PhilDHRRA Mindanao convened its 3rd Regional Board of Trustees Meeting last November 3, 2008 at MASSPECC Hostel in Carayan de Ore City.  Presided by Chairperson Nestor Carbonera, the meeting was marked with the guest presence of Mr. Paul Baang, Project Caraga Manager; MASS-SPECC CEO Sylvia Paraguya, and Ms. Mayen Olmedo,  PEF Program Manager of the ZamBaSulTa area, who sought audience with the board for their independent concerns with the PhilDHRRA leadership.

Ms. Olmedo gave an update to the board on the recent thrust and directions of PEF and its implications to the incoming PEF-PhilDHRRA CSO networking initiative in the Zamboanga area.  She shared that PEF is currently reviewing its strategies and programs to further improve and strengthen its capacities to carry out its mission. She said these internal processes in PEF came in timely at the height of the financial crisis that had significantly affected PEF’s resources.  This caused the PEF management to shift focus in protecting the funds and managing its growth in the face of the global economic slowdown. Given this development, the PEF board is currently adopting a more restrained position in its grant making activities.  On one hand, PEF partnership with PhilDHRRA on CSO Networking in the Zamboangas will be sustained but momentarily, on a limited scale but with a strong promise of normalization of activities by mid 2009.  Given the PEF update, the RBOT remain committed to sustain PhilDHRRAs CSO networking activities initially in Zamboanga Sibugaey and Zamboanga del Norte.  XAES and CESCOD were identified as local champions in this initiative. .

Following the PEF agenda, Mr. Paul Baang was recognized by the board to give a briefing on the status of PhilDHRRA’s operations in Caraga. Mr. Baang informed the RBOT on the latest developments of the three (3) projects currently implemented in the Caraga region. He first reported about the new Convenio Project, which is on its preliminary stage of implementation, and expected to boost operations in the month of November.  In an update of the Caraga Project, he shared that as of 23 October 2008, the project has organized 1,131 men and women beneficiaries. These beneficiaries are engaged in and are benefiting from various project components of the project. The project is already in its 19th month of implementation and development impacts are perceptible in the 12 barangays assisted by the project. He pointed out that in the remaining 5 months of project implementation, the project will focus on sustaining gains and will continue to strengthen the POs as catalyst of change in the community.  He added that the projects, made possible with the support of InteRED and AECI, are a testament of the network’s commitment to pursue innovations towards effectiveness in its SIAD initiatives.

After Mr. Baang brief updates, the RBOT requested him to discuss on the latest development and status of the LEAF Foundation, a network member under the Caraga cluster. Given the latest developments with LEAF, the RBOT agreed to provide organizational development support and assistance to the organization in case requested.  Further, the RBOT agreed to provide special attention to improve and further develop policy guidelines for membership discipline and sanctions.

Other important agenda discussed in the meeting include: secretariat updates, financial reporting, new applicants for network membership, network relief program in conflict areas, cluster strengthening mechanisms, convenio project arrangements, Investment decision re: endowment fund, staff salary adjustments, mass-specc loan update, and bank signatories for convenio project.

The board ended the meeting with the Chairperson giving a brief summary of the decision points and agreements made by the RBOT on the agenda discussed.