The PRRM Years...Laguna Operations

My return to PRRM in July, 197l also heralded the change in its administration. Senator Manuel P. Manahan resigned as president and Mr. Armando Baltazar was installed as the new president. Mr. Baltazar came from the business sector and introduced several changes. One of the major changes that he made was the shift of sponsorship of barrio's assistance from individual to corporate. He maintained that PRRM should campaign for big corporate sponsorship of a number of barrios to be assisted instead of an individual sponsoring his own selected barrio.

It was at this time that several big business enterprises in Manila organized the Philippine Business for Social Progress(PBSP). The members of PBSP had set aside certain percentage of their profit for PBSP to use in the social and economic development of the rural areas. The PRRM was tapped by PBSP to select, assist and develop programs (using the 4-fold program of PRRM) to uplift the livelihood, health, education, and self-government aspects of the people. The province of Laguna was selected by PRRM to embark on this project.

About 40 barrios were identified in several municipalities of Laguna for the operation. It was in the early part of 1972 that the special project of Laguna operations was implemented. The field director was Col. Jose Mendoza(ret.); project director was Ms. Vicky Cruz. There were 2 teams: The Nagcarlan team under team captain Ernesto Amores and the San Pablo team under team captain Agustin Soriano.
Each team had about 12 community organizer(CO) workers. Each CO worker covered 2 or 3 barrios to assist and develop.

The Laguna operations was backstopped by the technical groups, namely livelihood, health, education, and self-government groups. I was the technical assistant in cooperatives under the livelihood group. Part of my job was to assist the CO workers in the promotion, organization, training, and development of cooperatives in all the coverage of Laguna operations.

I had assisted in the organization and training of several cooperatives, especially credit unions in Laguna.

I was with the project until I resigned from PRRM effective November 30, 1972 to join the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction(IIRR) in Silang, Cavite.

1971 PRRM Christmas Night celebration