Ruth Callanta's 2011 Year-end Report

How did God work in and through the CCT Group of Ministries in 2011?  Ruth Callanta, president and founder, describes 2011 as a year when "several clear glimpses of the CCT vision were seen."  Read highlights of a year of fulfilling ministry  here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/88658034/CCTNews-2011-yearender

Glory to God!

Micro-entrepreneurs Learn Meat Processing

Nearly 40 CCT micro-entrepreneur partners learned how to make siomai, pork tocino, skinless longanisa, and restructured ham at a meat processing seminar recently offered by CCT’s Business Development Services unit.

The speaker was Paz M. Katigbak, sales and technical manager of MGM Commodities Corp. 

The Nanays watched  the actual meat processing procedure, received copies of recipes, and learned of cures, seasonings, and  packaging material for the products. They were also shown production cost, profit, and selling price per kilogram. At the end of the seminar everyone was given pieces of the finished products for tasting. 

The BDS unit hopes this learning will add value to current meat products already being produced by some of the Nanays and will improve income opportunities for the rest.

The seminar was held at the support office in Manila on March 23, 2012. 

An assistant demonstrates how an ordinary kitchen funnel can be used to stuff meat into casing. 

Newly processed meat products being cooked for a tasting session at the end of the seminar.

Seminar attendees take notes and listen intently. 

Liza Quirante, a micro-enterpreneur from Intramuros, Manila and  a recent graduate of the Grassroots
Entrepreneurship and Management (GEM) course, uses some spare minutes during the seminar
 to  tell fellow CCT community partners of the benefits of attending GEM.   

Fresh Hope for Families-Philippines Has New Building

Ribbon cutting ceremony: Angeles City Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting (in red blouse);
and (left to right) Bro. Leon Chang, FHFP chairman; Pastor Jesus Macaraeg, IAM senior pastor;
Ruth Callanta, president of FHFP and CCT; Sis. Carmen Nunn, FHFP board director,
and Sis. Jane Tan, FHFP co-founder. 

The new four-story building of Fresh Hope for Families-Philippines at 2192 New York St.,

Villasol Subdivision, Anunas, Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines.  

Fresh Hope for Families-Philippines, a ministry organization based in Angeles City, Pampanga dedicated their new building to the Lord on March 17, 2012.  The event was attended by leaders and staff of both CCT and FHFP, some Angeles government officials, leaders and members of the International Agape Ministries, and guests from Australia and Papua New Guinea. 

 Fresh Hope   provides relief and prevention programs for young girls and their families. In its relief program, Fresh Hope ministers to young girls who are neglected, abandoned, abused, or sexually exploited. It employs house parents and social workers who attend to the girls’ physical and emotional needs, and provide them with counseling, Christian teaching and nurturing, and literacy and social skills training. 

CCT works  with Fresh Hope in its prevention program where it assists ‘at risk’ families—very poor families probably in debt and who are likely to offer their daughters to the entertainment industry for survival and debt repayment. The goal is to help the families overcome poverty and eliminate the need for their daughters to go into prostitution. CCT  offers these familes services such as microfinance, a pre-school, a generics pharmacy, and free medical check-ups.   

The following are highlights of the dedication program: 

The CCT Magdalena drum and lyre corps(above) lead FHFP and CCT leaders, staff, and guests (below)
 in a parade down New York St.  

Pastor Jesus Macaraeg says the opening prayer. 

Sis. Grace Macaraeg leads praise and worship singing.  

FHFP girls do a dance interpretation.

Angeles Vice Mayor Cabigting relates several instances in her life
where she, "Received fresh hope from God." 

Sonia Cueta speaks of God's work in her life.

Margaret Balsom, a friend of the founders of FHFP, sings Andre Crouch's
My Tribute:
"How can I say thanks for the things
You have done for me? 
Things so undeserved yet you gave
To prove your love for me
The voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude
All that I am, and ever hope to be
I owe it all to thee." 

Bro. Leon Chang, FHFP chairman, shares a message from God's Word.

Ruth Callanta reflects, "Why would these people from other countries come to bless the children of Angeles?
It is because they were compelled by the love of the Lord."

Sis. Carmen Nunn thanks God for the new building and for those
who made its completion possible.

Eve,  Eunice, and Esabel, daughters of Pastor Kane Tan, sing,
 "Every time I close my eyes,
Im filled with awe at all you've done
Every time I think on You,
I'm grateful for Your love."

Sis. Dina Toquero, HFHP director and Bro. Leon Chang unveil the House of Fresh Hope plaque. 

Plaque here is in honor of Pastor Kane Tan, co-founder of FHFP, who passed away in May 2011.
 Here, one of his daughters shares memories of him.  

Eight  ladies  from Australia and one from Papua New Guinea  traveled to the Philippines
to attend the dedication ceremony. 

Froi Parado, CCT corporate secretary,  master of ceremonies. 

Photos by Ciara Tan and Elmer Valencia 

CCT Has New Human Resources Information System

(Seated, left to right) Edison Tsai,  Sigmasoft Technologies Corp. general manager;   

Ruth Callanta, CCT president; Jeffrey Choa, IT committee head for CCT .

 (Standing)   Eli Martin CCT IT  technical support supervisor;

 Feliciano Tejada Jr.,  Sigmasoft quality assurance officer; 

  Maricar Santiago, CCT HR manager;  Grace Cayabyab, CCT IT manager;  

and   Marcelino Mendoza,  CCT IT consultant. 

