ANCOP CANADA STARTED 2010 WITH DETERMINED STRIDES

The work with the poor continues ... 

During the first half of 2010, ANCOP Canada has made determined and steady strides in promoting its work for the poor.  Registered as a charity in Canada since 2001, ANCOP Canada, driven by its corporate vision of “Partners Transforming Communities, Changing Lives” continues to be more active with its direct involvement in shelter building for the poor and child education sponsorship among its many other programs. 

ANCOP officials led by its president, Artemio ‘Temi’ Pangilinan, visited the beneficiary areas in the Philippines ensuring site compliance to its charter terms, policies and specifics of the various donor sponsorship agreements. 

Mr. Pangilinan also signed agreements for 2010 with Philippine based GK Community Development Foundation Inc. (GKCDFI) and with CFC ANCOP Tekton Foundation Inc.  CFC Ancop Tekton is managed by Couples For Christ, a faith based Vatican recognized international lay organization of the faithful that has worldwide membership and active in 107 countries.

Subject to the terms of the Contractors Agreement with GKCDFI, ANCOP Canada will continue to remit donor directed funds to complete GK villages. However, the agreement does not include a brand agreement so Ancop Canada will no longer promote nor include GK name or brands in its marketing and promotion activities. It will only serve to provide charity conduit for donors who prefer to donate to GKCDFI for their shelter projects. 

ANCOP Canada will remit funds to CFC ANCOP-Tekton Foundation to build new ANCOP homes. Agreements were also made for ANCOP Canada to continue its child education program in both GK villages and CFC ANCOP sites through CFC ANCOP-Tekton. 

Since ANCOP Canada is a Christian based and managed charity, it prefers to work with CFC ANCOP-Tekton in its future shelter and child education programs.  The decision of the Couples For Christ, who used to manage GKCDFI, was to let go of GK governance in 2009 as the GK leadership wanted to move into a different and more aggressive and expansive development approach. 

Undeterred by the letting go of GK by CFC, ANCOP Canada started to work very closely with CFC ANCOP-Tekton management to identify new areas of shelter development in the Philippines while still continuing its collaborative work in existing GK areas. 

And the successful result was the first batch of Ancop Homes, “Markham Village-Villa Monique Ancop Homes” in Las Pinas City. The first ten homes were completed in a record time of two months and were turned over to beneficiaries last May 29, 2010.  This Ancop Home village will consist of a total of 52 homes and is being funded by Councillor Alex Chiu's Annual Golf Tournament of Markham, Ontario, Canada. 

Other groundbreaking milestones were held in June 2010, namely, in Agdangan, Quezon with the  CFC Mississauga Ancop Village (Villa Gracia); the  CFC Edmonton supported village, Our Lady of Banneux Ancop Homes in San Mateo, Rizal and the CFC Ottawa Banay-Banay Ancop Homes in Lipa City. 

Including the two last mentioned villages, there are 10 Ancop Home villages with completed Community Development Plans (CDPs), consisting of a total of 1,157 home units or families.  These include five (5) villages in Lipa City where the amiable Governor Vilma Santos and husband Senator Ralph Recto and the City government of Lipa City made sizable donations to jumpstart the projects.  The five CFC Ancop villages in Lipa City will accommodate 734 families. Visit the shelter website, www.ancopcanada.net/shelter/  to see the CDPs of these villages. 

Early this year, ANCOP Canada held a meeting  with its existing donors and partners in Canada to update them with the present situation with GKCDFI and CFC ANCOP-Tekton. Supported by Couples For Christ Canada and its Family ministries, and various faith based and non-lay groups, the work for the poor was affirmed and shall continue to provide a venue for the fulfillment of its committed mission.   

ANCOP Canada with its faith based orientation is open to work with any donor sector, regardless of race, orientation and creed. It will also be non-discriminatory in its selection of poor beneficiaries. 

The charity work is very daunting and it involves much work.  With the Bayanihan (helping-one-another) spirit and Kapit-bisig (arms-locked-together) approach and with everyone doing their share, we will all succeed in making ANCOP the favourite charity of all in Canada and in North America, starting with Filipinos and all others.  Together, let us amplify a strong ANswer to the Cry Of the Poor, so that we will be able to help in restoring their dignity and that their children will be given square and fighting chances for a better future.  

To learn more about ANCOP Canada and its shelter and child education programs, please visit  its main website www.ancop.ca and the major fundraising event of 2010, the Ancop Walk 2010 website www.ancopwalk.ca 

Interested parties, volunteers, sponsors and donor groups can also call for more information of the programs of ANCOP Canada office at (905) 564-8539.

July 6, 2010 Mississauga, On