IRDT as the Years Go By
But change is not a matter of law and procedures. What truly counts in actualizing any desired change is what lies behind all this and this is the Human Organization – the Men and Women and Children who give life to this growing institution – they who have contributed to IRDT’s growth.
This year 2009, Integrated Resource Development for Tri-people (IRDT), marked its 3rd year celebration servicing pre-schoolers and elementary school-goers through the provision of school supplies like notebooks, short plastic envelopes, pencils, crayons, rulers, scissors and the like in its “pakwela”:OPLAN Balik Eskwela 2009.
With greater dedication and selfless commitment, IRDT has served a number of 265 schoolers. The solicited notebooks which accounted to 950 pieces were a courtesy of Save the children (DPR Mindanao ) – USAID, Mindanao Emergency Response Network (MERN) and other sponsors and benefactors. The school supplies were distributed to children-beneficiaries from the three (3) IRDT tri-culture communities – Mampang, Talon-talon and Arena Blanco on June 5, 2009. Breakdown of distribution is as follows: - 110 pre-schoolers, 35 Grade 1s, 25 Grade 2s, 20 Grade 3s, 20 Grade 4s, 25 Grade 5s and 30 Grade 6s.
By then, IRDT expressed its heartfelt thanks and utmost gratitude to the Lord and to Save the Children (DPR Mindanao) – USAID, MERN, Pharmacare, Ms. Jesyl Joy C. Lipaopao and all other supporters and benefactors. In working hand in hand, we can be truly partners in the attainment of common goals. Inspired by the tri-culture communities’ competence, this 3rd year and the years that will follow will be repleted with far-reaching accomplishments and more meaningful achievements.
Oplan Balik Eskuwela
The Historical Background
The Integrated Resource Development for Tri-people (IRDT) has its origin from its founders’ engagement as volunteer in the different peace and development undertakings all throughout the Western Mindanao region. The over five years of solid ground-based experience in community development work, often under the assistance of the United Nations Multi-Donor Programme has led to the realization of the need to finally establish a service institution with its outreach nature to deliver an integrated development assistance. Realizing the multi-cultural environment of the region, the organization believes that an innovative approach in development must factor in the “Tri-people” concept. Thence, IRDT was organized in July 2004. It is a non-governmental volunteer organization engaged in integrated community development work that primarily caters to the needs of the less privileged and marginalized tri-people and conflict-affected communities. It was then registered with Securities and Exchange Commission on May 26, 2006 under SEC Reg. No. CN200627145. In like manner, it has been also recognized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development under DSWD Reg. No. FO-IX-2008-064.
Today, IRDT has an office located at Km.6, Federico Galvez Subdivision, Mampang, Zamboanga City.
The IRDT Distinct Characteristic
The IRDT Program and Services
B. Literacy: Level I- is designed to provide basic non-formal education to prospective learner beneficiaries who have not gone to school irregardless of gender and age. Basically, it facilitates familiarization of English and Filipino alphabet and numbers, infused with basic writing skills, values, social ethics and peace education. Level 2- Learning foci are Filipino-English reading, writing and arithmetic, Integrated with socio-economic-political-cultural and civic consciousness, GAD and peace education.2. Local Governance
The component aimed to enhance capacities of local special bodies in target communities, modeling skills enhancement of local officials in Barangay Development Planning through Participatory Resource Appraisal/Participatory Coastal Resource Appraisal as an approach to community participatory governance.
4. Women and Children Protection (WCP)
This component works in collaboration with government agencies, non- government organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive and integrated program to prevent and suppress trafficking in persons and develop a mechanism to ensure the timely, coordinated and effective response to cases of trafficking in persons.
5. Relief and Emergency Response (RR)
This component attributes IRDT as one of the lead implementing agencies of Mindanao Emergency Response Network (MERN) for Zamboanga Peninsula and ARMM Island Provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi. Mainly, our assistance to emergency situation is through access of support/assistance from partner- organizations and deployment of volunteers to affected areas whether home-based or center-based. Through partnership with local government units, IRDT helps facilitate data validation and assessment, as well as assist/facilitate resource accessing. Psychosocial debriefing and disaster management and other trainings are also part of the services.
6. Socio-Economic and Livelihood Program (SELP)
IRDT helps communities in developing an industry-based livelihood program:
a. Entrepreneurship and Skills Training: designed to train PO’s selected potential members in any trade area that either will enhance the community existing industry or in support to proper utilization and maximizing community resource. Our assistance also includes market network and linkages.
b. Community-fund Management: intended to provide capital for under-privileged sectors that are engaged or are engaging in small-scale or self-income generating project. The program adopts community-fund management scheme as a high regard to culture sensitivity especially in Muslim communities.
c. Home-based Food Security Program: aimed at providing farm inputs grants to agriculture potential communities. Basically, it is a promotion of background gardening; encouraging individual families to make small-farming a great promising food security at the minimum and agri-business enterprise at large.
7. Ecological and Environmental Care Program (EECP)
The component focuses on advocacy, bio-diversity and building capacity of local government and special bodies on environmental governance. It primarily facilitates coastal resources management, upland and agricultural development, land tilling and tenure improvements in collaboration with government concerned agencies.
8. Technical Assistance and Consultancy (TAC)
With IRDT’s experiences and exposures in community integrated development work, it offered technical and consultancy services to partners in the following trade areas:
1. Community-based infrastructure development projects;
2. Social Preparation-Community Organizing and Development;
3. Implementation of Community-based Trainings and Skills Transfer specialized in PIME, Resource-based Management, GAD-RBA, Peace Education, Community Environment and Disaster Management, Institutional Building and Organizational Development and Management, Accountancy for Non-accountants or Community-based Financial Management, Community-fund Management, Community Enterprise Development, Cooperative Memberships, Education Services, Trainers Training on Community Organizing, and Art works;
4. Barangay Development Planning using PRA and PCRA tools;
5. Project Development and Resource Mobilization.