IAMRAFI: A Sustainable Source of Hope
The Story of PROCESS-Bohol, Inc., Ramon Aboitiz Award for Outstanding Institution Finalist, RAFI Triennial Awards
By Joy Emma Masapequeña, Marco Paulo Trajano Deligero | March 28, 2019
The Participatory Research, Organization of Communities and Education towards Struggle for Self-reliance (PROCESS-Bohol, Inc.) have spent a longtime operating in the shadows, unrecognized.
And on August 31, 2018, during the last run of the RAFI Triennial Awards, under the Ramon Aboitiz Award for Outstanding Institution Category, they finally got the recognition that they deserved.
This chronicles their journey on how they helped shape the lives of many Boholanos, like a lighthouse of sustainability — a beacon of hope.
On How PROCESS-Bohol, Inc. Gained Independence
The Participatory Research, Organization of Communities and Education towards Struggle for Self-Reliance – Bohol (PROCESS-Bohol, Inc.) was born out of a vision to support People’s Organizations (POs) that needed it. They have been operating since 1985, but was never truly independent from its Manila headquarters until 1996.
“In 1996 we were given the full autonomy to become independent. So that by 1998, we were able to register ourselves as PROCESS-Bohol, Inc.,” said the Executive Director of PROCESS-Bohol, Inc., Emilia M. Roslinda.
From then on, they were able to operate on their own and propelled into doing numerous community projects in collaboration with various POs in Bohol — they became unstoppable.
“We serve to organize and empower People’s Organizations (POs) to claim and protect their sector’s rights, advance their interest, and enhance their participation in society and governance,” she added.
A Different Approach to Service
What makes PROCESS-Bohol, Inc. different from other nonprofit organizations is their approach towards community organizing.
“Before we enter the community, we do participatory action research to determine and identify what are the needs, what are the concerns of the community that we need to respond to,”
This helps them identify the community’s needs and concerns. Their programs are uniquely designed to address the apparent issues existing in a community, a process that not a lot of nonprofit organizations (NGOs) go through.
Tubigon: Where Change Began
They started in Tubigon where illegal fishing methods like dynamite fishing, cyanide fishing, and many others were rampant. Roslinda and the others in their organization realized early on that they could not do it alone.
“We work with the government, because we cannot work alone. So ang approach natin is partnership and collaboration,”
PROCESS-Bohol, Inc. consistently lobbied in the provincial government until they were finally able to come up with a provincial ordinance — banning electric shiners.
“These are commercial fishing boats using big electric lights so mura’g nalupigan ang mga gagmay nga mananagat (they overtook the small fisherfolkss),”
As a result, the small fisherfolkss now have a fighting chance to catch fishes and gain adequate income as well.
The Early Adversities
Their journey to inciting change was not without adversities. Along the way, they found that the process to change was a long and slow one. Documents are just passed along, and at times, the programs they proposed became one of the many that were piled up in government offices.
This did not stop them, however. It even inspired them to challenge the system.
“We just kept on lobbying… it took 12 years before the Fisher’s Code of the Philippines got approved. Our fisherfolks went to Congress just to lobby,”
In the process, Roslinda observed that the leaders of the People’s Organizations (POs) that they supported became more empowered.
“From that single organization, nahimo silang provincial federation both sa mga mananagat ug sa mga kababayen-an (they were made into provincial; federation for both fisherfolkss and women),”
Makusganong Kapunongan sa mga Gagmayng Mananagat sa Bohol (MAKAMASA-Bohol), for example, was born because of these collective movements against illegal fishing. MAKAMASA-Bohol campaigned for the rehabilitation of their marine resources, and many other related projects.
On Biodiversity and Ecotourism
Roslinda considers the Abatan Watershed and Biodiversity Conservation and Management in Support of Ecotourism Project (AWBCP-SEP) as one of the key projects they have accomplished so far.