CCT recently purchased a computer software system that will increase efficiency and productivity in the  human resources department and vastly improve communications with staff by automating many human resources processes currently done manually.

The new human resources information system will aid the HR department in the following areas:

·         Recruitment

·         Maintenance of employee history

·         Time-keeping and recording of attendance

·         Processing of leave applications

·         Administering of salaries and benefits

·         Tracking of performance and promotions

·         Tracking of career paths, training and development

·         Managing of disciplinary actions

·         Processing of exits and clearance

An employee self-service feature of the system will give field staff easy access to information that once could be received only after periods of waiting.  Through intranet displays, the HRIS will allow staff to, among other advantages, view their contracts, check on the status of their benefits, fill up forms for filing of claims, or submit suggestions to the management.

CCT currently has more than 700 full-time staff working in a total of 135 branches in 22 provinces, 49 cities, 42 towns, and at the head office in Manila.  

The software vendor is  Sigmasoft Technologies Corp.  Contract signing was done on January 31, 2012 at the head office.

Photos by: Ciara Tan

CCT Credit Co-op Receives CDA Award

Marilyn Martin, CCT Credit Cooperative area servant leader for NCR-South,
representing Mike Salili, operations head,  receives a certificate from the
Cooperative Development Authority - Manila Extension Office
recognizing the CCT Credit Cooperative as
 "an effective and efficient business enterprise in terms of total assets."

The CCT Credit Cooperative was recently recognized as one of the  top 50 cooperatives out of more than 2000 cooperatives in the national capital region.  The event was attended by members of cooperatives from several sectors of Philippine society, including men in the armed forces, market vendors, seafarers, TV station employees, and micro entrepreneurs.

Salvador Valeroso, acting regional director of the CDA-MEO explains the significance of
holding the awarding event on December 21: "The first consumer
 cooperative store was opened on December 21, 1844 in Rochdale, Lancashire, England."
The members were workers in the cotton textile industry; the store sold small amounts of
flour, butter, sugar, and oatmeal.   

Hon. Emmanuel M. Santiaguel, PhD., in his keynote speech said, "It's about time
that we increase our membership.  It's about time that we implement performance audits,
social audits, and financial audits." Dr. Santiaguel is CDA chairman. 

For more information on cooperatives here and around the world, please visit: http://www.cda.gov.ph/website/html/news_2011_10_iyc.html and http://www.2012.coop/en.

CCT Partners Level Up!

Praise God for the success of CCT's 1^st Partners’ Day, a one-day showcase of products from Luzon partners. Some 126 micro entrepreneurs from six CCT Luzon areas exhibited their products and learned from mini-lectures  at the CCT Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center on November 26, 2011. 

Products on display included: handicrafts, buko juice,  native cakes, t-shirts, curtains and bed sheets, relleno (stuffed milkfish), boneless milkfish, gold and silver jewelry,  accessories, processed meats,  peanut butter, straw bags and hats, coin purses made of drinking straws, shoes,   accessories, house decor made of drinking straws, bags made of recycled newspaper, charcoal stoves, pastries, perfumes,  pizza, blinds, ready to wear clothes and much more!

Kerwin Tan (left) owner of Jimini Pizza and  program coordinator
 for CCT's Business Mentoring Ministry,
and Alice Pineda (right), head of the Business Development team,
 with a partners' day awardee.  During the morning session
  Kerwin shared the story of how his business
grew from one brand ten years ago
to six brands and 136 branches today,
and from two persons  (himself and a 
quality control person)
to 250 employees today. "We leveled up after
we dedicated our business to the Lord," he said.

Jinggoy Buensuceso, artist, speaking on
market trends and product design. Other
seminar topics were on food marketing,
 product branding, kape't buhay (coffee and
life), and helps from the packaging center
of DOST and from the design center
of DTI.

Several participants received awards at the end of the day. These were:  

• Kool Kalan - Level-up award - product with the most potential of  leveling -up 

• NCR South Taguig - Branch level-up award -  the  CCT branch where the level- up partner is involved

• Central Luzon Pangasinan - best food  product display – surpasses other products in terms of presentation attractiveness, creativity

•  Espasol with moringa (malunggay) - Best food product concept:    product is unique or creative, original,  flavorful and marketable

• Recycled Bag, NCR - Best non-food product concept:  product is unique or creative, original, and marketable

• Dishwashing liquid, Cavite - Best packaging  (non-food category): – for microentrepreneur  whose packaging of her product is a cut above the rest: attractive , creative, suitable to the product

• Cavite - Best area booth design – CCT area whose showcase of products is creative, well arranged, original, and culturally oriented 

• Laguna and Batangas - Best participating area – CCT area staff who are well organized and who gathered the most products and qualified partners for the event

Micro entrepreneurs with product displays were from the following CCT areas:

• NCR South – Pasay, Cabrera, San Andres, Tondo, Taguig, Paranaque

• NCR North – Bagong Silangan, Payatas, Araneta, Batasan, Novaliches, Munoz, Commonwealth, Tandang Sora 

• Cavite  - General Mariano Alvarez, Tanza, Tagaytay

• Laguna – Calamba, Cabuyao, San Pedro, Sta. Rosa, Binan

• Batangas

• Rizal  - Antipolo, San Mateo, Cainta, Taytay, Montalban, Pasig

• Bulacan and Central Luzon – Malolos, Pulilan, Magalang, Dagupan, Urdaneta

• Camanava – Malabon, Caloocan

Photos by Ciara Tan