NGOs AS A MECHANISM

FOR BUILDING GRASSROOTS PARTICIPATION

IN LOCAL SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT:

THE ILAW APPROACH

 

 

 

BY

 

NESTOR M. PESTELOS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United Nations Centre for Regional Development

Nagoya, Japan

 

1987

 

 

 

 

 

___________

 

*Resident  Director,  Ilaw International Centre, 

  Bohol,  Tagbilaran City, Philippines

 

 

 

 

PREFACE

 

 

This case study series on Local Social Development was planned by UNCRD to be used as training materials.  They are intended to exemplify real local situations,  as well as failures and successes in development as experienced by one or another nation.  Each case study  depicts certain aspects which were observed and can be observed again in developing countries, that provoke our imagination and ideas for better solutions.  In order to benefit from these case studies, users are encouraged to formulate questions  for discussions in the training courses which are consistent with their own purpose and situation.

 

As we are all well aware, these case presentations do not constitute outright “models” or examples which can be adopted exactly in other situations.  However, through an understanding and perception of these individual cases, UNCRD hopes that readers will be able to reflect and generate ideas to help improve their own  local social development efforts.  The concepts and practice found in these cases  should therefore  be modified, adjusted, or restructured, as needed in each case by the users.

 

The present article, written in 1985,  was first presented for discussion at UNCRD’s Combined Expert Group Meeting on Social Development Alternatives and the Second Training Seminar in Local Social Development held in Nagoya in October of that same year.

 

We hope to have some feedback from users of the materials, as well  as to provide additional topics to strengthen the vision and capacities of local social development planners in the various developing countries.

 

We wish to thank the contributors of this series who presented us with a variety of experiences from different national and local contexts.

 

 

 

Hidehiko Sazanami

                                                                                                   Director, UNCRD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION OF THE COORDINATOR

 

 

            Local Social Development in developing countries requires people’s involvement and participation as much as possible.  People should not be only  the recipients of government  services or of outside assistance but also act a engines  of  growth in order to help in the accomplishment of  sustainable development for themselves and their own  communities.  The practical  side of this idea yet remains to be achieved.

 

            This is not a new idea.  However, oftentimes when the objectives are  not realized, the local community people are usually blamed.  It is quickly pointed out how they are naοve, ignorant, and unorganized, and because they are too poor,  they lack the  ability and energy to do much for themselves or to cooperate and take an active role in their development, leaving everything to be done by the government.

 

            This case study represents yet another experiment by a nongovernment organization to provide temporary reinforcement in helping raise the capacity level and the proper role of the local-level people to encourage  their smooth and efficient collaboration with the government.  The experiment has lasted long enough so that ILAW International Center  in the Philippines has accumulated sufficient experience on the roles of the various parties involved, their concepts, and the methods used in building up the people’s capacity.

 

            There is a need, however, to examine the various dimensions concerned with the self-help and cost implication aspects in this case, so as to generate proper approaches and methods for developing people’s capacity in local social development planning and implementation in accordance with the particular situations in different countries where need for active participation from the people still cannot be realized.

 

 

 

Chakrit N. Padungkarn

Project Coordinator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

 

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………….............................  1

 

 

BACGROUND

 

            Physical Features………………………………………………………………………..   2

            Socioeconomic Profile…………………………………………………………………..   2

            Labour Force………………………………………………………………….................   4

            Landownership………………………………………………………………………….   4

            Productive Swamps……………………………………………………………………...  4

            Commerce and Trade……………………………………………………………………  4

            Organizational Structure…………………………………………………………………  5

            Problems and Proposed Solutions………………………………………………………   5

           

 

OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN CORTES

 

            Nature and Scope of Local Planning…………………………………………………….  6

            Approach to and Methods of Formulating the Area

                        Development Plan…………………………………………………………...…..  7

            Social indicators for Identifying Problems………………………………………………  8

            The Planning Process and People’s Participation……………………………………….  9

            Financing the Area Development Plan………………………………………………....  11

            Facilitating and Controlling Plan Implementation……………………………………… 12

            Coordination Mechanism……………………………………………………………….. 13

            Appointment of the Family Development Officer……………………………………… 13

            More Vigorous  Advocacy for Integration……………………………………………… 13

            Binding Emotional Experiences for Both Government

                        Official/Workers and Community Leaders/Volunteers…………...…………… 14

            Role of Community Organization………………………………………………………. 14

            Formulating Individual Local-Level Projects………………………………..………..... 14

            Locally-Generated Projects…………………………………………………..………..... 14

            The Nutri-Hut as a Local Project……………………………………………………….. 15

            Implementation…………………………………………………………….…………… 16

            Constraints……………………………………………………………………………… 16

            National Project………………………………………………………………………… 17

 

IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL PROJECTS AS THE LOCAL LEVEL

 

            Constraints……………………………………………………………………………… 17

            The Role of Target Group……………………………………………………………… 18

            The Role of the Volunteers…………………………………………………………….. 18

            The Role of the Government Officials…………………………………………………. 19

            The Role of  the ILAW ng Buhay Program…………………………………….………. 21

            Reactions of Various Parties to Project Operating and Output………………………… 23

           

APPRAISING LOCAL CAPABILITIES, THE OUTPUTS; AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE PLAN AND PROJECTS TOWARDS ACHIEVING SOCIAL GOALS

 

            Appraisal………………………………………………………………………………..  24

            Recommendations………………………………………………………………………  25

 

 

ANNEXES

 

            A: Organizational Structure-Municipal Government ………………………………….  27

            B: Joint Memorandum Circular CD-82-001…………………………………………...   28

            C: The Local Government Linkage with the ILAW Network…………………….…...   34

            D: ILAW Social Preparation Process

                        Phase I:                        Community Self-Survey on Needs and Potential……………   35

                        Phase II:           Social Preparation……………………………………….……  36

                        Phase III:           Assessment…………………………………………………...  37

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NGOs AS  A MECHANISM FOR BUILDING GRASSROOTS OARTICIPATION IN LOCAL SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT :   THE ILAW APPROACH

 

 

Nestor M. Pestelos

 

INTRODUCTION

 

            This paper describes efforts in local-level planning being attempted in the municipality of Cortes, Bohol Province, in the  Philippines.  It seeks to show the intricate ways in which the local government and the  organized communities are motivated to work together, and the efforts , skills, and understanding that enables them to jointly carry out planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation activities.  Such a process will be referred to here as “social preparation;”  details of these activities are  outlined in the  Annex of this paper.

 

            While development planning in the entire province, as is the case with the entire bureaucracy, is traditionally top-down  (substantively undertaken at levels above the municipality and Barangay), application of this “social preparation” process in Cortes has made possible increased participation of local governments and communities in practically all phases of the planning  cycle.  This paper highlights the role of  nongovernmental organizations  (NGOs) in helping overcome the obvious limitations of government in forging integration among the various sectoral agencies and in establishing a closer partnership between the government and the people.

 

            The paper also focuses attention on describing the formulation of projects at the local level.  It discusses the various approaches which have been attempted, and the limitations of some projects in generating popular participation , either due to bureaucratic constraints, i.e., nonfunctionality of the local planning body, or the obvious lack of  pertinence to pressing local problems.  Examples of how local governments and technical agencies can effectively support community-initiated projects are also cited in this paper.

 

            Based on this experience of applying a process to catalyze the community-government  partnership in local-level planning, this paper presents some recommendations which may be useful in replicating a similar approach in other areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

Physical Features

 

            Cortes is one of forty-seven municipalities in the island province of Bohol.  It is located  about 11 km north of the capital city of Tagbilaran.  Half of its fourteen barangays (villages) lie in the coast, while the remaining ones are located in the interior,  some at an elevation of 30 m above sea level and others within steep inclines and ravines.

 

            The vegetation cover is predominantly grasslands and shrub growth.  Although 41 percent of the total 4,340 ha of the area has been classified as forest land,  forest growth is sparse.  A vital natural resource of the municipality is its 110-ha marshland cultivated in nipa palm and mangroves.  Five barangays with a population of around 4,000 depend on this resource for food, cash income, and roofing materials.

