(With AAAIM Chairman, Mr. Conrado Dayrit III, CSR Committee Co-Chair, Ms. Corazon Jimenez, and ASAP Program Director, Mr. Alejo Mayoralgo, & Zuellig Family Foundation Chairman, Mr. Ernesto Garilao.)
The Alumni Association of the Asian Institute of Management, Inc. (AAAIM) through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee has developed the Ahon-Siargao Strategic Assistance Program (ASAP) intended to assist Siargao Island in Mindanao which was devastated by Super typhoon Odette, particularly in the provision of services related to child health, nutrition and education.
One of its projects called Capacity Enhancement (CAPE) in collaboration with the Zuellig Family Foundation is an enhancement initiative intended for municipal local government units (LGUs) in selected towns in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte.
As guided by our benefactor, we recognize poverty as one of our country's most serious problems, with its economic toll, damaging effects on the environment, the proliferation of slums manifesting societal tensions amid a failure of social conscience and justice, and its most devastating and far-reaching effects on our children.
All our causes towards good governance,—education reform, transparency, infrastructure development, environmental protection, etc.—must ultimately lead to the uplift of the human situation of the Filipino poor. As we consider ourselves a foremost Christian nation aspiring for developed country status, can we really take pride in our rate of economic growth, while large numbers of our countrymen struggle to survive in subhuman conditions?
As products of Asia’s first premier Graduate Business School, which has been a trailblazer in advocating Corporate Social Responsibility, and in the promotion of development, management, and entrepreneurship, as relevant, timely concentrations, we submit that poverty is in the precise interest of the business. Addressing poverty is in the business’ full interest.
Our visionary founders saw AIM as a crucible for enlightened business leaders. who will think of what is good in terms of the country as a whole – not just in terms of profits for the business. Poverty is a threat to the political, economic, and social stability so essential to do business. Poverty diverts the government’s focus and scarce resources away from effective urgent programs for good governance. Poverty negates the purchasing power to buy our goods or our services and poverty create dangerous tension among the segments of our society. Poverty due to hunger and malnutrition weakens businesses’ primary resource—our people.
In this regard, a group of AIM ALUMNI from different concentrations and classes, organized under the institutional umbrella of the Alumni Association of AIM, Inc. (AAAIM) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee, for a project to address this issue. In the hope of a future template that could be successfully duplicated in different parts of the country, addressing the critical issue of malnutrition.
Siargao is a local island of international repute due to its world-class surfing resources but is periodically subject to destructive typhoons growing ever stronger.
Siargao was devastated by Super typhoon Odette in December 2021 with Burgos town in the northern part of the island as “ground zero”.
The AAAIM provided immediate support to help alleviate the “total devastation”, through initial donations of housing materials to households in the coastal area of the Poblacion. AAAIM sent 2 Rapid Assessment missions, to do a more comprehensive evaluation of existing development issues plaguing the island. The first was conducted in May 2020 and then the Education Sector Assessment in September 2022. Preliminary coordination with key stakeholders and community engagement activities have been completed: 5 LGUs signified interest in implementing a nutrition program in their areas, and a beach volleyball cum cleaning event was co-organized and sponsored to engage the community
AAAIM solicited the support of potential partners: Roman Catholic Church, Angat Pilipinas, Inc., Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), DepEd-Regional Office, Maynilad Foundation, etc., SeaOil Resources, Negrense Visayas Foundation, Makati Medical Foundation Tanglaw Ni Teresa, etc.
In Burgos, the 8 Daycare Centers (DCCs) which cater to 2-4-year-old children, damaged by the Super typhoon are not yet operational. The latest malnutrition data among children 5 years old and below portray a major problem that needs serious intervention. Alliances with similar-minded groups are being cultivated for an integrated action plan to address malnutrition in Siargao. E.g. AFPRESCOM Commander, a possible partner in the construction of the 8 Day Care Centers and disaster activities.
Project CAPE aims to strengthen the capacity of the aforementioned LGUs in developing and nurturing the local health and nutrition ecosystem focused on children's First 1,000 Days (F1KD) in their respective areas, as well as to improve the competencies (in terms of aspirations, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices, or AKASP) of local elected officials and LGU personnel in planning, implementing, and evaluating FIKD policies and programs.
Project CAPE has two (2) components:
Training - the conduct of the baseline and end-line AKASP assessments, and the customization and delivery of the training curriculum for the target groups/teams
Technical assistance (TA) - the provision of in-training and post-training coach-in/mentoring as well as project-level orchestration and coordination services.
AAAIM CSR shall: Act as the Lead Convener and Project implementer. Responsible for orchestrating all activities in close consultation with ZFF, participating LGUs, and other groups. Be responsible for recruiting LGUs to be part of the Project; Arrange, manage and preside meetings of the Project Steering Committee and the Project Management Team; Field personnel to be appointed, to conduct all necessary activities and address major concerns (e.g., project documentation, training schedules, mid-, and end-of-project assessments) under the Project’s approved implementation plan and budget; Among other related tasks.
ZFF shall: Act as the Training Provider; Prepare and conduct customized training design (to include practicum and study mission as necessary) and modules; Prepare and conduct customized training design (to include practicum and study mission as necessary) and modules; Identify, deploy and supervise qualified trainers, coaches or mentors, and training support staff; Manage the conduct of training; Work with the Project Steering Committee and the Project Management Team; Among other related tasks
An Urgent Call to Action & Support from AIM Alumni & Friends
It is imperative to address the gnawing hunger and malnutrition of impoverished Filipino children who are prone to more suffering with economic uncertainty.
The generational effect on the quality of our future working population is worrisome.
Each day, around 95 children in our country die from malnutrition, per UNICEF reference. With such a disturbing death toll, it is been said that malnutrition is worse than the coronavirus pandemic! One in three Filipino children under 5 years old is stunted, which means they are too short for their age, while roughly 7% of children are too thin for their height. The Philippines is among those with the highest wasting and stunting prevalence, according to the Global Nutrition Report in 2016.
Nutrition goes beyond mere feeding programs. Increased vulnerability to diseases due to poor health-seeking behavior, incomplete immunization, poor hygiene, and care practices, and inadequate diet — both in quantity and quality — causes undernutrition in early childhood
“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” (UN-FAO)
We ask and welcome any support or donation. Please email Ms. Coratec Jimenez at coratecjimenez@yahoo.com.ph for more information.
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