“Tourism is one of the economic drivers in Bohol. So we wanted the tourism industry to trickle down in the community and that’s what we did,”
In this project, they reforested a 10-hectare tree plantation in the upland areas of the Abatan River. It also engaged the people’s organization (POs) in ecological restoration of riparian-zone habitats along the mid-section of the ricer to make its banks more stable.
“PO members serve as tour guides and they also provide catering services para maghatag ug meals sa mga guests nga muanha diha (to give meals to guests who come to visit),”
The locals now have opportunities for locals to display their talents and culture through Abatan Community Life Tour and the Abatan Firefly Watching attractions.
Persevering; Reaching More People
“There were many doubts but we did it with the community,” Roslinda reminisced how many were skeptical about the success of their projects.
Their efforts also extended to other sectors — fisherfolkss, farmers, urban poor, and women. They have collaborated with 240 POs in the province of Bohol; 91 of which benefitted from the Central Visayas Water and Sanitation Project, 74 are fisherfolks, 56 are women, and 19 are farmer POs.
“Kadtong mga communities nga na-organize namo nga maayo kaayo ang pag-manage sa ilang environment, amo na silang gi-level up (We leveled-up those communities that we organize that managed their environment well”
They did this by, “training, guiding, providing them with facilities like a boardwalk…”
Aside from the Abatan Community Life Tour, they have also extended help to the people of Ubay, Bohol.
“Ubay kasi, this is the driest portion sa Bohol. Several attempts gihapon nga magtukod didto ug water system (There were several attempts to set-up a water system there),”
Now, Ubay Water Service Cooperative (UWASCO) has already serviced 72 households of five barangays. UWASCO’s water now flows through to 2,210 households, bringing life and water to families in Ubay.
In time, they were able to prove the skeptics wrong and persevered amidst the doubts.
On Sustainability: It Is a Challenge
When asked about the challenges they are currently facing today, Roslinda said that they “have already seen success stories about what (they) are doing, but naa pa’y daghan nga nagkinahanglan namo (there are still a lot of people who need us),”
There are hundreds of people’s organizations (POs) in need in Bohol and there is only one PROCESS-Bohol, Inc.
People come and go, she added, and there is “the challenge of sustainability both as an NGO and sa community pud (as well),”
Even so, this did not sway Roslinda and all the other people behind PROCESS-Bohol, Inc. to stop. She believes that, “our success gives us an inspiration and encouragement to do more and help those who need our support and assistance,”
For her, “murag konsuwelo na sa akoang dapit nga nakasud–ong ka sa ilahang situation sauna nga wala pa ang intervention sa PROCESS nya karon nga ni-grow na jud sila,”
PROCESS-Bohol, Inc.’s Secret to Success
As an organization aimed at assisting other organizations, they have always been reliant on the cooperation of others to ensure the success of their vision. Roslinda admitted that they would not have done it without the help of others, “teamwork is the key to be successful,”
Success relies heavily on its strong monitoring and evaluation measures, and to do this, they had to have, as to Roslinda’s words, “…shared leadership. Share your responsibility with others,”
Even though challenges are still apparent for PROCESS-Bohol, Inc., they are confident that they have the support of others to stand as their pillar in moments of bleakness.
The thing that drives them forward is the mission that, “as long as there are poor in the communities PROCESS will always be there to support to continue and push what they believe in,”
Standpoint: The Unsung Heroes of Bohol
Every story has its martyrs — the unsung heroes who fight even if the world around them does not seem to notice their efforts. They are, however, heroes for a reason.
Other than the promise of being written in history books, they fight because they are passionate; serve because it is their purpose; help because they believe; and change the world because they are destined to.
This recognition for PROCESS-Bohol, Inc. is long overdue.
They deserve to be seen and heard, because not only they have done so much but also because of the empowerment they were able to pass on to their beneficiaries.
They have the making of the heroes we read about in our textbooks.
Instead, they have always been content in working behind the scenes — orchestrating the success of other organizations without the desire to be in the spotlight.
They proved that real service lies in doing the right thing when nobody is looking, a mark of a true unsung hero. #IAMRAFI