 

            The existing land use pattern of the municipality is typical of a Philippine rural community.  Farming has encroached upon the forest and public land.  Communities are widely dispersed with the population converging along the riverbanks or in areas near their source of livelihood.

 

            Cortes is located within the Abatan River watershed area.  It is one of seven municipalities with tributaries into the river, hence, reflecting conditions of the entire area which are typical of the region as a whole.  More than 50 percent of the total upland forest within the watershed area has been destroyed since the 1960s through the encroachment of lowland farmers into the virgin lands.  Siltation resulting from soil erosion has begun to affect productivity in both the lowland and upland areas.  The heavily silted creeks  that flow into the Abatan River threaten marine life.  Low agricultural productivity,  as well as the decrease in family income,  have adversely affected the health and nutritional state  of  the population,  particularly of the children in the upland and coastal barangays.

 

            In Cortes, the Abatan River stretches for 10.7 km and traverses four of the most densely populated barangays, including the poblacion (town centre).  Four creeks flow into the river from these barangays.  Soil erosion is severe along these creeks and the riverbank, particularly in those barangays with more than 8 percent of the land in slopes.  Around 40 percent of the coral within a 5 km radius is considered to be dead.

 

Socioeconomic Profile

 

            Cortes has a population of 10,225, with a density of 218 persons per km2, which is higher than the national average of 152 persons per km2.  The male-female ratio has not changed much during the past five years; about 53 percent of the population are females.  About 55 percent  are 24 years and younger, 10 percent are 60 years and older, and 35 percent are between 25 and 59 years of age.  Its population  growth rate of  .006 percent is considered to be low, compared with both regional and national growth rates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Labour Force

 

            The  potential labour force, which encompasses the 15 to 64 age group, makes up 56 percent of the total population.  Of  the 5,000 persons in this group,  around 2,000 have definite sources of income in the following categories:  151 professionals ; 240 fisherman; 1,261 farmers; 228 tuba (coconut wine) gatherers; and 235 handicraft workers.  The remaining potential labour force are either idle or involved in part –time occupations, while a portion may still be in college.  The ratio of dependents (ages 0-14; and 65 and older) to potential worker is 1:3.  The average income of families considered to be at greatest risk is only P280 per month.  About 61 percent of the population are able to read and write.

 

Landownership and Agriculture

 

            Only 130 farmers do not own the land they till;  the majority have an average landholding of about 1 ha per household .  Over 50 percent of the  total land area is devoted to agriculture.  The major crops cultivated are rice and corn,  the yields of which are considered low by national standards.  Other crops cultivated for domestic  consumption and for supplementary income are root crops, coconut, bananas, cacao, coffee, fruit trees, and vegetables.  Livestock and poultry are raised purely for household consumption.

 

Productive Swamps

 

            Cortes had 200 ha of nipa swamps, and 110 ha of mangrove marshland,  which constitute a vital natural resource for the  majority of its residents.  A gross income of  P5,000 per ha  a year is derived from the  production of nipa shingles which amounts to a total of  P1 million gross income for all the land cultivated in nipa swamps.  Gross income from mangrove by-products, such as timber for construction purposes, scaffold poles and fillings, fishing stakes, purlins, firewood, and charcoal, averages P3,750 per ha  a year;  hence, gross earnings from mangrove datives for the 100 ha amounts to P375,000 annually.  In addition, shell gatherers in these mangrove swamps earn about P182,000 a year.

 

 

Commerce and Trade

 

            Most commercial establishments located within the town centre mainly serve the needs of the residents.  A rural bank operates in the area, and farmers bring the bulk of their produce to Tagbilaran  City, which is barely a twenty-minute ride.  There is one mill for rice and corn and a lumberyard.  The motorized tricycle is the main public vehicle used in the municipality.  The open-air market comes alive weekly in Saturdays, and draws in buyers and sellers from faraway barangays.

 

 

 

Organizational Structure

 

            The Municipal Mayor heads two bodies:  The Sangguniang Bayan (legislative body),  which is made up of elective officials;  and the Municipal Development Council (MDC),  which consists of head of national agencies operating in the municipality,  representatives of civic and business organizations,  members of the  Sangguniang Bayan, and all barangay  captains (see Annex A on Organizational Structure).  Like in other low-income municipalities,  the local government is constrained by lack of manpower.  The Municipal Development Staff, for instance, which should be of four persons,  is solely manned by the Municipal Development Coordinator due to unavailable funds for hiring the remaining staff.  The Mayor,  although head of the MDC,  exercises no real authority over the plans and programmes of  the line agencies which are council members.  This often results in piecemeal delivery of services by the different sectors.  In recent years,  however,  certain measures have been adopted to provide the Mayor with some degrees of leverage in dealing with the national line agencies.

 

Problems and Proposed Solutions

 

            As reflected in the Comprehensive Development Plan of 1982-91.  The problems have been identified by sector and, as usual, the response to each of the problems is also generated by sector.  In the agricultural sector,  for instance,  the problem listed include the following:  Low yields in crop production: incidences of livestock and poultry  diseases;  and the lack of improved breeds for livestock  and poultry husbandry.  The solutions, as proposed by the sectors,  point to various needs as follows:

 

-          Infrastructure to support agriculture,  such as irrigation,  road networks, and              marketing outlets;

-          Credit facilities for farm production inputs,  such as farm implementations and fertilizers;

-          “Extensive-Intensive”  training in farm management;

-          Enhancement of backyard animal husbandry,  i.e., poultry, piggery, and livestock,  through livelihood development programmes;

-          Increased production of  root crops as substitutes for rice and corn, and as additional sources of income; and

-          Control of soil erosion and flooding by planting ipil-ipil and other trees of commercial value.

 

Other sectors (i.e.,  education and culture;  commerce and industry; health, nutrition,  and family planning;  social welfare services;  tourism;  housing;  sports and recreation)  have also indicated that priority problems and relevant solutions are advanced by sector.  In response to those problems ,  the Municipal Comprehensive Plan lists projects proposed for implementation by each sector.

            This traditionally sectoral way of  identifying problems and proposing solutions  has been somewhat modified with the introduction of the “Ilaw ng Buhay” (Light of Life)  programme in Cortes, in February 1983.  This experience will be dealt with later in this paper.

OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN CORTES

 

Nature and scope of Local Planning

 

            The first attempt at municipal-level planning in Cortes was made in about August 1978,  when the municipality was selected as one of the areas to be covered by the District Technical Assistance Program of the Ministry of Local Government.  Although the project  itself did not proper,  it helped outline an integrated development plan.  The project also developed a keen awareness among municipal officials on the need for comprehensive development planning.

 

            In May 1981,  the Human Settlements Regulatory Commission forged an agreement with the local government for technical assistance in the formulation of the municipal plan.  By December of that same year,  the agreement culminated in the Comprehensive Development Plan of 1982-91.  The plan includes the following major sections:  A socioeconomic profile;  the development plan,  including the sectoral plans and land use plan;  the administrative machinery;  a local development investment program, including description of ongoing and proposed projects; and plan implementation tools, including ordinances and resolutions.

 

            The social development component is well articulated and discussed in practically all major sections of the Comprehensive Development Plan.  Part I is concerned with the socioeconomic parameters of all sectors categorized as social development,  such as:  Education and Manpower Development;  Health,  Nutrition, and Family Planning;  Welfare Services Housing; Sports and Recreation;  and Environmental Management.

 

            In Part II,  which deals with the Development Framework Plan,  each of  the sectors is discussed with regards to the existing situation, the goal and objectives,  targets, development needs, and proposals or recommendations for the sector. 

