The Goducate Training Center in Iloilo, Philippines, is taking shape nicely. In just three months of development, 11 hectares (about 25 soccer fields) of forest is being converted to an agricultural and livelihood training center for hundreds of Goducate community workers.
We hope to complete Phase 1A of the training center by the end of this year. Phase 1A includes all the basic infrastructure of gates, fences, roads, irrigation canals, impounding lake, land preparation, planting of fruit trees and vegetables, plant nursery, green-house, vermi-composting beds, etc.
Phase 1A also includes the Multi-Purpose Hall (MPH) which can sit 500 trainees ad have administrative offices and a canteen for 240 people.
If funds permit, we will also build an elevated tent-city in the mahogany forest to accommodate 100 trainees. Otherwise, the trainees will have to rough it out in the MPHall as their temporary accommodation.
We hope to take in our first pilot batch of trainees at the end of the year.
RoadsMultiPurpose HallMultiPurpose HallTomato plants in greenhouseFields of high-yield hybrid riceImpounding lake for irrigation
Philippines TV Station ABS-CBN interviewed Governor Arthur Defensor of Iloilo during his recent visit to Goducate Training Center last week.
ABS-CBN interviews Gov. Defensor
Paul Choo, Founder of Goducate, was also interviewed. The telecast of these interviews were televised on that same afternooon (Sept 10) on ABS-CBN local new
The local Iloilo paper, Panay News (Sept 11, 2010) wrote the following article:
31 ID, NON-PROFIT GROUP HELPS POOR THROUGH MEDICAL MISSION poor thru medical mission
By JEZZA NEPOMOCENO
SAN MIGUEL, Iloilo – The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) and GODUCATE (Go and Educate), a Singapore-based non-profit organization, conducted a medical mission yesterday, catering to about 500 poor residents of Brgy. Santo Angel here.
Aside from the free medical checkup and medicines, the groups also gave free dental operation and circumcision. The activity was in line with GODUCATE’s objective of “helping poor Asians help themselves.”
According to Maj. John Andrada, acting Civil Military Operation Battalion commander, the 3ID provided some of the doctors and dentists needed for the medical mission. Dr. Paul Chu, president of GODUCATE, said Brgy. Santo Angel will become the “breeding ground” of more development activities, being host to the first GODUCATE campsite in the Philippines.
“This (campsite) is not for profit but for community development,” said Chu.
Chu envisions that foreign nationals from other Asian countries will soon come here for their livelihood trainings and literacy programs, which involves introducing modern technology to attain sustainable
development.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. who graced the activity lauded the organizers and vowed to support the organization’s projects and development programs for the Ilonggos.
Putting the 1.8-hectare GODUCATE campsite in a “sleepy barangay” here was an ambitious project, Defensor said.
But there is nothing impossible if we are committed and determined to achieve such an ambition, he added.
Defensor said the provincial government will rehabilitate the rough roads toward the campsite and will create a “shortcut” route from the site to the national road.
GODUCATE operates in seven Asians countries — Singapore, Philippines, India, China, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia./PN
(pl note that the area of the training center is 11.2 hectares and not 1.8 hectares as reported in this article)
The model farm in Laguna, Philippines was a month-old operation when I visited it with the directors of Goducate in August. Its purpose is to demonstrate to the poor to produce vegetables for their own consumption. The first thought that came to mind, as I listened to the Goducate farm worker who showed me around, was that this place is a living lab. I noticed that each vegetable plot and tray of earthworms in the vermi-composting project has been tagged and labeled with information. The purpose for doing this is to improve the production yields at the farm.
The farm is now looking at ways to improve the yields of organic fertilizers by experimenting with cow manure, decaying vegetables and banana stalks, or as a blended mixture, in the vermi-composting project. Vegetables such as pek chye, long beans, okra (also known as lady’s fingers) have been planted. It will take a few weeks more for the harvest. I was told that a friend of Goducate, who is a plant pathologist, had also recommended that lemon grass – a natural pest repellant – be planted along the perimeter of the vegetable plots. Mini controlled experiments will also be carried out to determine the optimal amount of organic fertilizer to be used on each kind of vegetable. Also, the vegetables will be living proof of the organic fertilizer’s benefits to buyers.
The launch of these livelihood projects at the model farm is encouraging. To me, the demonstration of what works is important as it will benefit the poor when they produce vegetables in their own backyard. In my limited understanding, I believe the poor would often like to see results quicker than the rich because survival can often be a daily challenge. So, there is simply no room for them to take on what-does-not work. And this is why the demonstration of what works at the farm becomes important.
