By Jade Angelo Gascon

Among the problems that confront the Philippines today are economic insufficiency, lack of opportunities, increasing criminality, political unrest and environmental injustice. Many Christian churches and organizations recognize that they should play a role in mitigating the causes and effects of these problems. However, they often fall short in producing ideas and conjuring practicable solutions that would make them efficient agents of change on a social level. A lot of Christian churches and organizations usually lack mechanisms and manpower to come up with potent and concrete solutions that would address these problems mainly because of their inclination to spiritualize issues at the expense of “works” without which faith is dead.

CSRSME Chairman Mr. Ben Quiñones Jr. discusses bayanihan economy principles to a diverse group of people's organizations

The On Eagle’s Wings Foundation (OEWF) Christian in its values and foundation, held a consultation meeting on March 13, 2010 in cooperation with CSRSME Asia (Coalition of Socially Responsible Small and Medium Enterprises in Asia), and KAMMMPI (Kapisanan ng Magsasaka, Manggagawa at Magsasaka Inc. – Association of Farmers, Workers and Fishermen of the Philippines Inc.), in order to elaborate on the Foodbank project which aims to strengthen food security for the benefit of farmers and urban poor families.

The 313 participants (89 males, 224 females) came from various cities in MetroManila such as Caloocan, Makati, Manila, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City and San Juan, and nearby provinces such as Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.

Over 300 delegates participated in the consultation. Here they join the community singing.

They also represented 61 people’s organizations coming from diverse backgrounds: from transport groups to churches, microfinance groups, cooperatives, vendors’ associations and urban poor organizations.

Ptr. Ed De Guzman, Chairman of On Eagle’s Wings Development Foundation (Philippines) and Board Member of CSRSME Asia, exhorted delegates and organizers to pursue the Philippines’s prophetic destiny to be a blessed nation of God that will bless other nations as well by consecrating themselves to the purposes of God.

He also added that the diverse body of Christ in the Philippines must unite toward the fulfillment of this vision. And socially responsible organizations and cooperatives can also be used by the Lord to advance his Kingdom dominion.

Part of the program gave participants the opportunity to interact with panelists who are knowledgable on solidarity economy practices and CSRSME's advocacies. Among the panelists were Ptr. Ed De Guzman, Mr. Ben Quiñones Jr., entrepreneur Myrna Villanueva, and community leaders Ptr. Jun Pasagui and Ptr. Mike Cabahug

OEWF and CSRSME Asia, both socially responsible organizations, can be used by God to end poverty in the Philippines. A significant, concrete solution that the group offers are paradigm-shifting training courses that transform people’s mindsets into entrepreneurial and innovative ones. This kind of worldview empowers societies to end poverty.

In addition, OEWF offers sustained discipleship under its Social Entrepreneurship and Discipleship Program (SEDP) and the mentorship of socially responsible individuals. The Foodbank project is one of the avenues for entrepreneurial discipleship.

The Foodbank will seek to revolutionize the distribution of agricultural produce into urban communities by eliminating exploitative cartels and oppressive economic practices that have been salient features of Philippine agricultural economy.

With the help of another collaborating organization, the Shared Vision Cooperative (SVC), the Foodbank project shall form area coordination clusters that will strategize for and organize subsidiary Foodshops. The Foodshop Coordinators shall be trained in handling and managing the program, and in mobilizing communities that will unite to secure access to affordable agricultural products.

SVC’s Bayanihan Cash Card (BaCC) shall be instrumental in facilitating the Foodbank financial transactions and in mentoring both farmer producers and urban consumers to be wise financial stewards.

Microfinance groups OK (Opportunity Kauswagan) Bank, a founding member of the largest Christian social development network in the country, and ASKI (Alalay sa Kaunlaran sa Gitnang Luzon) have pledged support to the program by providing services such as deposits and loans and other personality improvement training.

Should the Foodbank project find success in the hands of socially responsible united communities, the world shall witness in the Philippines an unprecedented economic revolution initiated by Christians who are in loving pursuit of the cause of God for the Philippines.

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by: Joel Marcaida

On June 5, 2009 the participants of  OEWF Bayanihan Youth Camp in Calamba, Laguna met again for the second time after the camp. The first meeting was held on May 29, 2009 during which the youth leaders planned to conduct a number of BSV workshops in their respective spheres of influence. The output of the workshop are the following:

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May you all have a very…

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by K. Ben Quinones

I occasionally visit the Forum section of the OEWF website to see what our youth leaders are talking about. An encouraging recent development is the interest shown by the BSV BYC (Building Shared Vision – Bayanihan Youth Camp) Team in honing their thinking and writing skills. This is clearly the result of the youth leaders putting into practice what they have learned at the BSV BYC.  When the youth begin to share with each other their dreams for a better society, one day soon they will find a way to take a collective action and bold step to make their dreams come true.