 

            Individual projects proposed for each sector are listed in Part IV,  which deals with the Local Development Investment Program.  For example, the following projects are proposed under Health and Nutrition:  Construction of a new health centre;  construction of a barangay health centre;  establishment/provision a botica  sa barangay (village drugstore); seminars on home, health, and family life for mothers and would-be parents;  and sanitation campaigns.  For each project,  the Plan lists the following information:   Location,  Project cost, source funding,  time frame,  status,  and implementation agency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approach to and Methods of Formulating the Area Development Plan

 

            The Comprehensive Development Plan for 1982-91 serves as a framework or guide for formulating the Municipal Action Plan on Social Development each year,  and in planning projects to be included in the Local Development Investment Program.  To undertake these two tasks,  the Municipal Development Council was organized in 1983 in accordance with Memorandum Circular 76-110 of the Ministry of Local Government and the Joint Memorandum Circular CD-82-001 (see Annex B on Joint Memorandum Circular CD-82-001).

 

            The Council is headed by the Mayor as Chairman, and its members are:  The vice-mayor;  members of the Sangguniang Bayan;  all barangay captains;  senior officials of national agencies/corporations assigned in the municipality;  municipal officials directly engaged in extension work;  and private sector representatives designated by the mayor.

 

            When the council is not in session,  its powers and functions are performed by an Executive Committee headed by the Mayor or his authorized representative as Chairman.  The two members are the Municipal Development Officer and Human Settlements Officer, or in his absence,  the Municipal  Settlements Assistant.

 

            The Council and its Executive Committee have their counterpart bodies at the barangay level.  These councils provide a forum “for enlisting opinions,  recommendations, and commitments from both the community leaders and the government officials concerned.”  They are also envisioned to serve as “mechanism for effecting resource mobilization through a collective and democratic process of community planning and development.”  It is also provided in the Joint Memorandum Circular CD-82-001 that:

 

All municipal and barangay projects which shall be funded out of national assistance to local government units as provided for under the annual General Appropriations Act shall have the Councils’ approval or endorsement prior to budgetary inclusion or actual project execution by the implementing agency concerned.

 

To facilitate coordination among related sectors, action committees are formed under the Council,  i.e.,  Health and Nutrition,  Youth Manpower Development, Scouting,  Tree Planting, Food Production,  Peace and Order, and others based on need.

 

Since February 1983,  Cortes has been under the Ilaw ng Buhay (Light of Life)  Movement, a UNICEF-assisted project which seeks to organize both local governments and communities towards closer collaboration in development efforts.  The people in all fourteen barangays have been trained and organized into neighborhood units of approximately twenty families each,  and these units are in turn grouped into Ilaw chapters,  each composed of three units or about sixty families.

 

At the barangay level,  all chapter presidents are organized into the Barangay Ilaw Executive Committee (BIEC),  whose chairman sits as a representative of the private sector in the Barangay Development Council.  Likewise,  at the Municipal level, all chapter presidents have been federated into the Ilaw ng Buhay Association  (INBA),   and its elected chairman or president sits as representative of the private sector in the Municipal Development Council.  Thus,  in all deliberations,  there is articulation of the community’s will as relayed through the Ilaw network  (see Annex C on the  local government linkage with the Ilaw network).

 

The nongovernmental organization implementing the project has trained both the development council and the Ilaw  network in Cortes to undertake joint planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of projects.  The initial activities undertaken to catalyze such close community-government collaboration have been designed to level up to the understanding and skills of both government functionaries and community volunteers,  and to deepen their motivation to work together  (see Annex D on the Ilaw Social Preparation Process.

 

 

Social Indicators for Identifying Problems

 

            Some of the indicators used in planning for the social development component in Cortes are as follows:  Percentage of population below the “poverty line;”  population density and size and structure of labour force;  food consumption patterns and varying degrees of actual cases of malnutrition;  ratio of health manpower and facilities to the populations;  comparison of literacy rate with the rest of the province, region, and the country as  a whole;  superstitious health practices, and beliefs,  outmoded farm technology, and other indigenous technologies;  number of  “acceptors”  of  family planning methods/techniques introduced;  and rates of infant mortality,  morbidity,  school dropouts,  unemployment and underemployment.

 

            The indicators of viability of local institutions and community organizations used to measure community capability in sustaining the participatory process include:  The degree of local funding support to projects;  existence of a monitoring,  referral,  and feedback system linking local government and organized communities;  ability to revise local plans at the government and community levels;  promptness in the delivery of inputs from government agencies;  and regular consultative meetings between local government and community organizations.

 

            All of those indicators are used at the government and community levels.  Some of the indicators have been further simplified to facilitate easier understanding by the community.  An example is the indicator for “poverty line”  the concept of “reference family”  was introduced, as most barangay residents do not reckon income on a daily or monthly basis.

 

            The “reference family”  is actually the family at greater risk,  which should be saved at once because it has the greater share of problems or burdens.  Based on secondary data,  the reference family in Cortes may be characterized as follows:  The father is either unemployed,  or he is an upland farmer or a subsistence fisherman;  he has no farm tools or fishing gear;  the family has one or two malnourished children;  the family size is from six to eight members;  the family has a history of infant mortality;  and the family eats less than three square meals a day.

 

            Given these characteristics,  community volunteers try to locate reference families in the barangay.  They are interviewed in-depth about their food habits,  income,  outlook on life,  attitude towards government services,  and so forth.  And they are in fact designated from the start as targets for intensive development efforts by both government and community organizations.

 

The Planning Process and People’s Participation

 

            With the comprehensive Development Plan of 1982-91 as a framework for setting goals,  targets,  objectives, and strategies,  the Local   Development Investment Plan (LDIP) is prepared and submitted each year by the Municipal Development Council to the Provincial Planning and Development Office.  This planning document contains the updated Five-year Plan  of the Municipality,  and a list of priority projects classified according to their funding source (national, provincial, or municipal).

 

            The Municipal Development Staff provides technical support and assistance to the Council in preparing the LIDP.  In Cortes, the staff consists of only one person,  the Municipal Development Coordinator.  He is charged with the task of gathering necessary information or data from each sectoral agency in the municipality.  The agencies usually submit their own plan based on performance indicators and the resources allotted by the “mother agency.”  This plan contains projects earmarked for funding by the national agencies.  In effect,  what the Municipal Development Coordinator does is to merely collect these agency plans,  and package them neatly for submission to the Council,  which is expected to approve it since most of its members come from the technical agencies.  The same process is virtually repeated at the provincial level.

 

            In preparing the sectoral plans, the barangay captains are often requested by the Municipal Development Coordinator to provide data aside from those provided by the technical agencies.  They are given survey forms and briefed on data gathering procedures.  The barangay captains , in turn,  instruct volunteers who do the actual house-to-house survey.  Participation in data gathering is the most common form of people’s involvement in the sectoral planning process.

 

            In most barangays in Cortes, the Council meets every second Sunday of the month .  In these regular meetings they identify community problems,  formulate plans, or propose projects.  The meetings also serve as planning sessions for the coordination of existing programmes and projects in the locality.  Agreements among the members are presented as resolutions either to the Municipal Development Council or any concerned agency.

 

            The current practice in Cortes is to hold the Barangay Assembly right after the Council meeting to enable barangay leaders to directly discuss with the people matters of community-wide interest.  The assembly is attended by each family head or, in his absence, by at least one adult member of the household.  The barangay captains presents to the people resolutions or plans,  projects,  or activities agreed upon by the Council.  Only resolutions approved by the Assembly are given final approval by the Council.

 

            In Cortes, the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) convenes every first Saturday of the month.  With all the barangay captains in attendance, the body discusses plans,  projects,  and activities proposed by each barangay.  The objective is to seek common understanding on priority projects which are proposed by the ABC president to the regular session of the Municipal Development Council.

 

            Since its inception in February 1983,  the Ilaw ng Buhay Program  has concentrated on improving avenues for greater community-government cooperation in local-level social development planning and implementation.  The project team mobilized local government personnel in gathering all relevant secondary data available at each sectoral agency.  The framework for analysis adopted showed the interrelationship of population,  food production,  and environmental management.  Causal connexions were established among the problems identified.  The barangays were ranked according to indicators,  such as population,  health and nutrition,  number of families at greater risk,  and so on.  The objectives was to identify priority problems and zero in on barangays which had a relatively greater share of those problems.

