FROM SEWER TO LEADER:
The Story of
Antonina C. Tina

· REALIZING HER DREAM TO FINALLY OWN A HOUSE (LUCIA ALMAZAN STORY)

MAYENG'S SECRET:

PROFILE OF A MODEL HOMEWORKER LEADER

Maria Nebla or Mayeng, the current regional coordinator of the PATAMABA in the Visayan islands, used to make handicrafts made of native weaving materials. When the market for these disappeared because of cheap competition from abroad, she went into making meat dumplings and selling dried fish. She also became a daycare worker, and by undergoing various training provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), she learned many food processing skills which she used to teach others as a DSWD regional trainer, and which she is now teaching to PATAMABA members all over the region.

Mayeng became a member of PATAMABA more than ten years ago, when PATAMABA organizers paid a visit to her hometown, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo. Because of her industry, commitment, inspiring and disciplined example, she was elected barangay coordinator in 1992, provincial coordinator of Iloilo in 1994, and Region VI coordinator in1995, overseeing some 3, 333 members. From the small village of Sta. Barbara, the PATAMABA membership quickly spread to Carles, New Lucena, Maasin, Pavia, Zarraga, and Barotac Viejo in Iloilo; Calatrava and Talisay, Negros Occidental; Tobias Fornier, Antique; Ivisan and Dumalag, Capiz.. PATAMABA also succeeded in building two thriving multi-purpose cooperatives - one in Sta. Barbara, and the other in Carles, Iloilo.

Because of lack of resources, Mayeng managed to complete only a secondary education but she is more than adept in networking with governors, mayors, and other local government officials in the region. She sits in the Municipal Council of Sta. Barbara as the representative of all non-governmental organizations. PATAMABA now has an office in the Sta. Barbara municipal grounds and was awarded a space on which it can put up its regional center. Because of PATAMABA's good work, it was also selected by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to implement the pilot project for community-based training for economic empowerment in Region VI. PATAMABA members were trained in various forms of livelihood such as meat dumpling and peanut butter production, as well as shiatsu massage. They now have a freezer, meat grinder, etc. International agencies and visitors from other countries come to observe what they are doing, deriving lessons and inspiration.

What is Mayeng's secret? How was she able to lead PATAMABA in the Visayas to what it is now within a span of ten years?

Mayang says she does not lead alone. She has developed other leaders who can do what she is doing and who can replace her if need be.

She is tireless. She makes sure that at least once a month, she is able to meet all the chapters to find out what their problems are, what activities they are undertaking, their successes and difficulties. She conducts various training in food processing, including making pickles, rice cakes, spring rolls, peanut butter, sweets, pastries, meat rolls, ham, sausages, sweet pork, banana chips, sardines, vege-tops, all using natural ingredients and consciously avoiding harmful chemical preservatives. All this she does so that the members can earn income once they are trained, and after they get access to a little seed capital from PATAMABA's savings.

Mayeng is resourceful. No money for transport? She sells meat dumplings and dried fish while she is doing the rounds of the chapters, getting her fare from her earnings. This is no mean feat, considering that she needs hundreds of pesos to reach some of the chapters located in mountainous and far-flung coastal areas. Just to get to the main road from her modest home, she has to spend P30 one way, a large sum in these times of crisis.

Mayeng has her family behind her. Her husband, Citong, used to be a street vendor selling fish. Through their combined efforts, they were able to send their three children to college to study computer programming and technology, and all have jobs in Manila now. Citong retired from selling fish, and now acts as "househusband" doing all the housework and also helping Mayeng steam her meat balls, while Mayeng spends her day attending fully to her organizational work. What's heartwarming is all her three children send her money to help fund her organizing efforts.

Mayeng does not get discouraged; she encourages others to transcend momentary failures and difficulties. She herself had bitter experiences with PATAMABA village leaders to whom she entrusted credit funds to be lent out to members but which these leaders monopolized for themselves. She even went to the extent of filing complaints against these leaders before the barangay chairperson and the municipal mayor but to no avail. Even if some members lost heart due to these incidents, she was able to persuade them to be active again. According to her, what's important is for the organization to remain whole; money is of secondary importance, and can be obtained through other means.

Today, Mayeng spends almost all her working hours for PATAMABA, an organization which she has nurtured into fruition alongside other homeworker-leaders.