Caritas Masbate Social Action

Caritas Masbate Social Action Caritas Masbate Foundation, Inc. is the social action arm of the Diocese of Masbate.

As the pastoral thrust of the local Church, we promote social justice and uphold the dignity of the human person through various local initiatives.

We are moving into the second phase of our Early Recovery project with Caritas Internationalis. Following the distributi...
22/04/2026

We are moving into the second phase of our Early Recovery project with Caritas Internationalis. Following the distribution of essential household items to 500 households, we are now targeting 300 households across 5 parishes to help them restart or strengthen livelihoods damaged by Typhoon Opong through the provision of critical assets.

We are grateful to our dedicated parish volunteers who profiled potential beneficiaries using the KoboToolbox application. Based on a scoring system focusing on livelihood damage, household vulnerability, and capacity for self-recovery, we have drafted an initial list of qualified households. This list will be posted in the local chapel for community validation via the Feedback Complaints Response Mechanism.

We look forward to providing these vulnerable households with productive assets through a livelihoods voucher fair.





We had a productive meeting with Mayor Glenda Letada Villahermosa last week to explore a potential partnership with the ...
20/04/2026

We had a productive meeting with Mayor Glenda Letada Villahermosa last week to explore a potential partnership with the LGU for a five-year integrated poverty alleviation program. This initiative, in collaboration with the Assisi Development Foundation, will focus on three under-developed barangays in the municipality of Monreal, Ticao Island.

This project aligns with our mission to bring hope through integral human development to those in the margins of our society.





We would like to express our gratitude to the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (JASAC) for welcoming us to your dr...
20/04/2026

We would like to express our gratitude to the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (JASAC) for welcoming us to your drugstores in Iloilo. Learning from your social enterprise has been incredibly valuable. The success of your enterprise model in providing low-cost, effective medicines to the poor has inspired us to pursue a similar path.

In Masbate, the lack of access to healthcare and affordable medicine remains a significant barrier, keeping families in a cycle of poverty. We have observed that a single health crisis can quickly undo the progress made through food subsidies, financial education, and livelihood programs.

Thank you again JASAC for the inspiration and for sharing your expertise with us, especially to its Msgr. Meliton Oso (Executive Director), Yvon Agreda (Manager), Russel Espesor (Bookkeeper and Purchaser), and Helen Roa.





As part of our commitment to our stakeholders to strengthen our Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning (MEAL) ...
20/04/2026

As part of our commitment to our stakeholders to strengthen our Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning (MEAL) system, we recently sought support from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to build our capacity for program implementation. Our goal is to equip our staff with the necessary tools and skills for effective data gathering, analysis, and impact monitoring.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to CRS for generously sharing their expertise. Last February, Ms. Marell Wong, CRS MEAL Manager, conducted a two-day workshop in Manila on MEAL and KoboTool usage for our project staff. Additionally, this past weekend, Ms. Sheryl Cabaguing, CRS MEAL Officer, assisted us in analyzing data gathered via KoboTool to help design better responses based on emerging community needs.

This collaboration ensures that our programs are designed for greater impact, fulfilling our mission as a Church to be a force for good.





Caritas Masbate had a recent collaboration with Diligent Minds, a Manila-based accounting firm specializing in financial...
20/04/2026

Caritas Masbate had a recent collaboration with Diligent Minds, a Manila-based accounting firm specializing in financial consultancy and outsourcing for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Last February, a team led by Des Medina streamlined and automated our finance system. As a result, Caritas Masbate’s financial management is now better aligned with NGO standards, allowing us to manage funds more effectively and ensure timely, accurate reporting.

We would also like to express our gratitude to Caritas Philippines and Catholic Relief Services for their support in these efforts. Their partnership helps us continuously improve our standards and remain responsible stewards of the resources entrusted to us.




Our shelter project with Catholic Relief Services is a long-term community investment rather than a simple construction ...
19/04/2026

Our shelter project with Catholic Relief Services is a long-term community investment rather than a simple construction project. By training local beneficiaries in Build Back Safer (BBS) techniques through a cash-for-labor model, we are increasing local resilience and enhancing sustainability.

OWNERSHIP & ACCOUNTABILITY. Enabling beneficiaries to build their own homes facilitates a profound psychological shift from "recipient" to "builder." They are more likely to ensure structural integrity since they or their neighbors will reside in these homes.

