200 bldgs in 20 yrs: PBSP Angelo King fund shelters 96,030 Pinoys in 694 coops, orgs
The community shelter project for the past two decades is a joint effort of the Angelo King Foundation Inc. (AKFI) and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the country’s largest corporate-led social development foundation and pioneer in corporate citizenship.
While PBSP has managed the Angelo King Building Fund (AKBF) since the latter began in 1991 through an initial fund of P1.3 million, AKFI said providing shelters has been at the forefront of its commitment to the community.
For 20 years, the joint PBSP-AKFI project has furnished a total 200 buildings all over the country at a rate of 10 livelihood centers or building projects per year. These include 74 AKFI centers in Luzon, 72 in the Visayas, and 54 in Mindanao.
The buildings comprise more than 120 multi-purpose centers, almost 50 training centers, more than 10 technology and vocational centers, and more than 15 warehouses and centers for trading and livelihood.
“In life, we know that food, clothing, and shelter are the basic necessities,” AKFI said in a statement. “Food entails a source of livelihood, and shelter in a meaningful sense signifies the home. To uplift the lives of people especially marginalized families, communities must be built with the same essentials.”
AKFI added: “The source of livelihood is always a key agenda of communities. Communal shelters or centers are vital, wherein these sources of livelihood can be nurtured and where people can converge to hold their community activities together.”
PBSP is currently celebrating its 40th year since its inception in 1970, with the theme this year as the Great Philippine Merger for Social Development.
By its 20th year in 1990, PBSP had one training center, located in Calauan, Laguna, called the Center for Rural Technology Development (CRTD). “This is the facility that Angelo King saw and learned about, as he then realized that there was a need for more of such centers,” AKFI said.
The first PBSP-AKFI project is the center for the Minoyan Farmers multi-purpose cooperative at Murcia, Negros Occidental, initially benefitting 157 farmers.
Continuing until today to benefit the succeeding generations of farmers in the area, the Minoyan center is being used as a warehouse facility for the coop’s agricultural produce, as well as a trading post, coop’s office, and consumer store, AKFI said.
With more than 96,000 Filipinos in almost 700 groups given 200 livelihood shelters in two decades, AKFI said it would continue to help more people “by helping them help themselves,” with worthy projects that would withstand the test of time.
“But more than these figures is the resonating and multiplying effect of the seeds of progress which the AKFI centers have planted,” the foundation added. “The people speak about renewed hope, being inspired to work hard, being trusted and taken seriously, and gratefulness for the opportunity to improve.”
AKFI stressed: “Such are immeasurable and lasting benefits. Certainly, more than the actual members of cooperatives are being helped. Their families, the whole community, and even the neighboring localities gain from these centers.”
Other queries may be addressed to:
Philippine Business for Social Progress’ Communication Unit
PSDC Building, Magallanes corner Real Streets
Intramuros 1002 Manila
Tel: 527-3741 Fax: 527-3743 Email: pbsp@pbsp.org.ph
Please visit our website www.pbsp.org.ph