Flores de Mayo emergency feeding program report

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c/o St. Camillus Hospital of Mati Foundation, Inc.

National Highway, Madang, 8200 City of Mati

Davao Oriental, Philippines

Tel. Nos. +63 87 388 3682 / +63 87 811 5271

Fr. John Jay C. Magpusao, MI, Fr. Angel V. Crisostomo, MI, and Fr. Marven G. Ruyeras, MI, of the St. Camillus Hospital of Mati

Community, spearheaded the CTF Philippines post-disaster emergency feeding program in the town of Baganga, Davao Oriental.

16 June 2013

FR. DOMINGO S. BARAWID, MI

Camillian Task Force Philippines–Mindanao Regional Coordinator

Through: FR. ANGEL V. CRISOSTOMO, MI

St. Camillus Hospital of Mati Community Superior

FR. JOHN JAY C. MAGPUSAO, MI

Emergency Feeding Program Religious In-Charge

REPORT ON THE FLORES DE MAYO EMERGENCY FEEDING PROGRAM

IN THE PARISHES OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION AND

SACRED HEART OF JESUS IN BAGANGA, DAVAO ORIENTAL

In response to the Typhoon Pablo calamity last December 4, 2012, the Camillian Task Force

(CTF) Philippines–Mindanao Region, conducted a post-disaster emergency feeding program in

the town of Baganga, Davao Oriental. It was spearheaded by the Camillian religious of the St.

Camillus Hospital of Mati Community. Implemented during the entire month of May 2013, it

served as a rider activity to the Flores de Mayo Catechism in the local parishes.

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Tel. Nos. +63 87 388 3682 / +63 87 811 5271

Children in the Immaculate Conception Parish (above) and the Sacred

Heart of Jesus Parish (below) – the two selected parishes in Baganga,

Davao Oriental, where the emergency feeding program was conducted.

Two parishes were selected as recipients

of the program: Immaculate Conception

Parish (ICP) in Brgy. Poblacion and

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish (SHJP) in

Brgy. Lambajon, both in Baganga.

Of the several parishes in the east coast

towns of Davao Oriental hardly hit by

Pablo, the two parishes were chosen

based on time and structure, budget,

partner equity, and logistics.

Time and Structure

Because of the summer break, the

Flores de Mayo activity, held every

afternoon, provided the sole best

workable structure where children can

be gathered together on a daily basis for

the whole month of May. Since the

parishes are composed of Basic

Ecclesial Communities (BEC) or

Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban

(GKK) where volunteer catechists are

actively working, it became manageable

for them to encourage attendance and

coordinate parent-volunteer

involvement in the program.

The local government units (barangays) were discounted as probable partners in the program

because of the midterm elections and their respective organizational struggles over aid and relief

distributions.

Despite the limited time for the area preparation, ICP and SHJP were able to provide cook sites,

volunteer cooks, and quarters for the CTF Staff.

The weighing of children before the start of the feeding was foregone. All participating children

in the Flores de Mayo, undernourished or otherwise, were included in the program.

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Tel. Nos. +63 87 388 3682 / +63 87 811 5271

A volunteer catechist checks the daily attendance of the children participating in

the program which was also called “Catholic Plus” since some children from

other religious persuasions were likewise included in the feeding.

Fr. Perfecto M. Urbuda Jr., DCM (extreme right), parochial vicar of the

Immaculate Conception Parish, was very vital in the implementation

of the program in their parish.

The program was also called

“Catholic Plus” since some

children from other religious

persuasions were likewise

included in the feeding.

Budget

Although ICP has the larger

number of member-GKKs, they

have fewer chapels rebuilt in time

and ready for the conduct of

Flores de Mayo than SHJP. Some

catechists also begged off from

the program because of other

tasks in cash-for-work programs

by government and non-government organizations, or prior commitments with election work.

Thus, after a series of consultations with the catechists and the parish priests – Fr. Joel L. Vidal,

DCM, and Fr. Perfecto M. Urbuda Jr., DCM (ICP), and Fr. Darwey P. Clark, DCM (SHJP) – 500

children in ICP and 1,000 children in SHJP were identified as target recipients of the emergency

feeding program. The 1,500 total numbers of participants in the two parishes was based on GKK

membership and the pre-listing of

children (including some non-

Catholics).

Php10.00 was budgeted for each

child per meal, per day. The

budget supplemented the base

preparations of Manna Pack Rice

and Manna Pack Potato donated

by the Assisi Foundation through

Caritas Manila.

A total of 24 feeding days were

done from May 1 to 31, with ICP

and SHJP both having 12 feeding

days each. MWF were scheduled

for SHJP while TThS for ICP.

