Sunday, October 31, 2010

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS AS AGENTS TO RESOLVE UNEMPLOYMENT

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS AS AGENTS TO RESOLVE UNEMPLOYMENT

By: Jose Cambel Policarpio, Jr.

Every year, colleges and universities are producing hundreds contributing to thousands of graduates whose primary dreams and ambitions is to earn a degree for employment and in effect, help their parents/guardians in uplift their living condition, enabling them to send the rest of the siblings to school. Employment after graduation has become a more common mine-set of every graduate. Even those who are been employed considered themselves in a vague position as industries change directions most often than overnight.

Our work in development demands not only ensures people to have a regular source of income or livelihood but also establishing them in all areas of life. Looking for alternative solutions to unemployment, then, is one of the challenges facing us and our government officials. This is not only a question of eradicating poverty but also what really matters to our people. The question that kept on bothering us is how should it be done?

One of among the ways on how to create jobs in agriculture dependent community is through the strengthening of the community infrastructures that could provide easy access to farmers without being overburdened with high transportation cost just to deliver their produce to the market. If government at all levels is serious enough in minimizing corruption if not to eradicate, they should work right away to ensure that government finances which derived from peoples’ taxes be accountably utilized based on the desired outcome reflected in a planning documents than to the pockets of some. In so doing, the mass-based populace living in poverty will have the chance of experiencing the fullness of life.

Lot of initiatives have been evolved, though, it may have to start at a local level. We all know that local governments are the right bodies to know the human resources available in their respective locality. They need to establish a profile of their people and determine their knowledge, skills and likelihood. A venue of close interaction must be set up, with people in the community, churches and some civil society organizations. This initiative could be a “Joint Undertaking of NGOs, People’s Organizations (POs) and Local Government Units (LGUs). This will be of great help in providing creative thoughts for minimizing unemployment.

It may be in entrepreneurship where part of the employment problem is resolved. As owners of social enterprises with a social mission in addressing social problems, people will have the responsibility not only for themselves and their families but to the people in the community they belong. This could involve risks, but with the entrepreneurs’ passion and of communities’ support, it eventually makes a way out of unemployment for some if not all, such a good start in building a great nation.

Moreover, to help resolve the unemployment and further eradicate the long suffered poverty among our people, we need to adapt a system which ensures economic development, a system wherein social entrepreneurs are the key players. A system that guarantees the core values of accountability, cooperation and transparency, controlling the major subsystems of the industry which is production, processing and marketing. Giving an opportunity for the people to be blessed and become a blessing to others by way of contributing something to the social welfare funds out of their income for a secured people in the community. People in the community can be considered as producers and at the same time consumers.

With these ideas in mind, the Consortium for the Development of Western Mindanao Communities, Inc. (CDWMCI) as catalyst of change, have conceptualized a system dubbed as “Tripartite Economic Development System” or TEDS composed of the three organizations, departments or units with specific functions. These are (1) Economic Planning Unit (EPU) as think-tank; (2) the Industrial Development Unit (IDU) as the social entrepreneurial arm where every enterprise set-up under the system will share at least five (5) percent of their income to the Members’ Welfare Unit and (3) the Financial and Members Welfare Unit (FDN) which is responsible in providing basic social services to its members using the contributions abovementioned. As part of its membership mobilization strategy, individuals interested to join the organization will have pay a one-time membership fee of P100.00 and a monthly due of P10.00 as basis for them to avail the agreed social benefit funds made available for them.

