Sharing the belief that an alternative livelihood program must go beyond augmenting the incomes of farmers and fisher folk, the Board of Trustees places great importance on social and environmental sustainability, the potential of women as agents for change, and a deep respect for the culture and traditions of native & indigenous communities. The alternative livelihood was primarily designed for women with the mandate of preserving the resources of the island, and the positive norms that sustained the strong fabric of native communities.
The following include the list of Board of Directors who have been apart of the growth and development of this philosophy.
Regina Mapua Lim
While doing research and documentation for the Philippine Travel Map in 1993, Regina was able to travel around the country focusing on rural areas and their cultural activities. This provided her an opportunity to familiarize herself with the rural situation of the country, thus her commitment to the goal and vision of Rurungan sa Tubod.
Regina is a nationally recognized architect whose projects range from resort facilities, historical restorations and homes, to product development and packaging. Architect, designer and manager of the Marina del Nido Resort in Palawan, a small scale marina and ecotourism facility that made use of traditional techniques and local resources, won her the Architect of the Year Award in 1997 from the First Architecture and Design Magazine Awards. In 1999, she was also awarded the 1999 Elias Ashmole Travel Price for her paper entitled “Sustaining a Unique Cultural Heritage Versus Development, Cultural Homogeneity.”
She is presently working on her doctorate at the Joint Centre for Urban Design in Oxford Brookes University, from where she also received her Master of Arts Degree in International Studies in Vernacular Architecture, awarded with distinction, in June 2000.
Eulalia H. Lim
Being one of the thousands of Filipino children struck by polio in the 1940’s, Eulalia spent her early childhood in the States where she learned to not think of her handicap as a disability. Indeed, after coming home to the Philippines after the war, baseball was about the only activity wherein she could not participate in during High School.
Eulalia’s enthusiasm for learning, work and life is both obvious and contagious. As the first Sales Manager for Tupperware Products in 1966, it was her job to encourage about 50,000 direct sales persons and retailers to introduce the then unknown product to Filipino homes. She later on became Executive VP for Mondragon Industries and handled marketing and sales for such products as Discovery Toys, Time-Life Books, Triumph Undergarments, and Nike Sportsgear. Eulalia has served as president and chairman of the board for various major businesses in the Philippines. She was also executive VP for Concepcion Industries (1989-1991). In 2000, she started Total Loving Care, a specialty shop in Manila selling, not crutches nor slings, but “lifestyle solutions” for senior citizens and the handicapped.
Eulalia sometimes wonders if life would be as interesting if she were not handicapped. Her achievements have not made those around her forget that she is handicapped. Rather, they have proven that it is but a challenge easily overcome with a determined spirit and a courageous heart.
Adelaida Lim
Her activities and accomplishments range from being an award-winning movie production designer to serving as a negotiator between Cordillera rebels and the Aquino government. This master of many trades has studied French language and culture in Switzerland, taught at the University of the Philippines in Baguio, and conceptualized food and concept design for the famous Cafe by the Ruins restaurant. She was also a writer-journalist for the alternative press during the Marcos regime, and co-founded the media groups Bagiuo Ladies in Media and the Cordillera News Agency.
Some of her proudest achievements would be those wherein she worked with local indigenous communities to organize them into empowered and informed groups. She was founding member of the Igorota Foundation, a women’s rights group; and organizer of Fiber Web, an association of weavers in Northern Luzon that promotes and preserves the indigenous hand-weaving craft of the region. Her experience from past community organization has and still is of great value to Rurungan sa Tubod. Laida is a mother to daughters Padma and Feliz, and grandmother to six-year old Solana.
Aurora H. Roldan, Ed.D
A pioneer in reading and gifted education, Dr. Roldan has been an educator for 40 years. Armed with a doctorate in education from the Philippine Women’s University, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Southern California, and the intense desire to help children, she became founder and president of the Talented and Gifted Philippines Foundation, Inc., the Reading Association of the Philippines, and the Asia-Pacific Federation of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children.
In 1966, Dr. Roldan introduced individualized reading instruction at Reading Dynamics Center, her private reading clinic. Her research works have been presented at international conferences and she has served as consultant for public and private schools as well as government agencies and international companies. She has received numerous awards and is listed in the Directory of Asian Experts on Educational Research and Development, 5,000 Personalities of the World, and the 16th edition of Who’s Who in the World.
Dr. Roldan is married to Cezar N. Roldan, a retired businessman, with whom she has five children and nine grandchildren.
Ernesto M. Lim
Acting as panglima (odd man out), Ernesto often finds himself in the unenviable position of being adviser, mediator and unifier for the board and the eager but often diverging ideas of its members. This job, however, is not difficult for this self-made man and father of six who has always seen people’s potentials and gone a step further to help others.
Ernesto is presently CEO of Miracle Heights Development Corporation. Working with Czarina Lim, he also founded and headed Biloy Food Products, an enterprise that has mobilized a local community in Lipa, Batangas. This project also developed local craftsmanship using indigenous materials for product packaging.
A man who has always preferred to work with his hands, Ernesto is also a gourmet cook extraordinaire known to develop from locally-available produce original and delicious recipes including a bread which uses Filipino yam as base. He has also designed and built his own home in Puerto Princesa where his family now resides.
An avid outdoorsman, Ernesto is personally committed to both nature-friendly enterprise and people empowerment; two vocations that he shares with Rurungan sa Tubod.
Czarina R. Lim (Executive Director)
Dividing time and energy between motherhood and vocation is no easy task. However, Czarina finds the energy to accomplish these tasks with both effectivity and grace.
In the early 80’s She co-founded Biloy Food Products Inc., an enterprise that produced all-natural jams in order to help improved a local community’s income in Lipa, Batangas. She was in charge of organizing the local community where she managed the production of other local delicacies, designed packaging and supervised the execution of the designs. She also took on the marketing of the products in order to “fair trade” the items produced by the community. The project developed the local craftsmanship using indigenous materials for product packaging.
Mother of six children, Rambie, Amihan, Miko, Pablo, Rosal and Gloria, she is both mother and friend whose days and nights are devoted primarily to their care. At home, her approach is hands-on, never delegating to household help important responsibilities as far as her children are concerned.
The same is true with her work at Rurungan where she personally supervises all stages of training and production, including design development and marketing.
Working closely with the women of Rurungan, Czarina has developed empathy for their predicament. As a mother herself, she understands a woman’s need to contribute to the family’s income and secure their future. More importantly, she has seen for herself how education and skill development can change a woman’s life and helps them to escape the vicious cycle of poverty.
Nothing gives Czarina greater joy than the knowledge that she is helping in the genuine empowerment of the women and communities of Palawan.