Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura congratulates Western Samar Development Foundation Inc. (WESADEF) President Bella de los Reyes after signing the grant contract for “The Project for Construction of Women Resource Center in Calbayog City” on February 5, 2010 at the Embassy of Japan. Photo also shows the officials of the Embassy of Japan and representative of the WESADEF. |
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura and Western Samar Development Foundation Inc. (WESADEF) President Bella de los Reyes signed the Grant Contract for “The Project for Construction of Women Resource Center in Calbayog City” at the Embassy of Japan on February 5, 2010. The project amounting to US$96,603 (approximately 4.5 million pesos) is funded through the Embassy of Japan's Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).
According to the statistics of Department of Social Welfare and Development in 2007, 1,794 cases of violence against women were reported to the Department nationwide. It was also shown in the statistics that the incidences in Samar had increased by 22% in 2007 compared to 2006, while the national average of such increase had been only 1%. The figure indicates the critical situation of women in Samar.
WESADEF, a non-government organization based in Calbayog City , Western Samar, has been providing social welfare services to victims of violence in Samar since 1987. However, due to the shortage of shelters for victims and training facilities in the city, WESADEF has had limitation in providing necessary services for women.
Under these circumstances, WESADEF sought the assistance from the Embassy of Japan to construct a two-storey social welfare center, which is called “Women Resource Center”. The Center will benefit 60 women annually by providing psychosocial interventions, reproductive health services and various skills trainings so that they could become economically and socially independent.
The GGP was launched in the Philippines in 1989 for the purpose of reducing poverty and helping various communities engaged in grassroots activities. As of December 2009, more than 400 grassroots projects funded by GGP – ranging from roughly 1 to 4 million pesos – have been implemented by NGOs, local government units and other non-profit organizations. The total grant for these projects so far amounts to US$17,418,724.
Japanese Version
