CCT Partners Join Food and Drinks Asia 2012



Kathleen Yao (left), a volunteer coach with the Business Development Services unit
 of the Center for Community Transformation, tries some siomai-lunggay made and sold by
 Erna Gonzaga.  Kathleen, who teaches entrepreneurship in a Singapore university,
trained the CCT micro finance partners on how to  package their product,
how to approach a customer, and how to close a deal, during the expo.



Visitors to the Food and Drinks Asia 2012 crowd around the CCT booth for a free taste of salabat
 or ginger ale. 

Ever heard of siomai-lunggay?  It's your traditional siomai  (Chinese pork dumpling) made more nutritious with the addition of malunggay leaves. It is also a product made and sold by  Erna Gonzaga, recipient of a micro finance loan from the Center for Community Transformation Credit and Savings Cooperative.  

Erna and two other CCT micro finance recipients recently  joined  Food and Drinks Asia 2012, an international exposition of local and imported food and drinks where they displayed siomai-lunggay,  buko (young coconut) drink, and ginger ale.  Their joining helped them gain business contacts and learn business techniques from experts in the field.   

The CCT Credit and Savings Cooperative offers  loans, savings, insurance,  training, and business mentoring to micro entrepreneurs who often do not have access to such financial services. Unlike other non-government organizations that offer micro finance, CCT couples its  financial services with evangelism and discipleship.   

The expo was held at the World Trade Center in Manila on September 6 - 9, 2012.



(Left to right) Emelinda Ramos (maker and distributor of buko drink
and buko salad), Erna Gonzaga, and Jennifer de Castro (maker of ginger
ale powder). 

                                                             

                           

Emelinda Ramos of Silang Cavite started her buko juice business in the year 2000.

 

  

                       

Jennifer de Castro of the CCT Las Piñas branch started her salabat
business when her family was still in Catanduanes.

Photos and reporting: Michelle Taway

CCT Staff Learn Biblical Night Sky Watching

Nearly 50 staff from various areas of CCT ministry recently attended a three-day course called Astronomical Observation from a Biblical View (AOBV). The course  showed pastors and community center staff  how to use night sky watching as a tool for evangelism, showed Visions of Hope Christian School teachers how to teach children in poor communities the wonders of God's creation, and trained Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center staff  on how to offer stargazing activities as an optional activity for guests in the future.  The instructors were Roland and Linda Beard, authors of the AOBV curriculum.

The course included lessons on practical observation of the heavens from a Biblical view, how to assemble and use a telescope,  how to record observations by sketching objects in the night sky, and a review of  Scripture references that point observers toward the Creator and owner of the heavens.
Such Bible references are Job 41:11b ("Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine") and Acts 17:24 ("The God who made the world and everything in it,being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man")

"We are passionate about astronomical observation  because it can point anyone to God," says Mr. Beard.  He and Linda are the  founders of Christworks Ministries, a Christian, all-volunteer, non-profit organization based in Crozet, Virginia,USA.

The training course was held at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center on September 6 - 8, 2012.

Pastor Dave Campanero, chaplain of the  CCT Training and Development Institute-Magdalena
Campus, takes his turn at looking through a telescope.  

Three Community Partners Join Exporters Fair

Hand bags made of native fibers and  Kalinga handwoven native attire are among the products proudly displayed by  CCT community partners at the 23rd Buy Pinoy Exporters Fair being held at  SM Megamall. The fair started August 16  and will end on Sunday, August 19. 

Pastor Bien Manglo of Laguna, distributor of bags made of sweet screwpine (known locally as wild pandan), said he joined the fair  because of the potential for gaining contacts and  learning (such as on price competitiveness),  exposure as a businessman, and the chance to compare his products with those of other businessmen. 

Rose Eroles, maker of buri and pandan bags, hats, wallets and mats, and Nancy Bal-iwang, who hand weaves and sells  items such as Kalinga native dress and  table runners also expect similar benefits.  Visit them at Booth 22 and Booth 108  at the Megatrade Hall 2, 5th level Mega B. 

Rose Eroles (in white blouse), community partner from Quezon City, with her buri bags and wallets. 

Pastor Bien Manglo  with knickknacks made of coconut shells and bags made of screwpine fiber. 

Nancy Bal-iwang explains to a customer why soft brooms from Kalinga province are long lasting.
To her left are items of  clothing used by natives during special occasions in Kalinga province. 

Habagat Flood: 5,713 Community Partners Affected, Relief Efforts Ongoing

Heavy monsoon rains started pouring over Metro Manila and surrounding provinces on Monday evening, August 6. By Tuesday afternoon, evacuation centers were filling up as waters rose, flowing over bridges, flooding entire communities, and carrying away houses on the banks of streams and rivers.  

Reports as of August 13  showed that more than three million individuals were affected and 89 were dead, mostly by drowning and also by landslide and electrocution.

Among CCT-assisted individuals, some 5,713 were affected, particularly in Metro Manila and the provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite, Pangasinan, and Nueva Ecija.  

Efforts to help those affected were begun by CCT staff as early as Wednesday, August 8. 

Facts at a glance:

Community partners affected: 5,713

Individuals fed (at evacuation centers):  1,163

Persons given relief items : 4,585

Persons provided with drinking water: 734

Persons given clothing items / blankets: 246

Praise God for staff who worked beyond and above the call of duty distributing relief items, for volunteers who helped, giving time and energy , and for caring individuals who shared blessings in cash and in kind.  

