By: Johny S. Natad
Assistant Project Coordinator
Lake Mainit FOCAS
The three Focal Community Assistance Scheme (FOCAS) clusters i
n Surigao del Norte represented by the FOCAS Management Committees of Lake Mainit Development Alliance (LMDA), Hinatuan Passage Development Alliance (HIPADA), and Siargao Islands Protected Landscapes and Seascapes (SIPLAS) and partner project implementing NGOs met in Dotties Place Hotel & Convention Center, Butuan City for the Surigao del Norte FOCAS Sustainability Planning workshop last May 26-29, 2009. The planning workshop aims to understand the concept of sustainability; identify the FOCAS gains that should be sustained; determine the processes, structures, and relationships that should be continued to sustain these gains; identify the facilitatiing and hindeing factors that could affect the sustainability; and make strategies needed to pursue to ensure the sustainability.
Ms. Monina G. Hernandez said that the workshop is designed in the light of the approaching end of the present phase of Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP) in January 2010. Results of initial assessments reveal that there are important benefits that have been gained through PACAP’s engagement in five priority provinces through the Focal Community Assistance Scheme (FOCAS). These gains are worth sustaining, upscaling, and expanding. Strategic courses of action need to be identified and pursued on how to ensure that the benefits derived by the rural communities from FOCAS would continue even after the support of PACAP in these provinces have phased-out.
The workshop highlighted the presentation of the input by resource person, small group workshop and discussion, and presentation of group workshop outputs.
Mr. Pete Baclagon, the PACAP Area Manager for Mindanao FOCAS and Ms. Hernandez were the principal faciliators and resource person of the said activity.
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