For the first time today, I joined their forum and wrote this message:

“You are doing a good job! Keep writing and sharing your thoughts. The more you put down into writing your thoughts, the more organized is your way of presenting your ideas, and the more enhanced is your thinking skills. People who have a well ordered and righteous mind become good models of a servant leader.

“Dear Alfred,

“You are an articulate writer.  Keep on writing. One day you can write a book, but you cannot reach that goal unless you keep on writing. This forum is a good opportunity for you to hone your writing skills. Don’t be contented with the present state of your writing skills. Seek technical help from people who can teach you how to write well. You have a bright future as a leader and a writer. 

“Dear Jessa Luz,

“Congratulations !! You have shown what a good documentor should be doing. In the same manner that a good follower becomes a good leader, by striving diligently to become a good documentor, you are cultivating your potentials for becoming a good facilitator as well as a good inquiirer and advocate.

“Blessings to all of you”.

Why don’t you visit the Forum section and like our youth leaders, spend some time exercising your thinking and writing skills.

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by Joanna Marie Calma, Secretary, Carmelite Bayanihan Center

I  wOuLd  SaY  BaYaNiHaN  YoUtH  cAmP  WaS  ReAlLy  gReAt  AnD  Im  sO  ThAnKfUl  tO  Be  a  PaRt  Of  it.

IT’s  sO  vErY  UnForGeTtAbLe  eXpErIeNcE  in mY LiFe.

ThAnK  GOd  fOr  tHe  mAnY  ThInGs I’vE LeArNed.   Like haVing FelLoWship With oThErS,   rEsPeCting  OtHeRs’  OpInIoN,  &  dIsCiPlIning  MySeLf  At  alL  tImE .

The BaYaniHaN  YoUtH  cAmP mOlDed  mE  To bE A BeTtER pErSoN.

I KnOw  fulFilLing My vIsIoN wIlL bE OnE Of tHe ReAsOnS That tHe pHiLiPpInEs wouLd BeCoMe a bEtTeR CoUnTrY

by Noelle Contessa Paz, Public Relations Officer, National Youth for Servant Leadership (NYSL)

After the Bayanihan Trade Exhibit which was held last Nov. 14-15, 2008 at the U.P. College of Social Development and Community Work, four Bayanihan Centers (BC) were formed. These are the Carmelite B.C., J-Gen B.C., Mt. Zion B.C. and UCC B.C. After 6 months of continous saving by the members of these 4 BCs,  the On Eagle’s Wings Foundation (OEWF) decided to sponsor Bayanihan Youth Camp with the theme “Building Shared Vision towards Solidarity Economy”. The said youth camp, held at the Lord’s Garden in Calamba Laguna on May 10-13, 2009 and facilitated by the staff of CSRSME Asia, was attended by around 20 participants from different Bayanihan Centers including those organized by the Pinoy Family Foundation Inc.

The camp taught us many things.  Honestly, before I joined NYSL,I really didn’t care about the Philippines. I didn’t even bother to watch the news whenever it’s about the Philippines. Because it really pisses me off everytime I hear the problems in our country. In plain words, I didn’t care at all.

But the time came when the Lord led me to a group of Christian believers who share the goodness of God as well as a victorious vision for our beloved country. This is the group called National Youth for Servant Leadership (NYSL) with which I have eventually become a member. I’ve attended many of their workshops and seminars on how to help the Philippines rise up again as a nation. It really opened not only my eyes but also my heart. Since then, I became active in serving our country. And today, I can say that I’m now a true and loyal citizen of the Philippines. And I believe that time will come when all the people here in the Philippines especially the youth will be united and will be sharing the same vision in serving our country.

I FAILED, I STOOD UP, I LEARNED, AND I CAME TO BE COUNTED…

THANK YOU LORD FOR GIVING ME A CHANCE TO BE A PART OF NYSL AND THIS BSV CAMP…

by Bro. Ben Quiñones[1]

1. Towards a God-centered Economy

The paramount motivation of economic actors in the prevailing economy is personal accumulation of wealth. This motivation is rooted in man’s greed and self-centeredness, which is the same as saying that man is sinful. There is really nothing wrong with this realization as it agrees with biblical truth, but when it is translated into a system of belief postulating that man engages in economic activities for the purpose of personal wealth accumulation, then that belief system virtually justifies greediness and self-centeredness of man as an economic being.

In the present economic order, sin is made socially acceptable simply because the prevailing system of belief says that it is what motivates man to organize a market economy. When a legal system is created to support this belief system, then the pursuit of personal profit and wealth accumulation is legalized, and society establishes institutions to protect and preserve the established system.