CD Social Welfare Club Membership Benefits

CD Social Welfare Club


Membership Benefits



>Mechanics / Procedures:




  1. Member are required to pay the one-time membership fee of Php100.00 and regular Php10.00 monthly dues to be paid in quarterly basis (Php30.00) on or before 25th day of the 2nd month of the quarter (February 25, May 25, August 25, November 25) to the designated Municipal Coordinator or directly to CDWMCI One Network Bank account;



  1. Member will also earn one (1) point equivalent to Php1.00 in every Php100.00 worth of product purchased or services rendered by the subsidiary organizations and enterprises duly accredited with CDWMCI. Points provisionary receipt and ledger will be provided to member for record keeping and validation;



  1. Monthly member’s contribution and earned points which is convertible to monthly dues will be allocated as follows; 50% for members’ emergency assistance, 30% as Reserve Fund/Savings and 20% for Administrative Expenses;


Sample computation:


-100 members monthly dues @ Php10.00 = Php 1,000.00


- Plus excess members’ earned point & some donations = 500.00


Total = 1,500.00



>Members’ emergency assistance (50%) = Php750.00


>Reserve Funds/Savings (30%) = 450.00


>Administrative Expenses (20%) = 300.00


Total = 1,500.00




  1. Fund Release: Fifty percent (50%) of the total monthly contributed dues and earned points/ donations shall be made available for release to members in need of emergency assistance, provided that he/she contributed continuously for six (6) months or two (2) quarters before the incident.



  1. Schedule of Fund Release: Member are only allowed the once in every six (6) months or twice a year Emergency Assistance as recommended or endorsed by the Municipal Coordinator, subject for changes depending on the funds raised by CDWMCI to better serve its members. Cut-off date for members’ emergency assistance request is every 25th day of every month;



  1. Basis of Allocation: Previous quarter members’ contributions and earned points and donations will the basis of allocation, presented as follows:

January April July October


February ← May August November


March June September ← December




  1. Quarterly Surplus Allocation: Quarterly Surplus derived from Reserved Funds/Savings shall be reallocated every 25th day of the last month of the quarter as follows:

30% - Emergency Medical Assistance/ Health related programs


30% - Education and Training Fund (Scholarship)


40% - Livelihood projects expansion/setting-up of social enterprises


Objectives and Purposes

· Objectives & Purposes

a. To engage in the upliftment and improvement of farmers and fishermen thriving in the communities whose livelihood is dependent on the land and seas, irrespective of tribes;

b. To look into the welfare of every member, promoting and guiding them in attaining happy and contented life.

c. To engage in modern fishing industry through grouping or helping one another in acquiring capital or putting up projects that will eventually benefit each families.

d. To engage in any lawful endeavors with primordial aims of giving members some kinds of incentives such as scholarship for children and health care.

e. To establish community – based training center, technical/vocational schools for the farmers, fishermen and their sympathizers.

f. To provide efficient assistance for the Oversees Filipino Workers in order to avoid the recycled problems that are happening to them while in abroad including technical assistance in the preparation of specific livelihood activities of their choice when they go home to their respective hometowns.

g. Implementation of acceptable, workable and doable programs infusing therein the peaceful co-existence between and among the Christians, Muslim, Lumads/IPs.

h. Recognizing and giving importance to individual and group cherished values, customs, traditions, beliefs, knowledge, systems and practice in the planning, programming and implementation of the development programs in their localities.

i. Recognizing the local capabilities and abilities thereby establishing Local Chief
Executive Training Center so that they will be given a chance to manage and supervise programs/projects intended for them rather than hiring in Manila foreign based experts; and


j. The religious leaders shall be involved and given vital role in the formulation of plans and programs to be implemented in their own localities.

Organizational Profile, Vision, Mission, Core Values

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

The CDWMCI as a mass-base endeavor was organized on November 2008 and officially registered under Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 16, 1999. It was being established to help and assist the grassroots populace (particularly farmers and fishermen including those underprivileged, neglected and displaced) in shaping and leading their meaningless lives into a more responsive and meaningful under the framework of prosper-thy-neighbor policy and conscience-based approach.

· Vision – A responsive & meaningful life among people in Western Mindanao communities.

· Mission – Engaged into a mass-base endeavor, setting up social enterprises aimed at helping and assisting the people (grassroots populace) under the framework of prosper-thy-neighbor policy and conscience-based approach.

· Core Values

A – Accountability (Towards God & Men, Stewardship)

C – Cooperation (Love, honor & respect to others)

T – Transparency (Integrity and Dignity)

Biblical Foundation II- Corinthians 8: 20-21

“ We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. ”