ABOUT US

Kasilak was an offshoot of the Libuganon Watershed Reforestation Project, a 4-year project jointly funded by USAID and Dole Philippines Inc., Stanfilco Division in the 1990’s to rehabilitate 500 hectares of unproductive and denuded upland-forestal areas of the watershed. Inspired by the gains of the said project, Dole-Stanfilco facilitated the formation Kasilak as mechanism to sustain and expand the Company’s social development initiatives in areas where the Company operates.

Kasilak was formally organized on March 3, 1997 and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 2, 1997 as a non-stock, non-profit social development organization.

During the early years of the Foundation’s development, its operation was under the guidance of Dole-Stanfilco’s Human Resource department. When the composition of its Board of Trustees and installation of full-time personnel, particularly executive director, finance staff, community development officers and field technicians, came into being in 2003, it was then that Kasilak went full-blast on operation and implementation of projects partially or fully-financed by external funding agencies.

Currently, Kasilak has four core programs namely, (1) natural resource management and environmental protection, (2) support to basic social services, (3) community livelihood and enterprise development, and (4) climate change adaptation and disaster response.

In implementing its programs and projects, Kasilak puts premium and high value in the importance of strong coordination and complementary partnership with national and local government units, community-based organizations and other development organizations operating within the assisted areas/communities.

It adopts development strategies such as resource leveraging/mobilization, program complementation (impact area development), partnership engagement/development, community strengthening and financial sustainability through social entrepreneurship to help achieve its vision and mission.

It is governed by the Board of Trustees with various fields of discipline including agriculture, business, legal, human resources, governance, environment, health and education and managed by professional staff with various fields of expertise and experiences.

Aside from being SEC-registered, Kasilak has been accredited with the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) and the Department of Finance/Bureau of Internal Revenue (DOF-BIR) as Donee Institution, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government as local CSO partner highlighting its legitimacy, management and financial controls capabilities, and regulatory compliance.