 

            Projects identified by the Barangay Council and approved by the Barangay Assembly and the Association of Barangay Councils are submitted to the Municipal Development Coordinator who, in turn,  incorporates them into the Local Development Investment Plan,  along with the projects proposed by the various technical agencies.  Both social and nonsocial projects are included in the Plan for submission to the Provincial Planning and Development Office.  In effect,  the Municipal Development Coordinator merely facilitates project preparation by the  technical agencies and the various barangay councils.  All the  projects are deliberated on by the Municipal Development Council,  led by the Mayor,  to decide which projects will be included in the LDIP.  Hence, the final authority under which projects are submitted for funding at higher levels rests with the Municipal Development Council,  and not with the Coordinator.  There have not been any cases where the people disagree with the local council on decisions regarding priority projects.

 

            The following are some interesting findings which were neither identified in previous sectoral surveys nor considered in the formulation of the comprehensive plan:

 

-          Nine out fourteen barangays have a population density of more than 218 persons per km2,  and six out of these nine are barangay located in the coastal region;

 

-          From 1980 to 1982,  there were 200 births, and most of these occurred in three coastal barangay;

-          Four out seven coastal barangays had the highest numbers of moderately and severely malnourished children;

-          The majority of the families who are at greatest risk with an average monthly income of  P280 are found in coastal barangays;

-          In 1982, ninety persons died, out of which 17 to 19 percent were infants,  and the majority were from coastal barangays;

-          Out of 1,815 households, 147 or 8.1 percent are tenants,  and most of them are found in three coastal barangays;

-          Widespread burning of grasses in the mountainsides,  firewood gathering,  and kaingin (shifting agriculture) have actually eroded some strategic areas,  threatening  the entire municipality with  serious erosions;

-          Production of milled rice and corn sharply declined from 19,000 cavans (sacks of rice)  in 1981 to around 13,000 cavans  the following year;

-          Fisherman’s catches average 3 kg daily, compared to 4 to 6 kg daily in previous years;

-          To increase their catch,  some fishermen have resorted to the use of cyanide in coastal waters;  and

-          While the income of the municipality amounted to only P 377,417 in 1982,  according to a study of sales receipts in sixty-six stores and two restaurants,  the people of Cortes spent that same year a total of  P 959,985 on junk foods, i.e., soft drinks, liquor, coconut wine, candies, and chicherias.

 

These survey findings became the basis for the formulation of the Municipal Action Plan on Social Development in which local officials, technical agencies, and civic and religious groups participated.  The plan became the integrative document to bind all sectors together in tackling priority problems within that particular area.

 

Financing the Area Development Plan

 

The sectoral plans and projects previously consolidated by the Municipal Development Coordinator are formally presented to the Municipal Development Council for review and approval.  Projects are classified into Municipal, Provincial,  and National Ones.  Municipal or local projects are given appropriation  from the 20 per cent Internal Revenue Allotment and forwarded to the Municipal Development Staff (or coordinator )  for preparation of the work programme.  Projects for provincial funding are incorporated in the Local Development Investment Plan submitted to the Provincial Planning and Development Office for review and approval.   Projects proposed by the national sectoral agencies are also included in this plan, and since they are funded and implemented  by technical agencies,  the ”planning”  activity undertaken by the provincial staff merely concerns insuring coordination of these projects.  In some projects,  such as infrastructure,  the provincial government may decide to provide counterpart funding.  In other projects,  such as those generated through the     Ilaw ng Buhay Program,  the funding comes from the concerned nongovernmental agency or donor agency ( UNICEF or USAID ),  the municipal government, and the technical agency.

 

The current Local Development Investment Plan of Cortes lists fifty-four projects,  of which forty-three are proposed,  ten are ongoing or implemented,  and one is under negotiation.  Of these projects,  thirty-eight are funded by national sources,  and eight each by provincial  and municipal or local sources.

 

Facilitating and Controlling Plan Implementation

 

 With the organization and activation of the Municipal Development Council in Cortes in 1983,  a key activity under the Ilaw ng Buhay Program,  there has been a vigorous attempt to complement the existing sectoral manner of plan implementation with an integrated approach.

           

            All agencies with related functions have been grouped into Action Committees or Task Forces,  with the line agency having the most direct relation to the identified problem to serve as the lead entity.  For instance,  the Health and Nutrition  Committee is chaired by the Municipal Health Officer,  but the membership cuts across sectors, i.e.,  agricultural,  education,  social welfare,  population, and so forth.  All these committees or task forces plan their day-to-day activities in accordance with the targets set by the Action Plan on Social Development.

 

            All extension workers have been trained intensively to level up skills in working with communities.  An output of their training was  a deployment plan which assigned them to work either singly or as a team in the barangays. They spend more  time in the barangays identified as most depressed by the Action Plan  on Social Development.  Aside from their sectoral titles,  in the barangays they are known as Barangay Development Volunteers,  so that they are perceived as multipurpose workers by the communities.

 

            All teachers,  civic leaders,  media practitioners,  and religious personalities in Cortes have been oriented in the integrated approach to social development so that developmental messages are further reinforced.  Core messages have been agreed upon by all the sectors  so as not to confuse the people.  They are designed to facilitate entry into the community and to avoid conflicting technical and nontechnical messages.

 

            At the beginning of  the projects on integration,  a total of twenty-two local trainers were recruited,  trained, and deployed in the various barangays of Cortes.  They were drawn from the ranks of extension workers,  teachers,  retired government employees,  and others, and selected on the basis of certain criteria  which include willingness  to travel to the barangay;  verbal and written communication skills;  ability to monitor and evaluate projects;  highly interested and willing to work on a voluntary basis; and good health status.

 

            At the initial stage of the  Ilaw ng Buhay Program in Cortes,  all extension workers,  development trainers,  and other volunteers were assigned to the field in all the target barangays ( mostly coastal ),  to do social investigation and in preparation for conducting  family training.  The communities were “unitized”  into clusters of around twenty families,  and their elected leaders were trained to carry out developmental work among the people.  A total of 2,160  families were trained in Cortes and organized into neighborhood association known as the Ilaw ng Buhay  Chapter.

 

            A data bank has been installed at the municipal hall to monitor progress in plan implementation.  Each agency can get any data on sectoral functions accomplished through the integrated setup,  and report them as its own accomplishments.  The Municipal Data Bank is linked to the built-in monitoring system of the Ilaw network which extends from the unit and family to the chapter,  barangay,  and municipal level.  Quarterly assessments are undertaken at all levels which lead to the revision of the existing work programmes of the technical agency,  local government and the organized community.

 

Coordination Mechanism

 

            Tremendous constraints were encountered in making the Municipal Development Council functional in Cortes.  Although the Mayor is the chairman of the Council,  he exercises no direct authority  on the technical agencies.  The “mother agencies”  above the municipality level tended to erode attempts at integration.  They continued to impose plans and programmes without regard to local problems.  No reward was given on cooperation;  rather the emphasis was on the sectoral targets accomplished.  It was apparent at the beginning that whatever was accomplished in the area of coordination could be due more to the force of the Mayor’s personality and his sincerity,  than to the viability of the Council.  A similar situation existed at the barangay level.  Certain measures have been adopted to strengthen efforts at coordination.

 

Appointment of the Family Development Officer

 

            A Family Development Officer (FDO)  has been recruited from among the Mayor’s staff.  He functions in effect as the Mayor’s Action Officer on integrated and, as such,  he coordinates the various social development programmes.  At the same time,  he links up with the community organizations at the municipal level.  The various Barangay Development Volunteers,  as well as the Development Trainers,  have been assigned directly under his supervision to carry out the field operations and training activities of the Action Plan on Social Development.  The FDO does not belong to any particular technical agency.  He eases the burden of the Mayor,  who is often too busy attending to the enormous demands of coordinative (and integrative)  work among the various agency personalities.  The other members of the Council have found in him a fulcrum for harmonizing everyone’s efforts.