Photos: Faith Poblete 

Repacking of relief items 

Distribution 

CCT Opens Branch in M'lang, North Cotabato

Pastor Jun Castillo, new team servant for M'lang Remelyn Empic,
and CCT President Ruth Callanta during  the opening
of the CCT branch in  M'lang, North Cotabato. 

The Center for Community Transformation (CCT) has opened a new branch in the municipality of M’lang, North Cotabato, bringing  the number of branches in the province to four.

CCT has more than 130 branches nationwide. It ministers to micro entrepreneurs, street dwellers, factory workers, landless agricultural workers, children and youth, and indigenous people, particularly the B'laan and Taga Kaolo tribes of Sarangani. 

Ruth Callanta, CCT president, delivered the exhortation in an opening ceremony on May 12, 2012 attended by CCT staff from South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and other North Cotabato branches; members of the  Ministerial Group of Evangelical Churches in Mlang; and representatives of local government units.  Errol de Pedro, CCT pastor for the North Cotabato area, prayed for the three staff members  who will be manning operations and dedicated the office to God. A representative from the office of M’lang Mayor Joselito Pinol gave assurance of the municipal government’s support of the ministry of CCT.

The M’lang office is  located at Java Subdivision, Poblacion and is initially  offering  microfinance and insurance services. CCT also has branches in the North Cotabato towns of Midsayap and Kabakan, and in Kidapawan City.   

      

 Mlang is one of 17 towns in North Cotabato.  It is a first class municipality with a population of 81,000 according to a 2007 survey of the National Statistics Office.  Its residents speak Ilonggo, Cebuano, Tagalog, Ilocano, and Magindanwon.  It has 37 baranggays.

Reportage: Jeaneth Samuel 

New Products for Loyal CCT Partners Announced

The new identification card and passbook for the exclusive use of loyal community partners.

The Center for Community Transformation Savings and Credit Cooperative recently announced a new set of products and  privileges exclusively for community partners who have been active members of the cooperative for five years or more. These products and privileges are:

• Emergency loan of P5,000 - P30,000 for hospitalization of immediate family members
• Study Now Pay Now E-loan of P2,000 to P20,000 for tuition of immediate family members
• Enterprise financing for immediate additional funding for business
• 50% discount on service charge for growth enterprise loans
• 50% discount on service charge for regular business loans

Loyal partners will be distinguished by their use of a new gold-colored identification card and passbook, the first set of which they will receive for free. 

Ruth Callanta, CCT president and general manager of the CCT Credit Cooperative said these products and privileges are given in appreciation of the community partners' faithful patronage of CCT programs and services.

In the world of microfinance, recipients of microfinance loans are referred to generally as borrowers or clients.  At CCT they are referred to as community partners. 

CCT Dedicates Ortigas Office

The reception area of the new office as seen from the hallway. 

The Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Group of Ministries dedicated its new Ortigas office to the Lord in a simple ceremony attended by lead mentors from its business mentoring group, staff of the business development services (BDS) unit, a few members of the management committee, and staff of the Wholistic Transformation Resource Center (WTRC). 

The 50-square meter office space on the 21st floor of Strata 100 in Ortigas Center is a blessing shared by  WTRC,  a CCT ministry partner. 

 In a message sent  from Australia,  David Bussau, WTRC president, said, "As many of you know, WTRC has been blessed by a magnanimous benefactor and it is in the same spirit of magnanimity and generosity that we share this blessing with you because we believe in your work and you have always had a special place in our hearts and in our prayers. We have journeyed together for many, many years sharing  challenges and triumphs along the way.  We have seen how CCT has been faithful to the mission God has given you, how attuned the organization, its trustees, management and staff  are to God's voice which we believe accounts for how much CCT has grown and how deep your impact has become.  It is our honor to be able to share our office with you and to be counted as CCT's friend, partner, and family."  

 Josie Barotilla, WTRC finance manager, explained that WTRC occupies units A, H, I and J of Strata 100's 21st floor through the generosity of the Padilla family, the building owners who are close friends of David Bussau.  The room that CCT now occupies, Unit K,  was "sort of a storeroom" and "not used too much." 

The CCT office was renovated to move the entrance closer to the backdoor of the WTRC offices which opens to its boardroom. "This gives the staff easy access to the boardroom which WTRC is also allowing CCT to use," Josie added.   

The Ortigas office will be used by the BDS staff, by Growth Enterprise Loan staff,  and by partner development staff of the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center.  Its land line numbers are: 806-6912 and  654-2536.  

For inquiries and booking information about the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center, please get in touch with Eva Lope, CCT partners development officer, at evaranlope@yahoo.com.ph, evamlope@gmail.com, 09192933157, 09232497605,  8066912, and 654-2536. 

The initial part of the program was held in the WTRC
boardroom. Here attendees sing the hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness...

...and read Psalm 127. 

Kerwin Tan, mentoring program director, and Richard Tan,
lead mentor, cut the ribbon 

CCT staff join Pastor Jun Gonzaga (not shown) in a
prayer of dedication in the new office.

Ruth Callanta, CCT president, smiles with approval after checking out the interiors
 designed by Pastor Evan Venegas