About CPE

Profile

Inspired by its vision of a just and humane society with empowered citizenry and sustainable communities, CPE emphatically pursues its mission to facilitate capacity-building of marginalized sectors in urban communities to assert their political, economic and cultural rights and shape their developmental direction through popular empowerment.

The Center for Popular Empowerment (CPE) is a non-government organization that facilitates building capacities of marginalized sectors in the urban areas on participatory and empowering urban governance. It also facilitates building network of urban poor organizations in the National Capital Region and urbanizing areas to effectively engage local and national governments for decent and humane housing and delivery of social services through progressive politics and transformative governance.

Established in 1992, CPE catered to the needs of the urban poor and the youth but later, focused in urban governance work as its main program. It also conducts leadership training, organizational development skills training and governance trainings i.e. participatory local development planning and budgeting, basic orientation in local governance, among others. Participatory development planning programs were initially implemented in selected barangays in Pasay City and Quezon City.

CPE has also assisted in the formation and strengthening the organizational and advocacy skills of Bantay Riles Network through a funding support from KIOS the Finnish NGO for Human Rights in 2005. It facilitated better housing programs and policies for affected families along Northrail and Southrail.

From 2005-2006, CPE had a partnership with the Quezon City government in implementing participatory development planning program in 4 pilot barangays in the city. CPE trained staff of the City Planning and Development Office, Community Relations Office and Barangay Operations Center who became local community facilitators and documenters in conducting the program. The process culminated in a pledging session for the 4 barangays.

In 2007, CPE became a partner in the implementation of the “Bayanihan sa Kalunsuran: Shaping Good Governance through Collective Action” to implement gender-responsive, empowering and participatory governance in Quezon City. The project is being managed by the Institute of Politics and Governance from the financial support of One World Action. The project areas are Quezon City; Muñoz, Nueva Ecija; Daraga, Albay; Cebu City; Cotabato City; Antique; and Zamboanga City. CPE’s partner in Quezon City is the Alliance of Progressive Labor-Women.

CPE’s main partners for the year 2008 are Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (who has been a partner of CPE since its inception) and One World Action-Institute of Politics and Governance in implementing its urban governance program and co-production/co financing.

And currently (2009), CPE is the project implementer of BAKAL 2, a two-year project (continuation of Bakal 1) in the City of San Jose del Monte Bulacan and 3 cities in the National Capital Region i.e. Pasay City, Caloocan City and Quezon City.

CPE is also a member of the Quezon City Development Council and acts as the Vice Chair of the Institutional Committee. Its executive director is part of the Core Technical Working Group of the CDC which prepares the comprehensive development plan (CDP), investment plan and land use plan of the city.

CPE acts as the convener of the Task Force PAT (Participation, Accountability and Transparency), a coalition of more than 200 NGOs and POs in Quezon City that advocates for the passage of the PAT Ordinance of Quezon City. The ordinance has been passed by the city council on third and final reading. The ordinance aims to create the People’s Council of Quezon City, which will act as the umbrella organization of all accredited organizations which will facilitate representation in the city development council, legislative committees, local special bodies and other government bodies that require people’s participation.

CPE also implements a special project in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, in partnership with the office of the provincial administrator. The special project covers building capacities of local government officials to facilitate the formulation of Barangay Development Planning through Participatory Learning and Action (BDP-PLA) in 60 pilot barangays of the province.

Board of Trustees

The current board members of the center are composed of competent men and women in the field of governance reforms and participatory governance.

Chair              :           Dr. Mario Joyo Aguja (former representative in the House of

Representatives)

Vice Chair     :           Mr. Ronald Llamas

Secretary       :           Mr. Tomasito S. Villarin

Treasurer       :           Ms. Geraldine Frias

Members       :           Ms. Arlene Santos

Mr. Arsenio Garcia

Mr. Edwin Chavez

Staff

Executive Director               :           Edwin Chavez

Senior Program Officer       :           Edwin Tabora

Administrative/Finance      :           Eloisa Sagum

Administrative Staff             :           Julius Vina

Community Facilitators      :

Amie Dizon

Ricardo Tulio

Noel Balais

Zamboanga-Sibugay Team:

Coordinator                           :           Gromeo Bilugan

Community Facilitators      :           Russan Sera

Sai Canseco

Lorelie Madrona

Contact details:

Telephone: (63) (2) 4332460

Email: cpepilipinas2@gmail.com / edwin.chavez@gmail.com

Website: http://www.cpe.org.ph

Address: 25-B Matiyaga Street, Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City, Philippines