0832. First journal entry for this year. Too busy with a lot of things as last year ended. Then there was this two-week training (12 – 24 Jan) held in Cebu for the MPDCs (Municipal Planning and Development Coordinators) of 17 municipalities in Bohol proposed for the implementation of the AusAID-assisted Strengthening Local Governance Project.

I attended the live-in training at Days Hotel in Mactan as one of three participants from the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO). The other PPDO representatives were: Atty. Nitz Cambangay, the provincial planning and development coordinator, and Roger Alegado, head of the Project Development and Monitoring Unit (PDMU) of the PPDO.

That was actually Component 1 of the AusAID-funded training on Strengthening Local Governance for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development. The province requested for the training as start-up activity for poverty reduction project to be implemented with AusAID assistance in 17 municipalities in Bohol.

Component 2 is what we are having here now at the MetroCentre Hotel in Tagbilaran City. The MPDCs were joined by 5 other members of the Municipal Poverty Reduction Action Teams (MPRATs).

The total number of participants who attended reached 102 out of the expected 105. That was around noon time yesterday. Those who were not able to come for one reason or another (sick; on official business to Cebu, etc.) sent replacements. Unfortunately, the ten or so replacements could only be classified as observers.

Gov. Erico B. Aumentado welcomed the participants and trainers during yesterday’s opening program. He said the MPRAT members are the front-liners in the fight against poverty. The Governor challenged the MPRATs to work wholeheartedly in achieving poverty reduction targets.

Dr. Benjie Gonzales-Flor of AusAID-Phil-Australia Short-Term Training Facility (PASTTF) also came for the opening program yesterday. She opened her talk by saying she believes that as a woman, she can do anything. Good opening! It got the attention of the audience. She also cited the characteristics of more developed countries: ethics; integrity; respect for laws; responsibility; punctuality, etc.

Dr. Vicky A. Bautista, director of the Center for Leadership, Citizenship and Democracy, UP National College of Public Administration and Governance, discussed key issues and concepts related to understanding poverty. She talked about innovative strategies which have been so far tried by the national government.

This is starting to sound like a news story and not a journal. Now I have to focus on the input. This is quite a big group. Fortunately, the audio system is excellent. Still, there is no way of knowing if they get the messages fully. Perhaps, in the future, we have to think in repeating inputs in small groups and minimize lectures in big groups.

We know this from way back, but we are victims of circumstances. The time frame is too short to have all these inputs.