What is the objective of the BLDF?

The main objective of the Foundation, in fact its reason for being, is to help strengthen local structures, institutions and organizations so that communities can participate meaningfully in the development process.

How will it pursue this main objective?

The Foundation will pursue this objective through the following specific aims or purposes:

    * Facilitate technical inputs or other assistance to LGUs and local communities;
    * Serve as active partner in the preparation, implementation and monitoring of a comprehensive Poverty Reduction Program with focus on the close collaboration of LGUs and local communities;
    * Establish and maintain a database on marginalized communities as basis for the conduct of advocacy work with donors, Government and other development partners;
    * Develop and disseminate effective participatory methodologies in involving local communities in poverty-focused development planning and implementation;
    * Evolve appropriate training designs and conduct training for a wide range of functionaries involved in local development;
    * Promote the creative use of established and indigenous mass media to reach remote and isolated rural communities with development information; and
    *Document outstanding experiences of Government and NGOs in working with local communities.

How is the BLDF organized?

BLDF is a non-stock, not-for-profit corporation governed by a 9-member Board of Trustees. Its officers consist of : Chairman, who presides over Board deliberations and provides policy directions; Vice Chairman, to assist the Chair perform these policy-level functions; President, for the day-to-day operations of the Foundation; Vice President, to assist the President as well as liaise with LGUs, technical agencies and NGOs; Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor for overall financial management.

Its office is located in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, PHilippines
with Telefax 63(38) 5017260;
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;
and Website: www.poorfirstpovertycafe.org.ph.

What is the source of funding for the Foundation?

At present, its operating expenses are derived from the contributions of its members and officers. It intends to assist proposed projects get funding from donors, LGUs and other development partners. Its website seeks to bring projects proposed by LGUs and communities to possible donors worldwide.

The Foundation may engage in fund-raising to help raise funds for community projects.

What does its logo mean?

The mat signifies social harmony and unity despite diversities; the conch shell represents the rallying call to mobilize all sectors in helping the socially and economically disadvantaged fight poverty; and the meeting house indicates the need to strengthen social capital through the people’s own organization.

What activities does the Foundation undertake at present?

BLDF at present assists in the advocacy work for the Bohol Poverty Reduction Program. Specifically, it maintains a website as advocacy tool for projects proposed to be included in the Program. Through this website, the Foundation makes available to donors and other development partners updated information on the nature of poverty in Bohol and the status of projects implemented to address the poverty problem.

The website also provides details on projects being proposed by various sectors that they can undertake as part of the Program.

The Foundation reinforces its pro-poor advocacy role through the mobile Poverty Café, a forum for discussing poverty-related issues.

It has continued developing a demonstration area for contour farming around its office location in Laya, Baclayon.

Aside from its advocacy role, does the Foundation plan to implement other projects related to poverty reduction?

In the near future, BLDF seeks to be an active partner of Government in implementing innovative projects, e.g. Strengthening LGUs for Sustainable Livelihood; Purok Banks for Remote Communities; and one or two projects that can help bring isolated rural communities to the digital age (rural email stations; community radio, etc.).

On its own, it is developing its core program on the strengthening of the purok system in local communities. This program will complement efforts at bringing development information to individual households and to involve them in the local decision-making process.

How does the Foundation propose to contribute to strengthening the purok system?

It seeks to do this through provision of training and technical advice to the purok. At barangay level, the Foundation will advocate for the appointment of a Barangay Development Volunteer (BDV), preferably from out of existing staff, who will be trained intensively as community or purok organizer. The BDV will provide the vital link between the puroks and the program. The BDV’s task will be essentially to train purok officers on their development roles and to help strengthen the links between the Barangay Council and the puroks.

At municipal level, the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (MPDC) will be trained to monitor and assess this linkage between the Barangay Councils and the puroks and to ensure that existing government and NGO programs strengthen rather than subvert or weaken the purok system.

How will the Foundation carry out the training of Purok leaders and other officers?

The MPDC and the BDVs will have to be trained on needs assessment and on how to conduct purok-level training. Their training will include how to act as a training team for the puroks. The initial skills training will be on how to establish the family profiles for each purok, how to file, update and store this profile at purok, barangay and municipal level. More importantly, there will be training on how to assess family profile data and address common constraints or problems identified through this profiling activity.

What other basic training can contribute to strengthening the purok?

This will be identified through the planned needs assessment methodology on which the Foundation will train the MPDC and the BDVs.

How will the Foundation mobilize resources needed for the massive training of the puroks?

The Foundation does not have the resources to fund the training of the puroks or its officers. It can help municipalities mobilize resources through fund raising or preparing project proposals to tap funding sources. It can help orient the private sector and well-off families in a barangay or municipality so that specific-purok level training can be undertaken.

What will be the role of individual members of the Foundation in implementing its core program to strengthen community structures or puroks?

Its incorporators and Board of Trustees are aware that the individual members are busy with their own work or family affairs. They are expected to perform the minimum task to get involved in purok activities, attend meetings and be a resource to the puroks and thus help strengthen the purok system as a level of local governance. They can link up the Foundation for technical assistance in performing this task.

The Foundation will maintain a core staff for advocacy, training and the provision of technical assistance to puroks or those who link up with them.

How will the Foundation standardize the training if the activities are carried out by municipal and barangay teams?

The Foundation proposes the establishment of the Purok Development Academy in each district. It will pilot a prototype institution to field-test the training design and train the trainers. Its staff can guide the setting up of similar institutions in other areas. The PDA can standardize the curriculum required for purok strengthening as well as provide the much-needed training and retraining of core trainers.

What other activities does the Foundation envisioned for the Purok Development Academy?

It can conduct field research on areas of concern related to strengthening the puroks. Each PDA can be a repository of local experiences from which purok officers can draw from to improve local governance for poverty reduction.