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Tel. Nos. +63 87 388 3682 / +63 87 811 5271

This made a total of Php180,000.00 as working budget for the whole duration of the emergency

feeding program (Php10.00 x 1,500 children x 12 days). The total amount needed for the

program was generated through the personal contributions from the Camillian religious

themselves and through the donations from some Camillian communities and concerned

individuals and institutions.

The table below presents the actual daily implementation and menu preparation (Manna Pack

Rice and Potato) during the entire period of the emergency feeding program.

May

2013 Day Feeding Day # Menu Parish

# of

Children

1 Wed 1 Champorado and Boiled Egg SHJP 1000

2 Thu 2 Champorado and Boiled Egg ICP 500

3 Fri 3 Puto Cheese and Bihon SHJP 1000

4 Sat 4 Benignit ICP 500

5 Sun - - - -

6 Mon 5 Arroz Caldo SHJP 1000

7 Tue 6 Arroz Caldo ICP 500

8 Wed 7 Pork Giniling SHJP 1000

9 Thu 8 Pork Giniling ICP 500

10 Fri 9 Benignit SHJP 1000


12 Sun - - - -

13 Mon - Election Day - -

14 Tue - - - -

15 Wed 11 Pork Monggo SHJP 1000

16 Thu 12 Arroz Caldo ICP 500

17 Fri 13 Fishball SHJP 1000

18 Sat 14 Puto Cheese ICP 500

19 Sun - - - -

20 Mon 15 Benignit SHJP 1000

21 Tue 16 Benignit ICP 500

22 Wed 17 Benignit SHJP 1000

23 Thu 18 Benignit ICP 500

24 Fri 19 Puto Cheese and Juice SHJP 1000


26 Sun - - - -

27 Mon - - - -

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Tel. Nos. +63 87 388 3682 / +63 87 811 5271

The catechists and volunteer cooks rolled into one. They took charge in the food preparation that included purchasing of the

items needed for the day’s menu and provision of firewood.

28 Tue - - - -

29 Wed 21 Arroz Caldo SHJP 1000

30 Thu 22 Arroz Caldo ICP 500

31 Fri 23/24 Pork Giniling SHJP/ICP 1500

Partner Equity

Volunteer cooks (mostly catechists) from the partner-parishes took charge of the food

preparation. This included purchasing of the items needed for the day’s menu and the provision

of firewood. They selflessly shared their time and talent to make every dish acceptable to the

children’s very challenging set of taste buds.

The following tables show the list of the 23 GKKs which participated in the emergency feeding

program with the corresponding names of catechists.

Immaculate Conception Parish has enlisted 9 of its 126 GKKs to the program.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH

GKK Chapel Location Catechists

1 San Vicente Ferrer Embarcadero, Brgy. Poblacion Villa Bergado

2 Sta. Cruz Hillside Highway, Brgy. Poblacion Sonia Aumada

3 San Juan Bautista White House, Brgy. Poblacion Edna Lagbas

4 Divine Mercy RHU Highway, Brgy. Poblacion Dailinda Dongiapon

Josefita Bedaño

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Tel. Nos. +63 87 388 3682 / +63 87 811 5271

Aurelina Barreda

5 Sr. Santiago Apostol Paopagon, Brgy. Salingcomot Delecia Lancian

6 Birhen sa Fatima Centro, Brgy. Salingcomot Evelyn Aguilar

7 Christ the King Panjugan, Brgy. Salingcomot Victoria Salgado

8 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel NASA Village, Brgy. Saoquegue Florenda Yamson

Rita Balug

9 San Miguel Arkanghel Abu-yuan, Brgy. Mahan-ub Catherine Matilac

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish has enlisted 14 of its 28 GKKs to the program.

SACRED HEART OF JESUS PARISH

GKK Chapel Location Catechists

1 Sr. San Pedro ug

San Pablo Block 1, Brgy. Lambajon

Brigida Cabarle

Luzviminda Tilud

2 Sta. Cruz Block 2, Brgy. Lambajon Ramona Damian

Liza Amper

3 Sr. San Isidro Block 3, Brgy. Lambajon Editha Morales

Carmelita Gutierrez

4 Sr. San Roque Block 4, Brgy. Lambajon Flojencia Rojas

Victorina Lanaban

5 Sr. Sto. Niño Block 5, Brgy. Lambajon Alona Moralida

6 Divine Mercy Block 6, Brgy. Lambajon Flora Palma

Linda Fuentes

7 Our Lady of Fatima Block 7, Brgy. Lambajon Juanita Betarmos

Eva Babala

8 Sr. San Vicente Ferrer Block 8, Brgy. Lambajon

Merchant Bongcahig

Rowena Basas

Maria Gonzales

Ubaldo Gonzales

9 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Block 9, Brgy. Lambajon Ester Molejon

Sonia Babala

10 Sr. San Jose Centro, Brgy. Dapnan

Estrella Pablo

Herena Sayco

Rosalia Alvar

Zenaides Cartagena

Delma Donga

Fe Gregory

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Tel. Nos. +63 87 388 3682 / +63 87 811 5271

Benignit and Pork Giniling came out as the children’s most loved food items

for Manna Pack Potato and Manna Pack Rice, respectively. Arroz Caldo

came in close second. These preparations never failed for the catechists to

scrape the bottom of the stock pots.

