Hello and greetings, Here at PREDA we are full of questions this time.  Here is another newsletter and information from PREDA, is it of interest to you or of any value? Will we continue to send it to you?  Who is going to read this newsletter and to acknowledge it I wonder?  Do you copy this and share it with your colleagues?  Write to us at pretrade@info.com.ph.

Sharing information about our work the social and economic life in the Philippines is part of our regular mail out to you. This is our Fair Trade newsletter.  Please tell us some information about developments in your organization and Fair trade.

This is important so you know our producers, their lives, progress and the positive impact of Fair Trade on their lives and on the community.

We have had good news in the sales of handicraft business as there is a small improvement over last year. Chinese products are so low cost that we believe that customers buy Chinese baskets and other craft products in supermarkets where they are cheaper.  That means unless customer are committed to the principles of Fair Trade they will not buy these kinds of products at a Fair Trade shop. We have to depend on getting the customer who is knowledgeable and interested and even dedicated to Fair Trade, or get the quality products into a catalogue.

Is this a true comment? We wonder all the time about market trends and how sales are progressing with you. Are there any new marketing initiatives underway to promote fair trade crafts? I am planning to visit partners in Europe in June, Can I visit you and introduce our new products and brief you on PREDA producers and projects?

Here we are expanding the services of PREDA to the producer groups, providing sanitation projects, education, training and no interest loans.

There will also be more dividend payments to the producers this coming month as a percentage of their sales. Other benefits are given in joint infrastructure     projects    with    the     producers themselves such as more toilets and improved working areas.

Our main activities for producers these last months is for the indigenous People. These are the ancestral people of the Philippines and they are being helped to recover their rights to their ancestral lands and rain forest. PREDA is very active in assisting them. We join in their protests against police and military brutality against them. This is happening because rich landlords are intent on grabbing their ancestral lands and cutting the trees and making pasture lands for cattle. This we oppose as destructive and bad for the environment and for the lives of the people.   Fair trade is making possible this struggle for the rights of the indigenous people.  Your help is welcome. You can promote the fair trade products handicrafts and mangos which helps the indigenous people.

Shay Cullen

KESTREL VISITED PREDA

Michael and David Hall of KESTREL based in North Ireland distributes PREDA dried mango in The UK and Ireland under the “Forest Feast Brand”. They visited PREDA last November 24, 2003 and met with the children. Then on the 25^th together with Fr. Shay they visited the production plant of Profood in Cebu and able to see the actual production process of dried mango and purees.  

	LEFT:   Michael hall observes classifying of fresh mangoes RIGHT: Michael & David Hall with Justin Uy of Profood and Fr. Shay Cullen

PREDA facilitated seminar-workshop on Bamboo Handicraft Production held at the IP community in Kanaynayan, Castillejos, Zambales.

Mr. Alfredo Vicente of DOREVI Industries-producer of quality bamboo handicrafts based in Pangasinan together with his skilled workers was able to train 12 Aetas. 

The Aetas were given practical knowledge on proper selection and treating of bamboos. They were taught of different cutting and assembling techniques for bamboo handicrafts.

Hopefully, this Aeta group will become a producer of quality bamboo handicraft in the next 1-2 years.

For immediate source of income, The Aeta group will supply bamboo raw materials to DOREVI while developing the skills on Bamboo Handicraft Production.  

	Mr. Alfredo Vicente shows proper selection of bamboo raw materials
Workshop on cutting and assembling techniques

PROFOOD gets ISO CERTIFICATION

On January 30, 2004, Fr. Shay Cullen joins the Anniversary Celebration of Profood International – the food processor partner of Preda. During this activity, the ISO 9001:2000 certification was awarded to Profood. They were certified as operating a quality management system which has been assessed as conforming to ISO 9001:2000 for the scope of activities “Design development, manufacture, toll packing and distribution of dehydrated fruits, fruit purees, juices, fruit preserves and other fruit products”. 

The certification transpires the commitment of Profood to provide good quality healthy foods to the partners/consumers.