Wednesday,
June 15, 2016
We, the interns, met the executive director of WRCV and its staff for the
first time. They welcomed us at the entrance of their building, since their
office on the third floor was being fixed that time. We were able to introduce
ourselves and had stated our reasons for application in the said NGO.
I learned
how one's deepest interests towards a specific goal could actually empower an
individual to pursue and eagerly make one organization successful. The
activity on the first day made me more eager and more comfortable about the
choice I made; applying internship at WRCV. As a woman, I am sure that there’s
more to learn during this brief period of time of my practicum.
Thursday,
June 16, 2016
We, the interns, together with Maam Mitz were able to attend the practicum
orientation in UP Cebu and had understood the mechanics and requirements for
this internship. The
orientation made it clear to me the objectives that this practicum wishes to
achieve. It has also made us, the interns, have a short solidarity bonding with
Maam Mitz, the WRCV staff that attended on the NGO’s behalf on that orientation
day.
It has made
me realized for myself if I made the right choice of applying in WRCV. The
orientation’s impact to me includes having to choose the organization that also
empowers the same ideology and principles as mine. As a woman with human
rights, I know I can assure myself that I’d want to help empower the goals of
WRCV for the betterment of women and children in the community.
Friday, June
17, 2016
The staff gave a brief historical background about the WRCV, also its
vision, mission, and distributed the interns’ work plans. Each activity on the
work plan was discussed and during that same day, it was already distributed
among the three interns and was agreed upon. I learned how a simple NGO can
actually be very helpful and active at the same time.
Looking at
the work plan we have, I learned how interns can actually help minimize the
load of work for each staff of the WRCV. It made me also realize that this NGO
is more inclined to area visits and field work, which basically makes it more
grassroots-oriented, first-handedly informed, more adventurous, exciting and
helpful. It gave me the satisfaction of actually spending my internship in
an organization that leaves no dull moments, but more area visits and
interaction with the people in the society. There is a huge problem with
regards to empowering the rights of women and children and it has to be
addressed immediately so we cannot be taken for granted but rather, made as a
priority in all aspects as well, same as with men.
These
activities mentioned in the work plan generally help the community in many
ways. The interviews and research to be conducted will serve as basis to
address the problems that occur in the communities that are far to reach.
Saturday,
June 18, 2016
The interns conducting an interview inside the
household of an
official of a Women's group in San Fernando, Cebu
City.
We, the interns, observed and interviewed the women of Pitalo, San Fernando
Cebu and attended the meeting for the formation of the organization for women
in Sitio Baybayon. I learned
how some far flung barangays are affected by factories that continuously cost
them not only their health but also their land and home. The formation of women
of their Women’s group in their barangay made them more capable of addressing
the problems that affect their families that live by the said area with
exposure to a cement factory.
Brgy. Pitalo, Sitio Baybayun's women participates in
the meeting.
Women chose
not to be at home and dependent to what their husbands can financially sustain
them. Instead, these small organizations they built themselves sought for more
economic opportunities and livelihood programs that will alleviate them from
these injustices. The area visit made me realize
the struggles of families in the grassroots especially that women and children
are the ones left at home most of the time. It made me more eager to learn
about the situation of some other areas too, because they might also need some
encouraging and advising for the formation of their very own women’s
organization in their community.
The community especially the grassroots women and their children were able
to participate in alleviating their lives from all the social and economic
injustices; maybe not all at once but little by little, they begin to achieve
them all. Women learned from these far flung barangays in San Fernando that
they can actually gain support from other partner organizations having the same
vision and mission as them, leading for the government to address their
problems.
Monday, 20, 2016
We, the interns, researched for the address and the names of executive
directors of the agencies with which we requested furnished data/statistics
with regards to women and children violence, and printed request letters
addressed to these offices. Basically, I learned that offices do not give or
distribute data without request letters. I also learned that these offices have
a women and children category for every data/statistics that they have, a
women’s desk sometimes, and how important furnished data are for monitoring the
situation of the women and children in Cebu, in this case and setting.
This
activity could take someone’s time really, in a sense that request letter
making which includes gathering the address and names of recipients(mostly
online), composing the letters, printing them and having them signed is already
a big job (it’s a good thing I did not do it alone). It’s kind of tiring, but
having to finish them feels so satisfying and productive. The distribution of
these letters to its designated offices might be the most difficult part since
I’m not from Cebu and I might get lost.