Bhopedgen Luna

11 Sr. San Pedro ug

San Pablo Dum-ag, Brgy. Dapnan Mildred Navarro

12 Sr. San Isidro Likid, Brgy. Dapnan Nida Astudillo

Rio Maglasang

13 Sr. Sto. Niño Nonocan, Brgy. Lambajon Nimfa Singo

14 Our Lady of Fatima Veneer, Brgy. Campawan

Rustica Catagasan

Maria Aloro

Elmie Catagasan

Logistics

The City of Mati is 128 kilometers away from Baganga, a good 2.5-3 hours of travel over well-

paved winding roads. Manna Packs were stored at St. Camillus Hospital of Mati.

Lambajon and Poblacion are only 5

kilometers apart. Local storage was

done at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.

Fr. Angel V. Crisostomo, MI, has lent

the hospital property 4x2 pick-up for

use throughout the duration of the

program.

LESSONS LEARNED

The emergency feeding program

eliminated some wrong notions about

Manna Pack preparation. Since some

Manna Packs were previously

distributed to the people without clear

instructions on how to properly

prepare them, they were considered

by the locals as better feed for swine

than children. The smell, the color,

and the strange texture from

fortifications were some elements that

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Tel. Nos. +63 87 388 3682 / +63 87 811 5271

Through the close collaboration between the St. Camillus Hospital

Communities in Calbayog and Mati, an “Operation Tuli” was squeezed

in at the middle of the feeding program. Seeing actions here are

(clockwise, from top left) Fr. Jaime A. Roa, MI, Fr. Marven G.

Ruyeras, MI, Fr. John Jay C. Magpusao, MI, and

Fr. Angel V. Crisostomo, MI.

worried children and parents alike. But during the Flores de Mayo, Benignit and Pork Giniling

came out as the children’s most loved food items for Manna Pack Potato and Manna Pack Rice,

respectively. Arroz Caldo came in close second. These preparations never failed for the

catechists to scrape the bottom of the stock pots.

The month-long activity reinforced the Camillians’ working relations with the local clergy,

catechists, parents, and volunteers. Such that an “Operation Tuli” was squeezed in at the middle

of the feeding program on a very short stretch of groundwork. Fr. Jaime A. Roa, MI, of the St.

Camillus Hospital of Calbayog Community brought a medical team straight from Samar to

collaborate with the St. Camillus Hospital of Mati Community in the circumcision activity that

served 116 clients in one engagement. The tangible presence of the Camillians in the area created

a more fertile collaboration not only in

the aspect of health and nutrition but

also in other related concerns like

education, shelter, and livelihood.

Fr. Marven G. Ruyeras, MI, deployed

some solar water purifier panels (from a

certain donor) in Sacred Heart of Jesus

Parish during the culmination activity.

One was brought to the Immaculate

Conception Parish and 6 more panels are

awaiting distribution to the parishes of

Boston, Cateel, and Kinablangan.

The Camillians’ ground presence in

Baganga broadened their familiarity

with its places, personalities, socio-

political landscape, and Church

dynamics. Their visibility in the area had

become a welcome sight to the

community. Church volunteers actively

participated in the Camillian works and

it showed that even in the most trying

times of a post-disaster scenario, the

Church is both a dependable and reliable

partner in recovery efforts.

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Tel. Nos. +63 87 388 3682 / +63 87 811 5271

Equipped with all these learnings, it is safe to say that the Camillians–Philippine Province,

through the Camillian Task Force Philippines–Salute e Sviluppo, is on the right track of being,

and of continuously becoming, credible witnesses and movers in social rehabilitation and

development efforts in the Pablo-devastated towns in Davao Oriental. Most especially, that the

undeniable success of the initial concerted efforts between the Camillians and the stakeholders in

the area has also led to other requests for similar feeding programs from various elementary

schools and other parishes.

Prepared by:

King Francis D. Genilla

Project Preparatory Staff

CTF Philippines–Mindanao Region

Documents

Flores de Mayo emergency feeding program report