 

More Vigorous Advocacy for Integration

 

            Regional and provincial officials from offices of technical agencies in Cortes have been invited to “consultation meetings,”  “orientation sessions,”  and fieldtrips to integrated projects and activities in the municipality.  They have been shown that integration does not negate agency identity,  but rather that it strengthens sectoral delivery of services by being target-specific and cost-effective.  Through  these frequent monitoring visits,  they have gained valuable insights into the problems of local-level development.  A positive attitude on their part,  if translated into substantial administrative and programming reforms,  can do much to make the development council in Cortes viable and permanently responsive to community-articulate needs.

 

Binding Emotional Experience for Both Government Officials/Workers and Community Leaders/Volunteers

 

            Integration,  it was felt,  should be more than a concept.  To make it  a way of life,  an ideology,  or a mode of  behavior,  integration needs to be experienced and sensed.  In Cortes it has become an established practice to hold a ceremony for integrative activities at both the government and community levels;  it involves chanting a song,  reciting a Credo,  and  lighting a torch and candles.  Through  these means,  both government functionaries and community residents share a common  emotional bond,  which will hopefully bring them closer to  working together in local-level  planning and beyond.

 

Role of Community Organization

 

            Efforts have been exerted to link the Ilaw organization to each level of local government.  With the Ilaw ng Buhay Association ( INBA)  functioning as a nonprofit and nonstock corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission,  the organized communities have been given a bigger voice in the formulation of plans and projects.  Its active participation now keeps the MDC more alive and sensitive to the needs of the committees and the greatest risk target groups.  With its representation in the council,  the INBA can be the self-priming mechanism to keep this development body genuinely functional in a collaborative or integrated way.

 

Formulating Individual Local-Level Projects

 

            As indicated earlier, eight out of fifty-four projects in the Local Development Investment Program of Cortes have been proposed for local funding.  The source of funding is the 20 per cent Internal Revenue Allotment of the municipality.  To get funding from this source,  the proposed project should be classified among the “prioritized projects” by  the Sangguniang Bayan,  the local legislative body,  and included in an “appropriate ordinance.”   In some cases,  local projects may get funding from infrastructure.  These cases occur when a proposed project is felt to answer and urgent problem of the municipality.  This transfer of funds should pass proceedings of the Sangguniang Bayan.  There are also cases when locally generated projects can get funding from the provincial government.  To merit such support,  the municipality has to raise counterpart funding.

 

Locally-Generated Projects

 

            The following are the locally-generated projects included in the current Local Development Investment Plan (LDIP)  of Cortes:  Planting of cacao and fruit trees in all barangays;  completion of public block  tiendas  (makeshift shops),  fencing,  and fish tables;  improvement of parks and plazas;  construction of slaughter house in poblacion  (town centre);  repair and expansion of the municipal hall;  conservation of wildlife in Puwang Hill;  procurement of vegetables seeds for distribution to barangays;  and construction of a Nutri-Hut in the poblacion

 

            These projects have been proposed by either the Mayor, a member of the Sangguniang or the MDC,  the president of the Association of Barangay Captains,  or the chairman of  the Ilaw ng Buhay Association  (INBA)  of the municipality.  The proponent,  in turn,  may have gathered project ideas from barangay assembles,  meetings,  and dialogues with the community groups.  All these projects have passed through deliberations by both the Sangguniang Bayan,  if immediate funding is required,  and by the MDC.

 

            Of the eight projects included for local funding in the LDIP,  three are now being implemented:  The construction of the Nutri-Hut;  the procurement of vegetables seeds for distribution to the barangays;  and the planting of cacao and fruit trees in all barangays.  The Nutri-Hut project was proposed by the local office of the Ministry of Health,  while the distribution of seeds and planting of cacao and fruit trees were recommended by the Ilaw Association  to the Mayor,  who in turn discussed it with MDC.

 

            All three projects were considered urgent on account of the municipality’s child malnutrition problem.  In 1983,  through Operation Timbang (weighing of children) ,  it was found that of 1,420 children of six years old and younger who were weighed,  206 were moderately malnourished,  while twenty-five were third degree malnourished.  Six out of fourteen barangays were showing malnutrition figures higher than the national average.  Alarmed by these findings,  the local government,  in cooperation with the Ilaw ng Buhay Program,  decided to launch a vigorous campaign against malnutrition.  Nutrition became the “the number one priority programme”  of the municipal government in 1983 and 1984.

 

The Nutri-Hut as a Local Project

 

            Designed as a rehabilitation centre for severely malnourished children in Cortes,  the project consists of a “nipa hut”  complete with basic household facilities,  and with a backyard planted with vegetables,  root crops,  and fruit trees.  The centre houses the malnourished child and its mother until the child recovers.

 

            As planned,  the Nutri-Hut was built near the Rural Health Unit (RHU)  in order to facilitate delivery of the following services:  Periodic physical checkups of the child by the Rural Health doctor;  provision of basic daily needs (foods,  medicines,  and vitamin supplements);  daily weighing and recording of the child’s progress;  preparation of the menu by the health staff;  and education  of the mother on proper food preparation,  health and sanitation habits,  food production,  family planning,  immunizations,  and so forth.

 

            On 20 June 1984,  the Municipal Health Officer and the Municipal Budget Officer presented a motion to the MDC for the appropriation of P 3,000 to build the Nutri-Hut.  It was proposed that the amount be taken from the allocation for barangay brigades.  The MDC passed the resolution on the fund transfer,  and the Sangguniang Bayan approved it.

 

            The Municipal Development Coordinator prepared the construction plan and cost estimates.  Due to limited funds,  the MDC unanimously approved the use of indigenous materials for construction,  such as bamboo and nipa.  Under the direct supervision of the Municipal Development Coordinator,  all municipal officials and government employees took turns in the construction of the Nutri-Hut.  With the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture staff,  they also planted vegetables and fruit trees around the hut.

 

Implementation

 

            The Ministry of Health was directly responsible for implementing the project.  Headed by the Municipal Health Officer,  the RHU staff  (nurse,  midwife, and health aide)  divided the various tasks among themselves.

 

            A maintenance fund was raised from donations of private organizations  and individuals.  The municipal government   provided counterpart  funding.  To provide additional funding,  the municipal government,  the Ministry of Agriculture,  and the Ministry of Health built a seed nursery just across the Nutri-Hut to cultivate and sell seedlings.  Proceeds from the sales are used to augment the maintenance fund of the Nutri-Hut.

 

            After the Nutri-Hut was built,  parents with severely malnourished children were called to a meeting at the  municipal hall.  Very few came,  possibly due to lack of money for transportation fare.  The midwife was sent on  a house-to-house campaign to convince parents to bring and live with their third-degree malnourished children at the Nutri-Hut.  Only four parent-child beneficiaries availed themselves of the services.  They alternated living a pair at a time for a one-month period each at the Nutri-Hut.  All the  children were able to fully recover.  Two other children on live-out arrangements with the RHU staff also recovered;  hence,  the Nutri-Hut was able to rehabilitate a total of six severely malnourished children in less than a year’s time in operation.

 

Constraints

 

            The Nutri-Hut encountered financial constraints when it started operating.  Maintenance funds were meagre on account of few contributions from the public.  The other constraints was the lukewarm attitude of the people in remote barangays on the idea of publicly bringing their malnourished children into the town centre. The Ilaw chapters and other  community groups in Cortes opted to assist home-based intervention efforts for malnourished children.  It was in this way that the other eighteen severely malnourished children were able to recover.  The Nutri-Hut has not had any patients for the lasts six months.  It is now used as a venue for mothers’ classes conducted by the RHU.

 

            The two other ongoing projects in Cortes,  i.e.,  the planting of  cacao and fruit trees and the procurement of vegetable seeds for distribution to barangays,  have been carried out with very minimal funding from local sources.  Planting materials have been secured from the Ministry of Agriculture,  the Mayor’s farm ,  and other private donors,  and distributed to all the barangays through the Ilaw Chapters.  The Sangguniang Bayan appropriated P 2,000 to be able to produce more seedlings at the nursery and cope with the tremendous demand for planting materials.