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By: Joel O. Marcaida, Executive Director

National Youth for Servant Leadership Inc.

On the second day of the Bayanihan Supply Chain Conference and Trade Exhibit organized by the Coalition of Socially Responsible Small and Medium Enterprises in Asia (CSRSME Asia) at the University of the Philippines on November 14-15, 2008, a meeting between the National Youth for Servant Leadership (NYSL) and On Eagle’s Wings Foundation (OEWF) resulted in the organization of four (4) Bayanihan Centers (BCs) of young people, namely: Generation BC Jesus, Jesus, Calvary Church BC, University of Caloocan City BC, and Carmelite BC . Each Center had a bayanihan facilitator from the NYSL, who will also act as the Account officer of the BC.

The Carmelite Bayanihan Center (CBC) was the first bayanihan youth center to become operational after the conference in UP. On November 22, 2008, they held a meeting and twenty (20) youth agreed to start their savings program. Each member committed to save P10 per week and elected their officers, namely: Jeannet Borrega – Chairman; Ronald Sawa-an – Vice Chairman; Joana Marie Calma – Secretary; Janille Macahito – Treasurer; and Jaymar Albiola – Auditor. They are the leaders who will coordinate and plan for the development of their group.

The oath-taking ceremony of the officers and members of the Carmelite Bayanihan Center was conducted last December 29, 2008. Their parents, friends and some residents in their area joined the program. Ms. Hilda Panganiban, Executive Director of CSRSME Asia, gave her inspirational message and challenged those in attendance. The event became a fun activity because of the games and presentations of the youth. NYSL gave small gifts, courtesy of On Eagle’s Wings Foundation, to the members of CBC and the residents.

Like other organizations, the Carmelite Bayanihan Center also experienced many trials and challenges. There are times when they stop giving their savings, when other youth would criticize and mock them, and when members clash and disagree. With the help of NYSL facilitators Joel O. Marcaida and Noelle Contessa Y. Paz, with the additional support of CSRSME Asia, the Christian Businessmen’s Forum International Inc. and On Eagle’s Wings Foundation, these challenges were overcome. Their greatest achievement is their persistence in pursuing their dreams and aspirations for their community.

They now have over Php2,000 in savings which they will use to start a small business this summer.

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Being a volunteer and a participant of the Asian Forum for Solidarity Economy 2007 has enlarged my perspective. I have learned a new initiative called SOLIDARITY ECONOMY and that is what I’d like to tell you about. Not because I am a niece of Mr. Ben R. Quiñones, the event organizer, that automatically means I am widely informed about this topic. (Embarrassing as it seems, it’s quite the contrary). Since I learned to develop a hunger for knowledge, I kept an open mind to the discussions and whatever information that was available.

During the Asian Forum Stakeholders Assembly on October 20 2007, the last day of the Asian Forum, the delegates were asked how they understood Solidarity Economy. Though I am still a neophyte in this matter, and it seems to be a new concept in the field of economics, I would like to share with you how I understood Solidarity Economy and the role played by the Asian Forum in advancing it in this nation.

Solidarity Economy is an alternative economy which seeks to serve the greater good of the people. Market-oriented economy is “PROFIT-centered”, while Solidarity Economy is PEOPLE-centered. This contrast was amplified by former DILG Sec. Joey Lina during one of the Asian Forum sessions I attended.

Economics teaches us that stakeholders in an economy can be typified into four major groups – the investors, the producers, the service providers and the consumers. Since each group wants to obtain profit for itself, there exists a conflict of interests between them. The investor wants to lend money at a higher interest rate, but the producer would want to borrow at a lower interest rate. In turn, the producer wants to sell his produce at a high price while the consumer would haggle for a lower price. Self-interest oriented and profit-centered, it truly is.

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By Emil Samson, University of Caloocan City <gudboy_emil22@yahoo.com>

I am so happy that I was invited and became a participant in the recently concluded  Bayanihan Youth Camp with the theme “Building Shared Vision”. This was held at the Lord’s Grace Garden in Looc, Calamba, Laguna.

It was a wonderful experience for me.  To be a part of this life changing seminar was a great privilege because of the learning and knowledge  that I got from all the activities and workshops I went through.

The workshop helped me love God love even more as well as the country that I belong with. This is because of the personal vision that I constructed during the  valuable workshops and fun-filled activities that I participated in. I learned to have a selfless vision and how to make it happen in small steps.

Vision is important to every man because it urges him to continue living even in the world of restlessness and one’s immediate environment of hopelessness. We need vision because it makes us keep standing still for a better and brighter tomorrow.

I will never forget this wonderful experience. It really changed me a lot. I will share this experience to all my neighbors,  relatives,  friends and of course to my family.