Mahintana Foundation, Inc. (MFI) through its HEALTH Plus Project, and in partnership with its mother franchisor, National Pharmaceutical Foundation (NPF) and National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), participates in the Consultative Meeting with IPs of Lower Mainit, Malungon, Sarangani initiated by NCIP. The Consultative meeting, held on January 30, 2018 at Barangay Lower Mainit, aims to present the current assistance of NCIP in the establishment of “Balikwat” ng Tagakaolo and gather information on the viability of establishing RONPDs or Botika ng Barangay in partnership with NPF and MFI under the HEALTH Plus Project. “Balikwat” which means “trading” in their dialect, is a mini grocery store established as a livelihood enterprise of IPs living in the community. Ms. Teofila Remotigue, CEO of NPF, presented HEALTH Plus project and MFI as its Provincial Pharmaceutical Franchisee (PPF) implementing the project within Region 12.
Mr. Martiniano L. Magdolot, President & CEO of MFI, congratulated NCIP for the commencement of this project, expressed his gratitude for MFI to be part of this partnership and further suggested for the community to think of other viable enterprise such as farming or any agricultural activities with the vast terrestrial properties the IPs owned as their ancestral domain. Some of the key agreements were as follows: for the Tribal Council to conduct a meeting to discuss on other viable projects with the funding assistance from NCIP. During the said meeting, NCIP spearheaded by Commissioner Era Espa?a, turned over to the Tribal Council additional funding assistance for the “Balikwat” amounting to P50,000.