 

            Out of the eight projects submitted by the municipality of Cortes for funding from provincial sources,  four are project expansions currently being carried out by organized communities:  Forest Conservation;  Seeding of Freshwater Fish in Inland Waters;  Development of Coral Reefs;  and Oyster and Green Mussel Cultures in Municipal Waters.

 

National Projects

 

            Of the thirty-eight projects included in the LDIP,  only one (Sports and Youth Development)  is not and infrastructure project.  The projects requesting national funding are for building the following:   Roads,  health centers,  schools,  bridges,  a wharf,  drinking water supply,  and irrigation systems.  Of the thirty-eight projects,  three are ongoing,  two have been implemented,  one is under negotiation,  and the rest are still proposed projects.

 

            These proposed projects have been included in the LDIP for the  past two years.  It may take another two years (or possibly longer)  before these projects can be implemented in Cortes.  Tremendous efforts are required on part of both the municipal government and the technical agency concerned since the funding source is in Manila.  Project guidelines and criteria have to be complied with at all levels:  Municipal,  provincial,  regional,  and national.

 

            Once these national projects are approved for implementation at the local level,  funds are released to the agencies concerned.  Follow-up on the agency is done by the local government.  Project control and monitoring,  as well as reporting on progress or implementation constraints,  is usually done by the agency concerned.

 

IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL PROJECTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

 

            As in other municipalities there exists in Cortes a mechanism which can be  used not only in formulating plans and projects,  but also in plan implementation.  This mechanism is an entity known as the development council which exists at the municipal and barangay levels.

 

Constraints

 

            Experiences in making this body truly functional a s a coordinating and local-level policymaking body for development planning and implementation have revealed certain constraints,  which include programme/project planning and implementation;  lack of authority over sectoral agencies;  lack lf trained manpower to carry out planning,  management,  monitoring,  and evaluating of programmes and projects;  and lack of adequate motivation to improve plan implementation.  The constraints are so overwhelming that the real problem appears to be the lack of political will to make the local development  councils functional.

 

            With its “jawbone”  approach to development,  the Ilaw ng Buhay programme in Cortes has had to contend with these constraints,  adopt flexible tactics,  and persevere in encouraging all sectors and entities to contribute their share in making the local development councils functional.

 

            Through the Family Development Officer and the Interagency and Action Committees,  information sharing on plans and projects are effected.  Complementation of resources is always stressed along with the attitude of “helping each other”  and “serving the people.”  The presence of representatives from the small farmers and subsistence fishermen during important council meetings has helped sensitize government functionaries toward lessening their conflict or competition and to work for the common welfare.  Improving interpersonal relations through fellowship activities has also contributed to better coordination in plan implementation.  Motivational training is also useful at critical points during project implementation.

 

The Role of Target  Groups

 

            The role played by target or beneficiary groups varies according to the kind of projects being implemented.  In service-delivery projects,  such as immunizations,  water and sanitation,  and so forth ,  the target or beneficiary groups are merely consulted.  The assumption is that the service is good for them and that something is wrong with them if they reject the service;  they have become merely passive recipients or users of services.

 

            Other projects may go through the motion of organizing the people,  involving them in planning and through all the phases of the project cycle,  but the intent is still “service delivery.”  The project is actually rigid,  the plan is formulated ,  and the people are just given exercises so they can appreciate the project.

 

            In project of the “social preparation”  type,  which have no specific service to deliver,  the target or beneficiary groups are organized, motivated, and encouraged to come up with their own plans or projects,  with the intention of developing local skills.

 

The Role of Volunteers

It is in the role of the volunteers that the community groups or individuals have always been mobilized to achieve project objectives.  Volunteers or groups have been drawn from their ranks to carry out various activities, such as,  data gathering, site selection,  information dissemination,  and monitoring.

 

There are also paraprofessionals recruited from among the people who are trained for specialized functions to apparently lessen the burden of the government worker.  In some sectors,  such as agriculture and health,  they constitute the membership of sectoral mass organizations,  i.e., farmers’ association,  fishermen’s organizations,  mothers’ clubs,  youth clubs,  and so on.

 

In Cortes,  as in other communities,  there are projects which give honoraria or cash compensation to volunteers.  The amount given is so small to consider it a salary or cost-of-living allowance.  There are pro and con arguments ,  however,  over this practice of giving honoraria to volunteers.  Some feel corrupts volunteerism,  while others think practice is realistic.  Volunteers themselves are poor,  and volunteerism robs them of valuable  time from earning an income;  hence, it is felt that volunteers deserve a small allowance for meals and transportation.  The difficulty seems to be that in Cortes there is no uniform policy among projects or those entitled to receive honoraria.  Volunteers who fail to receive honoraria tend to lose interest in their work when they learn other volunteers are given food or transportation allowance.

 

Non-cash benefits are given to the volunteers.  A similar problem crops up because such benefits cannot be extended to all volunteers even in a single project.  That will just be too costly -- extending benefits to all volunteers.

 

The Role of the Government Officials

 

            On the whole,  the local elected officials of Cortes and the technical agency personnel  assigned in the area have been supportive of projects,  particularly those locally generated or initiated by the community.  The act fast on problems presented by organized communities.  Examples of resolutions or ordinances issued by the Sangguniang Bayan in response to these problems are as follows:

 

-          An ordinance seeking to protect Ilaw ng Buhay  projects,  making it unlawful “to encroach,  steal the products  of any Ilaw ng Buhay projects,  or destroy the same within the municipality;”

-          A resolution requesting the Provincial Development Staff to survey a subterranean stream  discovered by residents of barangay Monserrat,  to find if it can be a source of potable water;

-          A resolution requesting the Ministry of Local Government to allow  the municipality to spend funds on a Mothercraft Seminar to be conducted by the Ministry of Health “to enhance the knowledge of every mother about proper family nutrition and correct attitude towards good health;”

-          An ordinance prohibiting the use of  “sahid”  or “sudsud”  as it destroys sea grasses,  corals, and planktons,  the source of food and shelter for our aquamarine resources,  and limit fishermen to the use of hook and line and other gears with mesh no smaller than 2.5 cm to prevent them from catching young small fish;  and

-          An ordinance giving community organizations the privilege to utilize and develop the aquamarine  resources of the municipality for their livelihood purposes.

 

In support of the “Crab Seeding”  Project launched  in coastal barangay by the Ilaw chapters  to increase the crab population,  the Sanggunian passed an ordinance which stipulates that it unlawful to catch male crabs than a year old and female crabs younger than one-and-a-half years.  The ordinance also deems it unlawful to catch female crabs during the spawning season and “only those crabs which measures three inches across their back shells are allowed to be caught.”

 

In response to the campaign against lavish spending and consumption of junk food,  a resolution was passed “limiting the table food preparation to only one meal during the town fiesta celebration for the municipality of Cortes,  Bohol,  on 16 January 1984.”  This is a town which used to hold two-day fiestas!  The local government is really that responsive in  Cortes, Bohol.

 

This close partnership between the local government and the community had its beginning early in 1975,  some eight years before the Ilaw programme was launched  in the municipality.  Ironically,  it was forged in resistance to a government-backed project to turn the valuable marshlands into a fishpond.

 

The marshlands are under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Forest Development  (BFD).  Those who occupy and manage this vital resource have permits from the BFD.  Renewable each year,  these permits have been handed sown the generations of the  original settlers of Cortes.

 

In late 1974,  50 ha of these marshlands located in four barangays were claimed by a rich businessman from Tagbilaran City.  Apparently he had the backing of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).  The BFAR is the agency that processes and approves applications for fish pond concessions. 

 

Sometime in March of 1975,  barangay residents woke up to find “NO TREPASSING”  signs posted all over the marshlands.  This arrogant act angered them for they knew the application was not yet approved.  About fifteen of them rushed to the Mayor  to seek hid advice and possible support.

