Wisconsin Microfinance potential beneficiaries at Loon, Bohol Loon is a second income class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 42,800. Location – Located in the westernmost municipality of the island province, Loon is 28 kilometers north of the provincial capital of Tagbilaran. The usual livelihood or major industries are agriculture, fishery, cottage industries (ready-‐to-‐wear clothes, mats, baskets), transportation, trading, and tourism. Loon was among the hardest hit towns during the 2013 Bohol earthquake. About a third of all casualties in the province occurred in this town. In addition, its church, dating from the 1850s, completely crumbled to the ground. Here are some current photos of earthquake’s impact in Loon sustained from three years back. Some of the locals are still in the process of building or repairing their homes with the help of foundations from different countries.
This is Loon’s public market which is no longer operational. Some vendors are now selling in front of this site (by the highway) using tents for shelter and a table to display their products. A few steps away from this wrecked public market was the Bohol Community Cooperative building, which was also totally destroyed. The cooperative has since relocated their office to the nearest town of Calape. Bohol Community Cooperative has a total of 832 members in Loon. VICTO went to Loon to talk to some of the coop members who suffered in the devastation in order to identify their needs.
Potential Microfinance Benefeciaries Alfonsa Gallo is 42 years old with five children. Two children just graduated from college with the help of some relatives. One daughter is now a nurse while a son is a seaman. Three are still living at home, with two still in elementary school. Alfonsa runs a little sari-‐sari store at home while her husband drives his own tricycle. Their combined income goes toward their daily needs, the children’s allowances and the cash capital for the next day’s operation. Their daily net income is Php 150 (about $3.29). Alfonsa’s sari-‐sari store in her home.
After the earthquake in 2013, they started to slowly rebuild their home. Unfortunately , their house-‐-‐which was located near the mouth of the river-‐-‐was again damaged by last year’s Typhoon Sendang. Flood waters swept away some of Alfonsa’s things and also destroyed their four small fishing boats which were operated by her husband. When asked what would they do if given a chance to avail of a loan through the Wisconsin Microfinance Program, they said they would use the funds as
additional capital for their sari-‐sari store and to repair the damaged bancas (fishing boats). All the households affected by the flood are now re-‐located at a vacant area beside the highway. However, most of them are still living under tents. Pictures attached below are the images of the home of the Gallo’s family And the wrecked “banca” (small boat).
******************* Mrs. Julieta Gencianos is 53 years old with five children. The eldest is already married while the second child is teaching in Cebu. The three younger ones are still studying with the help of her second child. The Gencianos family is one of the households affected by the 2013 earthquake. There is even a sinkhole close to their house. The home was so badly damaged that only half of the house remained. Today, they are still slowly rebuilding their house by recycling some of the materials they had saved from the wreckage and some of the materials given by the local government to repair houses.
The Gencianos’ source of income is buying and selling livestock, more specifically goats, to downtown businesses. They can buy a goat for Php 1,000 (about $22) and sell it for Php150 ($3.29)per kilo which can earn them a net income of Php 600 (about $13) per goat. Both wife and husband work together at operating the
livestock business. If they could avail of loan through the Wisconsin Microfinance Program, they would use it as additional capital for the livestock business.
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Rogelio Apor, 70 years old, has six children. Three are married, while two are fresh college graduates currently in Cebu looking for jobs. Another one is an undergraduate and a Bangon Bohol (Rise Bohol) volunteer receiving only an allowance from the government. The Apors’ home was also devastated by the 2013 earthquake and the family lived in a tent outside their home for a month while there were still aftershocks. Mr. Rogelio repaired his home with funds from Social Security Service (SSS) loan and some materials given by the local government.
Mr. Rogelio is a carpenter by trade. But when there are no projects, he doesn’t have any income at all. When he does have work, he can usually make Php 5,000 a month (about $110). His wife is a self-‐employed seamstress. Her income is also dependent on the number of sewing jobs that she gets. She can earn up to Php 10,000 ($220) a month.
If they could avail of a loan from the Wisconsin Microfinance Program, they would use it as capital for a dried fish business they are planning to operate.
