MANILA, Sept. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Five non-governmental organizations (NGO) from Asian Pacific countries and regions were honored Thursday here for their outstanding achievements with the 2004 Asian Pacific NGO awards.

    Resource Alliance, a London-based non-governmental and charitable organization which runs the first regional award to recognize the NGO's role and contribution, said that through a strong competition among 76 players, five from Hong Kong and Taiwan of China, South Korea, Philippines, and Singapore, pocketedthe awards.

    Simon Collings, Chief Executive Officer of the Resource Alliance, said that the unprecedented award was established to recognize and celebrate the achievement of the best non-profits working in the region.

    "Our first motivation is to celebrate success and reward those who have demonstrated competence," Collings said.

    Furthermore, as he said, the award can also help the NGOs to strengthen the capacity in management, planning, program delivery and financial sustainability.

    "The potential role of civil society in helping to resolve the many social and environmental problems we face in the world is becoming increasingly recognized. We have a lot of work to do, though, to enhance the capacity of the non-profit sector if it is to live up to this role," he added.

    Agreed by six-member judge panel, all winners have been successfully demonstrated good management, transparency, accountability, and a strategic approach to resource mobilization.

    Hong Kong Society for the aged (SAGE), one the winners, for instance, has empowered senior citizens to become active participants in Hong Kong society and improve elderly service in the region, the panel said.

    Tik Chi-yuen, Executive Director of the SAGE, told Xinhua that since established 25 year ago, the organization has launched many programs and services to promote the welfare of the elderly, including a SAGE College in April 2003 to offer a variety of classes to adults over 50 years old.

    Apart from the college, the SAGE has also raised over 29 million US dollars as of 2003, through a variety of fund-raising activities, among which were the sale of SAGE noodles and the SAGE Charity Walk, Mr. Tik said.

    "As a NGO which is financially 60 percent dependent on the government, we have to tap more income resources in light of the looming economy in Hong Kong," he added.

    However, he noted that the good governance and fiscal reform refresh the SAGE and make it more competitive in the 2004 Asia Pacific NGO Award.

    Other winners included the Garden of Hope Foundation, a NGO from Taiwan providing shelter for women at risk; Corporation Leftovers Love Sharing Community from South Korea promoting sharing of resources and connections among children, women and family; the Philippine Business for Social Progress; and Singapore Children's Society.

    Citygroup, as another sponsor of the awards which has given outmore than 5 million US dollars this year to the non-profit sector in the Asian Pacific, believes that the competition will help promote best practices and provide training to NGOs.

    The Resource Alliance, a non-governmental organization established in 1981, has been running a similar awards program in East Africa for two years and still hopes to replicate the awards in other parts of the world. Enditem¡¡