 

The Mayor knew how the people regard this resource,  their emotional attachment to it,  and the benefits they derive from it.  He also knew that a flourishing fish pond industry could add revenue to the town,  although only one person  -- the businessman --  would benefit enormously from it,  while hundreds would be deprived of their means of livelihood.  But he left the decision to the people.  He discussed both the positive and negative implications of the proposal.   Then he urged them to see the applicant to seek clarification.  They did,  and were promptly told by the rich businessman that they would be hired to operate and maintain the fish pond.  Only a few were lured by this promise.  The vast majority decided to resist and,  thus,  they organized themselves into the “Cortes Nipa Swamps and Bacauan (Mangrove)  Concessionaries’ Association.”

 

On 4 April 1975,  the Association filed a petition against the application.  It was addressed to the BFAR Director who,  in response,  sent a legal officer to conduct an investigation.  The Sanggunian passed a resolution endorsing the petition,  and the Mayor represented the petitioners during the investigation.  It was the beginning of a long partnership between the local officialdom and the people of Cortes.

 

During the investigation,  the application offered to withdraw on condition that the people develop the area into a fish pond within the time period specified by law.  The BFAR showed its bias for the applicant by issuing an order that they should vacate the marshlands if they  fail to file application for fish pond development thirty days from receipt of order. 

 

The people did not heed the order.  Their response to the BFAR was again endorsed by the Sanggunian.  Their mood during the period was described as “alternatively angry,  insecure,  threatened,  but never desperate.”  There was talk of revolutionary violence should they be evicted.  Meanwhile,  they matched the applicant and BFAR signboard for signboard.  It was a battle of signboards all over the marshlands.  One signboard read:  “Do not touch the nipa so no blood will flow.” 

 

The case is still unresolved up to now.  Both the millionaire businessman and BFAR have remained silent as the local government and the people of Cortes have clung stubbornly to their conviction that the marshlands are a legacy from their ancestors to be used and managed to benefit the many who are poor among them.

 

In Cortes,  this story of the marshlands provides the prism through whish current development issues must be viewed,  such as  local-level planning,  integration,  and popular participation.  It has provided the Ilaw ng Buhay movement something to build upon in its quest for effective approaches in attempting to unify sectoral concerns,  forge alliances among the people,  and evolve a common framework in looking at community needs.

 

The Role of the Ilaw ng Buhay Program

 

            A case study on the marshlands occupants’ resistance to fish pond development has cited the role of Ilaw ng Buhay  in Cortes.  Quoted below is this pertinent section in “Participatory Development:  The case of Marshlands Occupants’  Resistance to Fish Pond Development;”

 

The Ilaw ng Buhay ( INB)  as a programme for development is built on the principle  of participatory development.  It believes that if local people are organized they are going to have a stronger hand in planning their own and their community’s development.  In addition,  the organization would provide the avenue for their greater access to social services.  Finally,  it will give them a louder voice whenever they want to assert what they have decided upon.  Its distinct feature lies in the fact that the organization promotes not only sectoral but integrated development.

 

This is an  expression of the Programme’s total concept of development – such as,  for instance,  seeing the connection between mangrove or forest and the situation of children.

 

Operationally,  it enhances the people’s capacity and skills for identifying problems,  the causes,  and possible solutions.  The role of the agent is only that of facilitator,  catalyzer,  and organize.  The rest are decided upon and actuated by the people.  The transfer of skills is primarily done through training.

 

Ilaw coverage in the municipality of Cortes or more specifically the marshlands occupants,  began in late February 1983.  This is about six years after the struggle died down.

 

It may be said that the Programme suited the people well.  For one thing,  the Programme is concerned with the conservation of mangrove.  Secondly,  it considers organizations as a vehicle for achieving development goals.  These are the things the people could identify with.

 

Chapter Organization.  Ilaw coverage started with organizing activities.  Presently, the permittees are organized into four INB chapter organizations.

 

Among other things,  the now formally organized permittees have expressed (through in-depth interviews)  that they feel more secure in their present organization than in their previous association.  In fact,  their chapters have formulated a resolution against fish pond development in their areas.  It may be recalled that in an effort to give more strength to their petitions,  they were instantly organized into the “Cortes Nipa and Bacauan Concessionaries’ Association.”  In addition,  they claim that their present chapter is built on more foundation premised on the belief that they can decide and manage their own development with some support from other sectors,  both government and private.

 

Their cooperative spirit has also been developed and sharpened.  As a matter of fact,  an informal organization called “hungos-hungos” (based on cooperative work),  which for quite a time had died,  has now revived with the Ilaw  coverage.  They also believed that through the Ilaw training,  their leadership skills-have been enhanced.

 

Mangrove Management.  With the Ilaw Barangay Environmental Awareness Training (BEAT),  they have been enlightened on the importance of mangrove to the marine life cycle,  something about which they only had instinctive knowledge before.  Thus,  they have now become conservation-oriented and have stopped their old practice of cutting mangroves for other uses.

 

Project Generation Plan.  The permittees claim that the INB has taught them the technology for fully utilizing their swampland and nipa resources.  The people have realized and learned the importance of responsible resource management utilization so as to keep the marshland always green,  beautiful,  and sustaining.  Leaving the mangrove and nipa area as it is,  it keeps replenishing itself.

 

The people,  feeling victorious in their struggle against conversion of the area into fish pond,  now understand Peoples’ Power.  They  have fully convinced the Mayor and the local legislative body of the direction of their marine resource utilization and development plans which protect and conserve this natural capital and at the same time see to the possible increase in the natural yield of this resource.  Hence,  through a municipal resolution,  the right to fully develop the marine resource of the municipality is now awarded and leased to the Ilaw ng Buhay Association of the Municipality.

 

Four chapters have now started “Miracle Hole,”  a sea farming project on our foreshore.  This is a project which discourages the “sahid or suhod,”  a method of catching shrimps and fish which is destructive to our corals and seaweeds:  The habitat and spawning area of crustaceans and fish.  The INBA  has a demonstration farm project on tahong (green mussels) on our near shore waters;  talaba (clam culture)  along the river,  and consider artificial reefs in the open sea,  as the area is rich in planktons naturally provided for by the mangroves.

 

Reactions of Various Parties to Project Operations and Output

 

              In less than two years of intensive efforts to catalyze  the community-government partnership in Cortes,  there have been significant responses to the varying stimuli provided by the project.

 

            The location of the project has gradually been shifted by the various technical agencies to the depressed coastal barangays.  Assessment at the municipal level has always stressed the need to focus the delivery of services on underserved areas.  This “area focus” of sectoral projects is a most welcome response to the vigorous advocacy for greater social relevance in project planning and implementation.

 

            There  is a significant increase in the number of self-help projects in practically all barangays as  a result of the intensive training on project development  and management conducted among Ilaw chapter officers.  The following are examples of these projects planned by the people themselves and implemented with minimal inputs from the local government and technical agencies:  Backyard gardening;  planting of forest  trees along riverbanks;  goat raising;  fund-raising projects;  culture of local fish delicacies;  “Miracle Holes;”  formation of credit association;  and seed bank.

 

            More extension workers have ventured out of the town centre to respond to requests from the remote barangays.  There is greater awareness on part of  the people about services which they can avail themselves of through technical agencies.

 

            Barangay Councils which in the past used to be dormant,  are now getting reactivated due to prodding by organized groups.  A change agent remarked:  “An active community organization acts like a blowtorch on the assess of lazy government  officials.”

 

            A resolution passed by the Sangguniang Bayan of Cortes noted that the “worthwhile effects of the programme could be shown by the constituents on their eagerness and acceptance towards a sense of practicality and awareness of what is going on in the environment.”  On account of issues raised by the struggle over the marshlands,  there  seems to be greater ecological consciousness now on the part of project planners.  Some projects were reviewed from an ecological standpoint.  Early this year, a province-wide  resolution  was  signed by Bohol Mayors which in effect supported the stand of the marshlands’  occupants in Cortes.  The resolution requests the Minister of Natural Resources “not to issue any permit to applicants for the conversion of mangrove and nipa swamplands  into fish ponds or any such use that destroys the mangrove  and nipa plans.”

