HISTORY OF RECOLETOS SOCIAL OUTREACH CENTER (RESOURCE-

HANDUMANAN FOUNDATION, INC.), BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL,

PHILIPPINES

INTRODUCTION
Year 1991, Father Antonio Palacios, OAR as the coordinator of UCDO (University Community
Development Office) UNO-R has his vacation in Spain. He brought with him a project proposal
for a housing project with its proposed beneficiaries as the poor people and beggars residing
beside the creek in Barangay 39. With God’s grace, he arrived back in the Philippines with an
approved proposal for a 25 quadruplex housing project, thus Purok San Ezekiel Moreno in
Barangay Handumanan was born. With the big bulk of construction work faced by UCDO,
RESOURCE was created under the responsibility of Vicarial level of the Recoletos.
First, they put the name VARCOP (Vicarial Augustinian Recollect Community Outreach Program)
and then it was changed to RESOURCE, Recoletos Social Outreach Center.
In January 29, 2002, under the Administration of Rev. Julius M. Marcos, OAR, RESOURCE or
Recoletos Social Outreach Center was registered in Securities and Exchange Commission using
the approved name RESOURCE-Handumanan Foundation, Inc.
The community continuously strengthened its partnership with the University of Negros
Occidental - Recoletos through the leadership of Rev. Fr. Emilio L. Larlar, OAR. The new
management established the most convenient alternative water system for community and
office consumption and able to modify the housing collection system for housing beneficiaries.
Likewise, entered into a MOA with Siervas de Maria Ministers to the Sick congregation. For
human development, cluster leaders was organized for efficient communication system
between the management and beneficiaries. These innovations were transparently seen
through the wisdom of Rev. Fr. Emeterio D. Buñao, OAR as the present servant of this
organization.
The Order of the Augustinian Recollects is aware of the plight and problems of our society
today. A great number of poor people live in the streets or shanties reaching out to these
unfortunate should therefore, be the concern of all. Likewise, the staff and community
development workers envision themselves as a renewed family, a community of love,
responding to the will of God and the call of the Church. It is their guiding principle that every
life is a gift from God. The agency wants to help the less fortunate and economically depressed.
It intends to restore total human development where every individuals embrace the love of
God with dignity, responsibility to one’s family, to their fellow humans.

II. MISSION / VISION / GOALS OF THE AGENCY

VISION : A more dignified and dignifying community of the poor.

MISSION :
Assisting the poor in their struggles to become a developed self-reliant community animated
by its values-oriented, family centered and community concerned members.

General Objectives:
A. To draw and implement a well-organized, and comprehensive community outreach
programs for all OAR schools and parishes in Negros.
B. To maximize the efforts of all who are involved in the program in order to put into action the
vision of the province of the Augustinian Recollects which is focused on the preferential option
of the poor.
C. To assist the Recollect Apostolate in Negros in its community outreach program
implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
D. To strengthen the social consciousness and community involvement of all members of OAR
schools and apostolates in the Negros island.
E. To foster awareness and concern for the needs of the depressed, disadvantaged and
underserved communities.
F. To improve the quality of life of our community beneficiaries by teaching them the strategies
on how to develop themselves socially, economically, politically, spiritually and other aspects of
life.

Specific Objectives:
A. To facilitate housing for the immediate beneficiaries.
B. To help the community members of the barangay and its neighboring places on their
medical/dental needs and to provide medicines.
C. To provide the children of the poor and the destitute with complete vocational education
and entrepreneurial skills.
D. To provide them skills for employment.
E. To teach the children and adults how to read, write, and count as well as to impart to them
necessary knowledge and skills.
F. To harness the children and adults how to read, write, and count as well as to impart to
them necessary knowledge and skills.
G. To strengthen the faith of the community and enrich their knowledge about God and His
teachings.
H. To nurture the spiritual needs of the beneficiaries and the neighboring community by
celebrating masses and officiating mass baptism and mass wedding.
I. To educate and train the residents of the community on disaster-preparedness, proper family
planning education, livelihood projects, preparing nutritional needs of the family and others
J. To develop cultural awareness and to provide physical fitness and sports programs to the
youth, children and parents.
K. To provide scholarships to poor but deserving students who are willing to obtain education.
L. To conduct seminars and trainings on values, cooperatives, health and sanitation and others.