The furnished data/statistics will serve for comparative purposes, thus a
way for NGO leaders to keep track of records, and or either to conduct more
activities and area visits to help those in need or suffering social and
economic injustices, or continue the progress or improvement in some of these
specific areas that had alleviated from these problems.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
The interns personally delivered the request letters to its respective
office recipients. Specific bureaucratic processes were also followed in order
for the letters to be approved. Unfortunately, none of the offices during that
day had given us data/statistics but promised to follow us up. The PNP R07
later on that day called and asked follow up questions about WRCV as an NGO,
and the services it has already delivered to its beneficiaries. The data will
be emailed and we will be informed about it as soon as possible.
I’ve learned that offices will require a formal request letter from an
organization for it to have access through their data/statistics. These files
are very confidential and the very specific details matter. WRCV needed these
data to furnish their documents and update as much as possible the files that
they keep within their good office. The activity made us navigate the offices in Cebu,
considering that we are not from Cebu. It made me independent, open for
questions and a good speaker. It helped me approach higher officials in every
office with confidence with enough reasons, too. Cebu City isn’t so confusing
after all(except the jeep codes). The people around are very helpful and
friendly, that’s why it wasn’t really difficult for us to approach and ask
directions from them.
These data/statistics will help the community because through this, several
comparative researches and specific projects could be proposed so to give the
basic necessities and needs of women and children.
Wednesday,
June 22, 2016
Meeting of the WRCV staff at the WRCV office
Staff and representatives of WRCV conducted a meeting with regards to the
upcoming summit in Cebu and the issues to be presented on Friday June 24, 2016,
in the National Women’s Summit hosted and to be held at Davao City. More than
200 women all over the Philippines were invited to participate in the said
event, and a few staff of WRCV will go and represent the organization during
the said conference. The whole day activity hosted by the Southern Mindanao
chapter of GABRIELA and Gabriela Women’s Partylist, seeks for a change under
the Duterte administration. Another agenda of the meeting were the issues that
the community around the different sitios in Cebu experiences that needed a
solution with.
What I learned from this experience is the eagerness and the firm stand of
women in organizations like this. Forums and conferences are being held in the
national level to address the needs of women and children in their specific
locality. Our staff in WRCV listed several issues such as demolition,
livelihood, drugs and child trafficking as the main problems that are most
common in some communities in Cebu. The goal is to address solutions and lobby
to the president so these organizations can maximize their utility through
these proposed projects. Despite Duterte’s bad image in the eyes of these
Women’s organizations, women still hopes a change for the better under his
administration.
The meeting made me realize how important data/statistics are in addressing
problems in the society. The population of household, number of leaders and the
formation of organizations are its main concern. Mostly, it should be focused
in the area of women and children; their welfare and rights.
I realized that it takes a lot of effort and time if one is willing to
represent the rights of women. Dedication is the key and every woman could be a
leader. It cannot be stopped because it becomes an ideology of what one thinks
is right.
The community needs information. I noticed that they need to be taught
because not all are well-informed. The representatives of WRCV for the said
summit, being leaders, will be able to expand information to its constituents.
This information will enlighten them especially about their rights as women and
the rights of their children, and the many opportunities that are available for
them to ease the social and economic injustices they experience.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
We, the
interns, reviewed notes that were taken during the field work/area visits, the
gathered data, and other activities. My experience for the whole week
taught me how life in the rural areas is. I learned that they eat corn
rice(which was my first corn rice ever since).
Women are
most responsible with the household since the husband is out working as a
fisherman or construction worker. The daily wage of their husbands serves
as their budget for their daily meals. Sometimes it’s enough, but more often,
it is not. It taught me more about the different agencies that took part to the
imposed demolition in some sitios in Cebu and the desires of a mother and wife
for a better life for her family.
The activity taught me not only navigation around Cebu, but also
interacting with different people that come our way, promoting their projects,
and addressing concerns and the benefits they’d like to get.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Today, we
had a round table discussion with the executive director and staff with regards
to the activities we had for one week. They asked us about what we have learned
and how was our experiences from the activities we had attended. Each of us,
the interns, narrated our experiences and all the good and bad encounters
during the trip. This includes the travel, the food and way of living in the
said area we visited. Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable morning since I've
noticed how the interns' relationship with the staff grew closer and more open
with each other. The staff and director wanted us to feel free to ask them
questions, and told us that they do not treat us as interns but rather, as
their children, with whom they are responsible with.
Tomorrow, we
are going to attend the peace talk of people's agenda forum and hope that the
forum will give us the good news.
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