St. Hannibal Empowerment Centre

St. Hannibal Empowerment Center (SHEC) is a religious organization of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus. It is a community of Spirit-led persons which aims to follow Jesus Christ in his union with his Father and in his proclamation of the kingdom of God. It is an inserted community among the squatters. The goal of SHEC is to empower the poor people of Metro Manila, Philippines, through housing, livelihood, education, health, waste management, youth and values formation.

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Location: Pasay City, Metro Manila

Mission: Its mission is to empower the poorest of the poor and catalyze an integral Christian transformation of urban poor communities in collaboration with the local Church by a holistic process that addresses concerns on housing, livelihood, education, health, environment and sanitation, justice and peace, youth formation and values formation. The goals of SHEC consist of assisting in alleviating poverty among urban poor communities in Pasay and other cities in Metro Manila; and building the foundation of community transformation through intensive values formation. Its objectives are, specifically, to facilitate the organization and formation of people’s organization that are self-sufficient and empowered, facilitate the values and spiritual formation and capability building of urban poor leaders, to assist the urban poor / informal settlers of Pasay and other cities in Metro Manila in realizing their dreams of achieving security of tenure through in-city relocation, to facilitate the implementation of economic programs and basic social services in urban poor communities, and to facilitate access to formal education in favor of the poor and deserving students.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Seminar on Cooperatives


Essential to the work of empowering communities is a basic know-how on cooperatives, which is why the SHEC staff equipped themselves with the ins-and-outs of cooperatives through a seminar which was held at the SHEC office. Said seminar was facilitated by Professor Zandro of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Needless to say, cooperatives are ways of going back to the spirit of equality and equity practiced by the first Christians (see Acts 2: 43-47). (September 24, 2008)

Learning from Life


Theories are learned inside the classroom, but wisdom is learned from life. Thanvi and Tao-Pilipinas architects facilitated this kind of learning with architecture students of the University of Sto. Tomas and the Mapua Institute last September 18, 2008. The students were also oriented about SHEC and its housing projects. (September 18, 2008)

Gratias!


Gratitude is expressed in many ways. And through simple cards prepared by Thanvi, the computer students and volunteers, SHEC expressed warm and sincere thanks to generous and kind benefactors. Cards, of course, are one thing. God’s rewards to the merciful are another, and certainly more important. (September 13, 2008)

Fresh and Refreshing


Mission work is like farming in which laborers (missionaries and collaborators) need to pause, rest, muster energy and sharpen spiritual tools in view of a more fruitful harvest. September 5 to 11 were the SHEC staff’s opportune moments spent for renewing their mission commitment in the serene atmosphere of Boracay. Like Jesus who wasted long hours of silence in order to connect to his Father, the Source of his fresh energy to serve, the SHEC staff also spent quiet moments, not only to connect to the Source, but also to re-learn and savor anew the roots of SHEC mission work. ‘Fresh and refreshing,’ the staff went home well-rounded and fully fit again for mission work. (September 5-11, 2008)

Unique Academic Exchange


National Taiwan University, University of the Philippines: College of Architecture and Tao-Pilipinas conducted a site visit in Phase 1 and II St. Hannibal housing project. It was indeed a unique academic exchange as visitors from prestigious universities, through interviews and seminars, dialogued and shared with, as well as learned from the St. Hannibal Community Center (SHaCC) residents who also shared with the visitors the wisdom they gathered from the ‘University of Life’. (September 4, 2008)