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

Report Consolidation Training for ASLs Held

(Facing camera, left to right) Jane Grio, Laguna ASL; Ruthie Monterde, NCR North District 1 ASL;
 Philip Agot, Rizal District 3 ASL; Joan Tenzo, Rizal District 1 ASL (partially hidden);
 Ronnie Furio, CAMANAVA ASL (with back to camera).

Luzon area servant leaders (ASLs) working in the microfinance program of the Center for Community Transformation recently received training on how to consolidate reports from the branches they oversee. 

The trainers were Mark Hammill Rulona, CCT Credit Cooperative general accountant, and Crispin Manabat, MIS senior officer. 

Mark walked the ASLs through the use of the revised trial balance consolidation template while Crispin did the same for MIS reporting.  

In the CCT organizational structure, an area servant leader is the equivalent of an area manager in other microfinance institutions.  Each ASL oversees four or five branches  with a total of 120 to 160 fellowships or groups . Most  fellowships have an average of 20 active members or loan recipients, also referred to as community partners in CCT lingo.  

Reports from the areas on loan collections, savings build up,  insurance,  service fees, and other daily collections are consolidated and reported to the support office at the end of each month.  Malou Hipolito, MIS officer, said this training will improve the speed and efficiency of financial reporting in the program. "This is also in preparation for a web-based reporting system currently being tested and that will soon be put in place," Malou added. 

Crispin Manabat, MIS senior officer

Hermie Salvador, ASL for NCR South District 2

Left to right: Joseph Karunungan, Cavite District 2
ASL; Analyn Cantabaco, Cavite District 1 ASL;
Ginna Prejoles, NCR South District 1 ASL.

Photos by  Ciara  Tan

CCT Trains International Microfinance Workers

Eleven microfinance practitioners and volunteers from Sri Lanka, Uganda, South Africa, and the United States were in the Philippines in  April to attend  a training program jointly sponsored and organized by CCT and  Peer Servants, a US-based Christian organization. The trainees attended lectures on Growing and Multiplying Healthy Branches and learned effective microfinance practices firsthand  when they went into the communities to observe how community relationship builders work and to interview recipients of microfinance services. 

 “By God’s grace we have been entrusted with the stewardship of sharing our learning and microfinance experience with younger microfinance institutions,” says Beth Venegas, Peer Servant - General Management of the CCT Training and Development Institute which facilitated the week-long program.

CCT established partnership with Peer Servants in 2008. Ruth Callanta, CCT president and founder, says, "Praise the Lord for this opportunity to be of service to brothers and sisters in the Lord who share our vision for economic and spiritual transformation of the poor."

For information on the CCT Group of Ministries, its programs and target beneficiaries,  please visit  www.cct.org.ph/new/.

CCT Visayas Staff Attend Wholeness Seminar

Dr. Violeta Bautista, life coach 
and leading Filipino psychotherapist,  
wholeness workshop main facilitator.

Part of the work of CCT staff in the communities involves carrying on Jesus original mission of "healing the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds." About 30 staff members from CCT Credit Cooperative branches in the Visayas recently attended a workshop meant to enhance their comfort and competency in leading people they serve toward wholeness.  Journey toward Wholeness: A Training Program on Wholeness Facilitation for CCT Staff was led by Dr. Violeta 'Bolet' Bautista of the Care and Counsel Wholeness Center (CCWC) (http://www.careandcounsel.com/).  Attendees were from different levels of the organization such as pastors,  regional peer servants, area servant leaders, team servants, and covenant community builders. 

Dr. Bolet was assisted by Dr. Annabel Manalo, current head of the counseling department of the Asian Theological Seminary;  Cristabel Fagela-Tiangco, instructor at the University of the Philippines Extension Program in Pampanga (UPEPP), Prof. Rosanne Echivarre, assistant professor at UPEPP; Johnrev Guilaran, psychology instructor at UP-Visayas; and Jeimae Hernandez, psychometrician at CCWC.

Biblical reflections were led by Lorenzo Bautista, professor at Asian Theological Seminary. 

 The five-day workshop will eventually be attended by CCT Credit Co-op staff across the country. The initial activity was held on April 25-29, 2012 at Cecille’s Pension House in Oton, Iloilo.

Prof. Rosanne Echivarre