By the Coalition Picnic organizers
Barangay sa Holland,
Samahan sa Netherlands,
United Filipino Dutch Association
23 June 2008

It was fun. It was wonderful. It was truly Pinoy. That’s the Independence Day Picnic for the over 7,000 people who flocked to Spaarnwoudepark on June 7 to celebrate with their country folks the biggest and most festive annual Filipino community event in the Benelux and Germany.

The organizer of the Picnic, the Coalition - consisting of three community self-organizations: Barangay, Samahan, and UFDA - has received a tremendous amount of congratulatory messages for delivering another successful and memorable Picnic. As part of its gratitude to the public, and in the interest of the values and commitments espoused by the Coalition (service, cooperation, and world-class professionalism), the Picnic organizers see it as part of their duty to make a transparent and public report on the financial aspects of the Picnic.

Picnic 2008 was the biggest ever Picnic in terms of community participation. For the Coalition, it was also the biggest ever Picnic in terms of the operational expenses incurred to realize this huge event. Challenging and sometimes very difficult decisions have been made in relation to the use and deployment of Coalition finances. Fortunately, the revenues from the event this year were just enough to cover for the extensive expenditures, which are as follows:

Security and verkeersregelaars(provider: SiSint BV)
                                                          3,500 …….. see Note 1
Park Permit
(Spaarnwoude Recreatieschap)
                                                          1,400 ......... see Note 2
Gemeente Permit (Gemeente Spaarnewoude)
                                                           450 ......... see Note 3
Toilets facilities (provider: Eco Toilet BV)
                                                           600
Garbage containers (provider: Sita BV)
                                                           800
Tents, tables and chairs (Provider: Haarlemermeer Tenten)
                                                          1,500
Sound System & podium package (provider: ShowGroup)
                                                          1,550 …….. see Note 4
Kraam rentals (provider: c/o Ms. A.I.)
                                                          1,250 …….. see Note 5
Park clean-up (provider: Mr. Ramil Magtibay & co.)
                                                           350
Munting Nayon, as contribution to post-picnic publicity
                                                          500 …….. see Note 6
Parking and security marshals from community, June 7
                                                          400
Picnic coordination, August 2007-June 2008
                                                          1,500
(Coalition meetings, telephone costs, transport costs)
Picnic supplies & Miscellaneous
                                                          1,500
(EHBO, brandblussers, picnic grounds preparations, office supplies, gifts/refreshments to artists/guests, vests, banner, storage fees, postage, bank admin, etc)

TOTAL EXPENDITURES ………………………15,300

Sponsorships and community donations
                                                           4,500 …….. see Note 7
Kraam rentals
                                                           2,150
Entrance fee collection (7 Euro per auto)
                                                           8,225

TOTAL INCOME …………………………………14,875 ……. see Note 8

Note 1 – Professional security and event-support services are required by Gemeente and Park regulations. Price paid to SiSint BV already includes special introductory discount of 30%.

Note 2 – This fee is for an event involving less than 5,000 people. The price does not include metal plate provisions placed on the picnic grounds and provided by the Park management as one-time subsidy to the event.

Note 3 – Gemeente permit fee for event involving 5,000 people using 1,000 sq.m. of municipality space. The Coalition has requested for a recalculation and sought reconsideration of the high level of user fees and charges.

Note 4 – Final price paid to provider in the context of the Coalition decision to discharge Ms. A.I. from the Picnic organization. Ms. A.I., who was assigned to broker a favorable deal on the picnic sound system on behalf of the Coalition, manipulated the original offerte of the provider to reflect a much higher price as she removed an essential technical manpower item listed under the original offerte. This resulted in the under-manning of the sound system provision on June 7, which then led to equipment failure during the Picnic. As a consequence of the extreme prejudice suffered by the Coalition, Ms. A.I. has been barred from undertaking any business on behalf of the Coalition and was asked to resign from the Picnic organization effective June 21, 2008. The appeal of the provider that the Coalition pays an additional 800 Euro as compensation for the damaged equipment has been declined under these circumstances.

Note 5 – Actual provider not known. Payment made via Ms. A.I. before the Picnic.

Note 6 – Munting Nayon, as a major Picnic sponsor, has provided extensive media coverage, via the MN hard copy magazine and the MN website, to the Picnic 2008 preparations and related events. Estimated Picnic 2008 publicity costs borne by MN run to over 1,100 Euro.

Note 7 – One major sponsor and three donors have yet to remit their financial pledges, in the amount of 1,300 Euro.

Note 8 - Total income in 2008 has to be seen in relation to the zero reserves of the Coalition. In 2007, the Coalition incurred a deficit of around 400 Euro, against total expenditures for Picnic 2007 in the amount of 13,050 Euro.