Programs | Shontoug Foundation

For 2010, Shontoug Foundation’s mission to liberate indigenous cultural communities in the Cordillera Region is realized through the life-giving programs and services under its four major programs:

• Community Health Care for Indigenous Peoples (CHCIP)
• Neighborhood Early Childhood Care and Development Program (NECCDP)
• Sustainable Agriculture (SA)
• Localized Anti- Poverty Project through Participation of the Poor in Local Governance (LAPP)
• Rehabilitation of Typhoon Pepeng Victims

The Community Health Care for Indigenous People (CHCIP) funded by WE 21 of Japan is the modified version of Maternal and Infant Health Care for Indigenous People and currently implemented in Gadang, Kapangan by the trained health workers of Dayukong and under close supervision of Shontoug staff and UBAPAS, the community-based organization empowered and enabled by Shontoug to serve a PO partner-program implementor. A Project Management Team of Dayukong was formed as direct implementer of the project. This team conducts regular monthly meetings twice a month. The first meeting is held to assess past month’s activities and formulate plans for incoming month while second meetings is monthly reporting for submission to the PO and funding agencies. The role of UBAPAS is to coach Dayukong Project Management Team to comply with the requirements in the implementation of the project in terms of technical, financial and organization requirements. They assist Dayukong members on how to conduct trainings.

The ten (10) trained community members on Alternative Health Medicine in Ubod/Apunan, Beling and Ampongot are now active in practicing their acquired skills on acupuncture. Regular schedule of basic health services (acupuncture) was set by the Rural Health Midwife every first Monday at the Rural Health Clinic. The Kapangan Municipal Health Officer also requested UBAPAS acupuncturist to set a regular schedule to conduct Alternative Health Sessions in Lomon twice a month at the Municipal Health Center every second and fourth Wednesday. In Beling, the schedule is every first Saturday of the month. This development has prevented the occurrence of major illness in said target areas.

The NECCD Project is funded by Jollibee Foundation. The target period of partnership with the funding agency is three years and it will end by 2012. There are six NECCDP Centers being assisted which are located in the five barangays of Kapangan with a total of registered 121 preschool children: Paykek-29, Cayapes-11, Barangay Central -16, Pudong 37 and Pongayan 28. The activities undertaken by the project this year were to provide life-giving services such as Family-Life Education Sessions for the parents, Children’s Sports Fest, Capability-Building for the Day Care Workers for the entire municipality and establishment of partnership with the Municipal Social Welfare Office (MSWDO). Another is the influence of Shontoug to design a culture-based curriculum and production of visual aids which are made of locally available materials in the vicinity. Empowered members of two villages in Sagapa and Dagao were able to establish two Day Care Centers out of their Resource Mobilization Group.

The Sustainable Agriculture Project assisted 57 active organic farming practitioners from Sablan, Salat, Kapangan and Taloy Norte, Tuba. The linkage with Peace Corps Volunteers resulted in the procurement of three shredders for easier processing of materials for composting and materials for green house establishment. Other activities conducted to promote Sustainable Agriculture practices are the production of two silkalan (man-made stove from soil- rice hull mixture) in Kapangan and the conduct of Eco-Household project which focused on the segregation of household wastes, promotion of FAITH- Food Always in the Home, production of vermin, and other activities integrated with natural farming.

The implementation of the Localized-Anti Poverty Project in Kapangan that cover five barangays of -Paykek, Pudong, Pongayan, Cayapes and Barangay Central have resulted to the enabling of the Barangay Poverty Reduction Action Team (BPRAT), and the Sitio-Based Poverty Reduction Action Team (SPRAT) to participate in local governance. This provided avenues for ordinary citizens to influence the decisions of local officials in budgetting and development planning. Moreover, the Municipal Poverty Reduction Action Team (MPRAT) composed of heads of line agencies in the municipality were mobilized to address poverty-related problems. And, the latest breakthrough was the promotion of multistakeholder partnership to address poverty composed of mandated government line agencies and academe such as the DTI, DOLE, DAR, Benguet State University (BSU) and other LGU line agencies. Through the NGO-GO partnership, DOLE funded five livelihood projects in Kapangan and the various government line agencies pledged their support in the reduction of poverty in the municipality.

The onslaught of typhoon Pepeng that devastated Northern Luzon especially Benguet diverted the staff’s efforts to help in the relief operations through the distribution of rice, canned goods, noodles and used clothing in Kapangan, Atok and Bokod. Engr. Jess Tabora donated (5) sacks of rice while Dr. Diony Claridad donated used clothing. A Medical-Dental Mission was, likewise, held in Kapangan.

Due to massive devastation of typhoon Pepeng, Shontoug was able to mobilize resources with the help of NGO partners and two Federation of Peoples Organizations who are members of Northern Luzon cluster of Philippine Misereor Partners. An initial 198 feasible livelihood projects of typhoon victims were assisted technically and financially. This initial batch of livelihood project partners are prepared to become sustainable households motivated not only to restore their damaged farmlands but assisted to nurture their environment. Two nurseries were established for trees to be planted or eroded mountainsides. A total of 500 coffee seedlings were distributed. Shontoug will continue to facilitate the development of marginalized and disadvantaged indigenous women, children, youth and farmers through wholistic, integrated program approach.

Youth Development Program

• Indigenous Youth Leadership Training and Development
• Empowering and Mobilizing Productive Out-of-School Youth to Work Towards Enterprise Development and Resource Management (EMPOWER Project)

Integrated Rural Development Program

• Neighborhood Early Childhood Care and Education
• Maternal and Infant Health Care for Indigenous Peoples
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Traditional Modalities

Environment Sustaining Livelihood Program

• Asset-Based Community Development
• Livelihood Skills Training
• Appropriate Technology Transfer
• Product development and Quality Management
• Financial, Technical and Marketing Linkages
• Entrepreneurial Development
• Livelihood-Related Infrastructure and Support Services

Research, Training and Production of Indigenous Development Modules and Materials

• Research on Indigenous Beliefs and Practices
• Development and Production of Alternative and Culturally Appropriate Development Modules, Training Manuals and Learning Materials
• Publication, Dissemination and Utilization of Researches and Studies