Pinky CASTELO CUPINO

I am Pinky Castelo-Cupino from the Philippines. I have been a social development worker the whole of my professional life, that is, for the past 25 years or so.

My formal studies has been in social work and now I am taking up a masteral course on women and development. My college and graduate course are both taken in the University of the Philippines.

I am the Executive Director of the Center for Positive Futures, a non-stock, non-profit organization providing educational opportunities to the economically disadvantaged. We are into technical vocational high school and pre-school.

The high school is also a terminal high school, meaning that its graduates shall be prepared to enter the workforce or engage in entrepreneurship.
This is due to the fact that students from economically disadvantaged families can hardly afford college education, and even assuming they could, college is not an assurance for employment. Technical vocational courses offered during high school are: 1) health care; 2) computer technology; 3) food technology; and 4) community development and enterprises. Integral to the school curriculum is parents development, eco-spirituality and applied family technology assistance.

These schools are community schools. We are closely working with the local government, the NGOs in the community, the religious organizations, among others. It is also partnered with other institutions the St. Joseph’s College, the St. Martha Food Technology Center, the St. Isidore Information Systems, and the Mother Teresa School of Practical Nursing.

My other direct involvements include the Organization for Training, Research and Development Foundation, Inc. (OTRADEV) and Tao Foundation.
OTRADEV is an organization of social development professionals engaged in rural development. It has been working among indigenous people in Mindoro Iraya Mangyans, and among fisherfolks in Laguna in Luzon and Southern Leyte in the Visayas. OTRADEV is a member of the Philippine Rural Development.

I am also helping Tao Foundation (Tao is the Filipino term for people). It is a group promoting cultural diversity and traditional music, chants, and art of indigenous peoples.

The networks I circulate with are the women’s network, particularly LIKHAAN, an NGO promoting reproductive health rights, together with the women’s grassroots organization, PILAKK, and the multisectoral confederation SANLAKAS.

Since January 2004, I have been involved in programs that promote the Charter of Human Responsibilities, a project of the Alliance for a Responsible, Plural and United World.

You can reach me at: pcupino oKu hotmail.com