC, resulting to reduced drop-outs and improved test scores among the students;
VII. Waste Management programs: Our Adopt-an-Estero program in Puerto Princesa Palawan in 2011-2012 has received recognition from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and has made it a model site for waterway rehabilitation which has been replicated in other region 4 sites. One of our 25 school beneficiaries for Young Eco-Savers program was awarded first place by the DENR for Most Innovative and Eco-friendly school in 2015, while two other schools were awarded by the Batangas local government with the same recognition;
VIII. Road Safety Program: The KALSADA program has educated over 2,500 three-wheel public utility drivers in Subic and Batangas, more than 1,000 two-wheel riders in Batangas and over 120 traffic enforcers to improve enforcement of road regulations. A significant decrease (17%) in incidents involving three-wheel vehicles in Subic has been reported and continues to decline;
IX. Calamity and disaster assistance: We participated in relief and rehabilitation efforts since 2006 for most major calamities that hit the country, most especially in Malampaya’s areas of operation, by working alongside local governments and other non-profit organizations. From Reming (2006), Frank (2008) Ondoy (2009), Pedring and Sendong (2011), severe habagat (2012), Yolanda (2013) to Nona (2015).
What is in store for us the next ten years? We will zealously do our best to continue with the humble work we have laid out for the foundation: to be an enabler to individuals and communities. We have forged countless, valuable partnerships with local communities, local governments, local organizations that underpin the successes of the programs, without which would have been impossible to achieve. We will continue to grow our partnerships that will become the backbone of program implementation. I salute the partners who work with us from the grassroots communities to the highest levels of government.
Lastly, I wish to recognize the steadfast dedication of MFI’s main asset: our people who make things happen. MFI’s Board of Trustees will continue to be committed in its support to ensure our own people work efficiently, safely and effectively in the service of communities we work with, guided by sound principles, ethics and policies at all times.
Maraming salamat at mabuhay.