M. To expose the members of the OAR schools and parishes to activities which will stimulate in
them the importance of sharing their knowledge and resources with the less fortunate in the
community.

III. CLIENTELE
The primary beneficiaries are composed of 99 families with a great population of about 500
people. They were residents of Barangay 39 before, a great number of them were beggars.
There were organized in 1990 and relocated availed of the housing project giving them 25 years
to pay the amortization.
IV. GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF COVERAGE:
The agency is located at Purok St. Ezekiel Moreno, Phase III, Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod
City. It serves the province of Negros where the schools and parishes and apostolates of the
Order Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines are located. The primary beneficiaries of the
services and programs of the center are in Purok St. Ezekiel Moreno, Barangay Handumanan,
Bacolod City and its neighbouring towns and cities.

Source: Manual of Operation of RESOURCE – Hnadumanan Foundation, Inc.

PRESENT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

The following are the community projects and programs of RESOURCE:

A. Housing Project/Low Cost Housing Project:

The low-cost housing project provided the beneficiaries a venue where they could be
equipped with knowledge and skills and how to conduct themselves in a proper home. It
has also taught them the attitudes, virtues and values that would enable each member of
the family to become a God-loving and protective citizen of the society. Today, the adopted
families are sheltered in concrete houses with water facilities and other amenities that
provide them a more decent life.
One hundred (100) houses were constructed for 100 poor family beneficiaries in a two-
hectare lot donated. Out of 100 housing units, 1 unit is being occupied by the Siervas de
Maria sisters and 99 for the beneficiaries. At present, the community population is nearly
1000 people. The main source of income of the beneficiaries is in the construction and the
mothers are in the Bio-intensive gardening, dressmaking and other livelihood or income
generating projects. These people were beggars before. They are our direct beneficiaries for
housing whom we organized sine 1990 in a depressed are in Bacolod. We relocated them in
St. Ezekiel Moreno Community last 1994. Good indicators came out after five years of
developing them like for example; their children are now in school, they are no longer
begging, they realize the so called dignity in themselves and in their families by working
harder to earn money for their food and basic needs and many more. A full-time Social
Worker is hired to continually monitor and guide them in their growing up of becoming
mature citizens of the community until they will become self-reliant in the future as this is
the main objective of the program. This project is funded by Manos Unidas, Spain.

B. St. Ezekiel Moreno Day Care Center:

Through the partnership with the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Bacolod City, the St.
Ezekiel Moreno Day Care Center (Pre-elementary) was established and accredited by
the Department of Social Welfare and Development of the same local government unit.
The Department of Social Services DSSD)-Bacolod provided a full-time Day Care Worker
and gave us technical assistance in all our projects. Two playgrounds were recently
installed in the community. In 1999, we were awarded as the best day care center in
Bacolod. In the same year, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Manila
recognized our center as 5-star Day Care given the accreditation for five years.
Purpose:
1. To protect and promote the best interest of the children availing the Day Care
services by preparing them for the elementary learning experiences and to help the
children of the RESOURCE Handumanan beneficiaries to acquire early childhood
learning skills. The beneficiaries are the children of RESOURCE families and neighboring
communities/puroks.
At present, we have temporarily closed the day care center due to Covid-19 pandemic.
C. St. Ezekiel Moreno Health Center:
Part of its commitment to promote the physical well-being of its beneficiaries, RESOURCE
established the St. Ezekiel Moreno Health Center in 1994. Funded by Gobierno de Navarra,
Spain, the Health Center was established to assist the community members of the barangay
and its neighboring places with their medical/dental/laboratory needs including medicines.

Today, The St. Ezekiel Moreno Health Center is under the management and supervision of
the Siervas de Maria Sisters. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Superior de
la Corporacion Filipina de los Padres Agustinos Recoletos, Inc. (FIRST PARTY) and the Siervas
de Maria, Ministras de los Enfermos (SECOND PARTY) is renewed for another ten (10) years
(i.e. June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2030). The Siervas de Maria sisters are in-charge of the
procurement of facilities, medical supplies and medicines, etc. However, RESOURCE-
Handumanan Foundation office is the one paying the electrical and water bills of the Health
Center. The estimated bills for electricity and water consumption is Two Hundred
Thousand Pesos (Pph 200,000.00) per year.