BBS CULTURE. Understanding the anatomy of the shelters allows them to perform future repairs without relying on external aid. This training ensures the community has a skilled workforce capable of reinforcing existing structures ahead of future storms.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS. Providing cash for labor keeps the budget within the local economy, triggering a multiplier effect for local businesses. This approach treats beneficiaries as professional partners rather than passive victims of a disaster.

Last week, 10 local carpenters were identified from the 58 qualified households in Brgy. San Mateo, Uson. They have begun BBS training under the CRS Shelter Engineer with support from our local foreman. We hope to engage more local carpenters as the project proceeds to further facilitate economic recovery and develop the community's long-term maintenance capacity.




Our assessment shows that only 4 out of the 56 qualified households in Brgy. San Mateo, Uson own the land where they res...
18/04/2026

Our assessment shows that only 4 out of the 56 qualified households in Brgy. San Mateo, Uson own the land where they reside. This means 93% of the beneficiaries have limited control over improving their shelters due to a lack of land ownership. These tenure issues, combined with insufficient financial resources, significantly hamper their ability to build resilient structures against typhoons like TY Opong. This is a perennial problem of many vulnerable households in the Philippines.

As a workaround, we have instructed these households to secure a Certificate of Occupancy from the landowners. This will allow them to build temporary shelters using "Build Back Safer" techniques as a short-term solution. Due to the ownership constraints, the shelter designs will utilize light materials. Households are required to submit all pertinent land documents within 5 days of the initial posting of the qualified list.

Additionally, a community sensitization session was conducted yesterday in coordination with Catholic Relief Services. During this meeting, we outlined the necessary requirements and explained the household prioritization process and the Feedback Complaints Response Mechanism (FCRM) to ensure active community participation.





Inspired by the success of last year's Summer Literacy Camp, we extended our after-school learning support to the childr...
18/04/2026

Inspired by the success of last year's Summer Literacy Camp, we extended our after-school learning support to the children of Sitio Katindog, Brgy. Usab in Masbate City.

Since July of last year, 15 elementary and 15 high school students have gathered at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Chapel on weekends for tutoring and catechesis by four volunteer instructors. This program ran for 40 weekends, providing crucial support aimed at keeping children in school and serving as a proactive safeguarding measure to keep them from all forms of child abuses.

We have learned a great deal from this year's pilot and are now looking for ways to improve our pedagogy to better serve our children in the future.




Repairing and reconstructing shelters damaged by strong typhoons, such as TY Opong, requires a rigorous technical approa...
18/04/2026

Repairing and reconstructing shelters damaged by strong typhoons, such as TY Opong, requires a rigorous technical approach. To ensure support reaches those who need it most—families in uninhabitable homes or those requiring major repairs—our Catholic Relief Services partners trained our foremen and parish volunteers from Milagros and Uson. This training focuses on conducting technical assessments that evaluate shelter foundations, materials, posts, beams, trusses, roofing, walls, flooring, and overall structural safety using the KoboTool mobile application.

These technical evaluations are integrated with a vulnerability index score based on income, capacity for self-repair, and other vulnerabilities derived from household profiling. This combined data helps us accurately determine a household's degree of vulnerability to natural hazards.

In Brgy. San Mateo, Uson, our assessments show that 35% of the most vulnerable households require major shelter repairs. Consequently, these families qualify for shelter repair support. This assistance incorporates "build back safer" features to ensure their recovery process leads to long-term resilience.





09/04/2026

As the academic year concludes, we would like to share an update on our scholars at Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) and celebrate their growth during this formative period.

Maria, a BS Entrepreneurship student and Madrigal scholar, recently shared how perseverance and adaptability helped her adjust after moving from Masbate City to Naga City. At ADNU, she is honing her talents and skills within an environment focused on developing context-based solutions to real-world problems.

Amidst these transitions, Maria remains grounded through prayer, finding strength in her mission to serve. In prayer, our vulnerable selves are seen and heard by a God who embraces us with His love. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)





01/04/2026

As the academic year concludes, we would like to share an update on our scholars at Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) and celebrate their growth during this formative period.

In this update, Cris shares how the decision to move from a small coastal community in Placer, Masbate to study BS Entrepreneurship as a Madrigal scholar at ADNU is paying off. Taking significant steps like this builds the confidence necessary to embrace future challenges. While life is filled with risks, they often present opportunities to actualize the potential God has placed within us.

May we all be inspired by Cris’s courage. We are all entrepreneurs at heart—risk-takers striving to deliver greater value for others. We can take these leaps of faith knowing that the Lord is always with us, and we can be of value to others because we are valued by Him.




Address

Masbate
5400

Telephone

+639205739818

Website

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