Bridge Financing for Education in Northern Samar Analysis

+ Access rights – Right of the poor to quality education;

+ RA 6728 Education Service Contracting, a law subsidizing poor students to study in private schools;

+ SHIFT nuns and volunteers are known, accepted and respected in the communities, schools, marketplaces in Mondragon and Catarman;

+ SHIFT’s credibility and ability to mobilize local, national and international volunteers (ex. German volunteer nurse, Jesuit Volunteers and youth volunteers);

+ High goodwill of SHIFT allowing it to secure favors and obtain benefits from different individuals and groups.

+ RSCJ Congregation’s national and international network of support;

+ SAA owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Catarman;

+ PEF interested to support the project, Northern Samar being the number one PEF priority province

- SHIFT involved in many programs mostly supported by volunteers; tendency to spread itself too thinly;

- SHIFT lacked policies, procedures and systems;

- Absence of formal MOA between SHIFT and other project partners like the University of Eastern Philippines for the agricultural technology assistance and the Municipal LGU for their “tractor” counterpart;

- Nominal involvement of the Diocese in SAA affairs.

+ Regular subsidy from DepEd under the ESC contract;

+ Some tuition fees collected.

- Economically poor majority: cannot afford private school’s tuition fees, transportation and other incidental costs of schooling; high (15%) dropout rate; 

- ESC subsidy remittance always months late;

- Teachers not paid in full or on time, had to borrow from loan sharks or rediscount their salary slips 

+ Presence of loosely organized communities assisted by SHIFT in other programs

- Community organizations are weak, lack leaders, not so positive previous experiences in group processes

+ Poor students and their parents value and aspire for quality education;

+ Dedicated SAA teachers as proven by their willingness to work despite irregular pay in the past; 

+ Deeply committed educators: two RSCJ sisters who teach not only as an exercise of profession but as a vocation;

+ Many successful SAA alumni within and outside the community; 

+ Presence of agriculturists from the University of Eastern Philippines College of Agriculture

+ Resourceful SHIFT Executive Director.

- Communities assisted by SHIFT lack capable leaders and members; 

- SAA teachers preoccupied with making ends meet, demoralized and not very focused on the task of teaching. 

+ Good relations between SAA administration / teachers and the community

- Superstitious, even some SAA teachers and non-teaching staff believe in superstitious practices;  

-  Absence of bayanihan or community spirit in farms and communities 

+ SAA has an old school building;

+ SHIFT has an old dilapidated jeep that can be repaired;

+ SHIFT has a 2,000 square meter farm land that can be made productive;

+ Existence of a good national highway and bridges.

- School buildings, houses and farms vulnerable to natural disasters;

- No regular public utility service (jeep or tricycle) that could bring students from the different barangays to school.

• Presence of loosely organized communities assisted by other SHIFT programs, used to contact potential livelihood self-help groups;

• Good relations in Mondragon utilized in campaigning for enrollment in schools and communities;
• Good relations with neighboring communities utilized to identify farmers willing to work on SHIFT farm;
• Good relations with people and communities tapped to invite potential disaster volunteers during disaster preparedness training;

• Aspiration of students and their parents for them to study in a private Catholic school;
• Teachers’ dedication to their profession;
• Technical skills of UEP College of Agriculture teachers initially tapped during the eco-farm planning;

• Aspiration of students and their parents for them to study in a private Catholic school;
• Teachers’ dedication to their profession;
• Technical skills of UEP College of Agriculture teachers initially tapped during the eco-farm planning;

• PEF grant used to implement project

• Tendency of SHIFT to spread itself too thinly in many projects, too many activities;
• Inadequate SHIFT policies, procedures and systems;

• Lacking skills in business planning, CO supervision;
• the Executive Director took a one-year Sabbatical leave in 2006;

• Enabled the poor to gain access to quality education: (stakeholder and human capital)
• Unburdened the SAA administration from the worry, and the wastage of time and energy in trying to borrow funds to run the school while waiting for the ESC subsidy (human capital)

Repair and use of student vehicle (physical capital)

• Provided transportation to students who live far from the school (infrastructure) and contributed to an increase in enrolment and a decrease in dropout rate (human capital)

Education program planning (structural capital)

• Enabled the SAA to come up with a systematic plan for improvement including the upgrading of teachers (human capital)
• Creation of bridge fund (financial capital)
• Enabled the poor to gain access to quality education (stakeholder and human capital)
• Unburdened the SAA administration from the worry, and the wastage of time and energy in trying to borrow funds to run the school while waiting for the ESC subsidy (human capital)

Development of farm lot (physical capital) 

• Made farm lot productive (physical capital)

Organizing for livelihood projects (structural capital)

• Members in the community organized and coached how to operate livelihood project (structural capital)
• Members earned extra income (financial capital)

Disaster preparedness training (human capital)

• Mobilized community volunteers to respond to Typhoon Milenyo (natural vulnerability)

Program review and strategic planning (structural capital)

• Streamlined SHIFT’s many involvements and focused on transformative education in formal and non-formal services (structural capital)

• SAA quality education more accessible to the poor

• Education of P1M+ bridge fund set up to tide over during delayed ESC subsidy remittance
• Revolving loan fund for livelihood projects
• Incomes of around 30 livelihood project members augmented
• More tuition fees collection

• School Development Committee formed, alumni mobilized
• More community participation in the school’s special projects
• Improved systems and procedures in SHIFT
• 4 self-help groups organized and functioning

• Enrollment increased: SY 2006-07 was 341, in SY 2007-08 was 373
• Dropout rate reduced to 6% in SY2006-07 from 15% in previous year
• More disciplined and better educated students
• Higher morale among teachers, anxiety level reduced; energies now spent on improving curricula and developing activities
• Teachers’ skills upgraded through summer workshops
• Teachers’ way of teaching changed and improved.  This is attributed to regular higher salary and benefits plus summer workshops for teachers
• More extra-curricular activities in school
• Alumni support mobilized through Social Development Council, fundraising

• More community participation in the school’s special projects

• Student service vehicle acquired
• Land cultivated and made productive
• Drainage system improved
• School facilities improved