D. Korean Food for Work

Objectives:
1. To encourage community participation in implementing a community defined
project related to livelihood project.
2. To generate temporary employment and provide income augmentation, nutrition,
and assistance in paying housing amortization.
3. To discourage dole out practices and promote developmental initiatives which
promotes worth and dignity.
Conditions:
This is open to RESOURCE Beneficiaries who expressed their willingness to be part of the
program through filling in the application form. They should apply during the first
Sunday of the month (First Come, First Serve Basis) First 30 only. The cut off for the
application is Monday, 7am until 12 noon. If they cannot reach the 30 applicants, the
remaining money will go to other community related affairs/activities.
Requirements:
ON FIRST WEEKEND:
Attend the Mass and list your name on the provided sheet of paper.

ON THE SECOND AND THIRD WEEK OF THE MONTH:

At least one family member/ representative per household must render
community service depending on the task given by the agency.
Example:
Cleaning
Gardening at La Salud Garden
Attendance is a must. Applicants should secure their attendance during any
community activities, seminars and trainings provided by the agency.
In addition, every applicant is required to attend religious/ spiritual activities.
i. Example:
ii. Rosary at La Salud Garden
iii. Sunday Masses/Novenas/ Feast Days
 Applicant must secure an excuse letter with a valid reason stated for not
attending the activity.
ON THE LAST WEEK OF THE MONTH:
The applicant will receive the cash assistance for the housing amortization
amounted to Php________ and _______ kilos of rice.

E. Mushroom Production:
Mushroom production has great scope in the Philippines and in some of other developing
countries because of the cheap and easily available raw materials needed for this activity,
coupled with faster means of communication and marketing. Mushroom production can
directly improve livelihoods through economic, nutritional and medicinal contributions.
Mushroom production is highly combinable with a variety of other traditional agricultural
and domestic activities, and can make a particularly important contribution to the
livelihoods of the community members in RESOURCE, with appropriate training and access
to inputs, can increase their independence and self-esteem through income generation.

The objectives of the Mushroom Production in RESOURCE-Handumanan are as follows:

1. To encourage community participation in implementing a community defined project

related to livelihood project.
2. To generate temporary employment and provide income augmentation, nutrition, and
assistance in paying housing amortization and for the development of the whole
community.
3. To discourage dole out practices and promote developmental initiatives which promotes
worth and dignity.
4. To promote a healthy and organic farming.
5. To instill a self- reliant and mobilized community among community members.

F. Trisikad Program from Global Workers of Daegu-Korea:

Trisikad or pedicab is a foot driven vehicle with a bike and a side cab used for short
distances. The sidecar of a trisikad can normally accommodate two passengers.
RESOURCE and UCDO gave 3 pedicabs to the 3 families from which they can earn an income
and a livelihodd as well funder a “Rent to Own Scheme”.
The rental paid by the families is accumulated until the pedicab is fully paid and a
contribution for their monthly housing amortization.

G. La Salud Garden Production:

The concept of food and nutritional security refers to the ability of all people at all times to
have physical and income access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary
needs for an active healthy life this time of pandemic.
RESOURCE-Handumanan’s advocacy is to make RESOURCE Community a role model in
embracing sustainable gardening practices in order to improve livelihood and alleviate
poverty.

RESOURCE- Handumanan takes up the challenge of generating awareness on the risk of

conventional gardening/farming, training on organic gardening/farming as an alternative
method and follow ups to ensure proper implementation and sharing information for
sustainability.

The goal of this program is to empower the community members with knowledge and skills
in vegetable production in order to raise their living standards by making them healthy and
environmentally conscious members of the community.

H. Quail Egg Production:

This livelihood program aims to institutionalize quail raising in a community level setting
that involves the members of the community in the production, and to provide community
members with additional source of income.
Recognizing the potential of quail farming in providing added income and opportunity for
the community members, the UNO-R UCDO supported the objective and concept of quail
raising as proposed by community members. The benefits derived from raising quail have
by far been impressive based on the testimonies of community members.
We defer the quail egg production due the following reasons: 7.a. No available good
quality of quails in the locality; 7.b. No market for quail eggs. Most of our buyers are the
students from different schools. Since there is no face-to-face classes due to Covid-19
pandemic we put this in abeyance. We will resume the project when the Covid- 19
pandemic is over.