 

            Last September,  the BFAR accepted an invitation  from the municipal government of Cortes to cosponsor a seminar-workshop on management of marine resources.  It was attended by all fishermen of the municipality.  Its objective was “to solicit from the fishermen,  fishing gear operators,  and other such marine resources utilizers,  their experiences and views which have a bearing on the marine resources industry for future equitable legislation and the protection of both the marine resources and their users.”   The BFAR has rejoined the bandwagon for closer community-government partnership in Cortes.

 

            The conduct of assessment meetings is being vigorously encouraged at all levels of the Ilaw network:  Unit,  chapter,  barangay,  and the Ilaw ng Buhay Association of municipal level.  These meetings serve as a forum for sharing feedbacks on plans and projects.  The Family Development Officer and the Barangay Development Volunteers,  who are mostly technical agency personnel or extension workers,  attend these gatherings so they can promptly relay the feedback to the Municipal Development Council and the various Barangay Development Councils.  The output of this activity is the revision of action plans at both government and community levels.  Also highlighted at these meetings are discussions on implementation of projects.  This activity yields valuable insights on which projects need redesigning to be able to contribute more effectively to local development.

 

APPRAISING LOCAL CAPABILITIES,  THE OUTPUTS,  AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE PLAN AND PROJECTS TOWARDS ACHIEVING SOCIAL GOALS

 

Appraisal

 

            The profound impact of the total integrated plan on the quality of life of the people  of Cortes cannot be ascertained at this time.  For the projects,  it is safe to say that the majority of those implemented have achieved their intended goals and targets.  Projects in health and nutrition as well as in social welfare,  have been cited as highly successful.  Some projects are still active in the social preparation stage,  and will begin active delivery of services and commodities upon receiving community plans indicating local needs.

 

            On the whole,  these projects have built what can be called “social capital.”   In all fourteen barangays of Cortes,  there are groups organized with motivation and skills to identify and carry out projects either by themselves or in partnership with a technical agency.  The blossoming of Volunteer leaders articulating local needs in planning sessions with local officials and technical agency personnel is as important an output as the eradication of severe child malnutrition in the municipality.  This development ensures that no problem can crop up anywhere in Cortes without jointly being responded to by the government and the organized community.  The ever-growing consciousness of the people about the ecological needs which binds them to traditional sources of food and  income is as accomplishment as the building of more roads and bridges.  Through their partnership,  the people and local officials,  as well as the technical agency personnel of Cortes have laid the ground-work for the practice of self-reliance and mutual respect in the pursuit of common goals.

 

            While there has been an improvement in the delivery of services (more target-specific and expanded outreach),  there are still many problems to solve.  The solutions are seemingly not available at the local level.  Commodities arrive too late or sometimes too early - - before they are identified as needed by the communities.  This is true for projects which require hardware, such as water supply and road construction.  With massive “social preparation,”  service delivery should be perceived as contributing to building local institutions and strengthening community organizations.  The ideal is to mesh planning processes at the government and community levels and effect delivery of services with or after adequate “social preparation” inputs.  The development councils and the people’s organizations in Cortes are currently passing through this difficult phase.

 

            It is a fact of life in Cortes, as in other municipalities,  that there is a dearth of trained manpower to plan and manage social development.  Not only is there a dearth of trained manpower, there is a severe lack of manpower,  trained or untrained, at the local level.  It is almost a miracle how things get accomplished at all, given this situation in Cortes.  Heavy training inputs have been found necessary to start and keep the momentum going.  Skills training is severely needed at that precise contact point between the government and the people,  where anybody who happens to be a little more efficient than bureaucratic herd get promoted for better pay and away from the community.

 

Recommendations

 

            Based on the still rather limited experiences in integrated social development planning and implementation in the small municipality of Cortes,  the following recommendations can be made:

           

(1)      A conceptual framework for bringing about integrated social development                    planning and implementation at a level higher than the municipality could be evolved.  The quality of local plans is affected by decisions made at higher levels of which filter down to the sectors.  The framework can embrace the provincial and regional levels.  In Bohol, for instance,  there are several planning approaches being tried:  The integrated Area Development (IAD),  the watershed Concept,  and the Human Settlements Approach.  A review of these approaches is needed to determine critical activities required for implementation at municipal level and to arrive at a consistent approach for social preparation.

 

(2)      Development efforts at the municipal level could be linked to a larger cluster of areas,  preferably sharing a common ecological resource based, i.e.,  a watershed,  river basin,  gulf,  bay,  or other such sources.  This will give an ecological perspective to local planning and help determine  projects which will have a profound impact on people’s lives.

 

(3)      Put “warm bodies”  in local institutions and train them.  Oftentimes,  due to the usual constraints of underdevelopment,  the bodies are simply not there to execute the grand design for a better tomorrow.  And,  due to the same constraints,  the bodies may be warm but not sensitive to growth and renewal.  Intensive training inputs are needed not only to sharpen skills,  but to resurrect lost visions of crushed hopes (again due to the usual constraints of underdevelopment).

 

(4)      Adopt a basic “social preparation”  process to be undertaken by all the sectors at the municipal and barangay levels.  This will certainly minimize waste and ensure common sharing of ideology and goals among government  functionaries and community residents.  The mere underta                                                                                                                                                                                              king to evolve a common framework of social preparation for all sectors can lessen sectarianism and forge closer unity among them.

 

 

NOTE

 

1/         ipilipil    =  a kind of plant used as fertilizer or animal feed.

 

ANNEX A
 
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE-MUNICIPAL GOVERNMEN

 

 

 

 

ANNEX B

 

Ministry of Human Settlements

MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

 

07 October 1982

 

JOINT MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR CD-82-001

 

TO:       ALL PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS, MHS AREA AND PROVINCIAL MANAGERS,  MLG REGIONAL DIRECTORS AND PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS

-          CITY/MUNICIPAL MAYORS,  MHS HUMAN SETTLEMENTS OFFICERS AND MLG MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS

-          ALL BARANGAY CAPTAINS

 

SUBJECT:  ACTIVATION OF PROVINCIAL,  MUNICIPAL AND BARANGAY DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS

 

In line with the provisions of Executive Order 777 transferring the Community Development functions of the former Ministry of Local Government and Community Development (MLGCD) to the Ministry of Human Settlements (MHS),  and Executive Order 715 establishing the Kilusang Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran (KKK),  proper guidelines are hereby promulgated to fully activate all Provincial,  City/Municipal,  and Barangay Development Council nationwide under the following directions:

 

I.                     Composition and Functions

 

A.      Provincial Development Council or Sangguniang  Panlalawigan sa Pagpapaunlad.

 

1.       Composition (under Section 6 of Executive Order 715)

 

Chairman: Provincial Governor

Members:  Vice-Governor

                     Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan

                     Mayors of the Municipalities in the Province

                     Representatives of the National Agencies/

                                 Corporations operating in the Province

                     Representatives from the Private Sector which

                                 the Governor may designated

 

2.       Executive Committee

 

An executive committee headed by the Governor or his duly authorized representatives as chairman,  with the MLG Provincial Development Officer and MHS Provincial Manager as members shall be operationalized to exercise the powers and functions of the Council when it is not in session.  Provided,  that all actions/resolutions taken by the Executive Committee shall be submitted to the ensuing General Council Meeting for ratification.

 

3.       Functions

 

The Council shall be guided by the provisions of Executive Order 121 as amplified by Circular 76-110 of the former MLGCD,  and by Sections 6 and 7 of  Executive Order 715 with respect to its functions.  In addition,  all Municipal and Provincial projects exceeding P 100,000.00 to be sourced out of National Assistance to Local Government as provided for under the Annual General Appropriations Act,  shall pass  the Councils approval or endorsement prior to budgetary inclusion or actual project execution by the implementing  agency concern.

 

 

 

B.      City/Municipal Development Council

 

1.       Composition (as per Section 8 of Executive Order 715)

 

Chairman:  City/Municipal Mayor

Members:   Vice-Mayor

                     Members of the Sangguniang Bayan

                     All Barangay Captains

                     Senior Officials of National-Agencies/ Corporations

                                 assigned in the City/Municipality

Municipal Officials directly engaged in extension

                                                                        work,  and

                                                            Private representatives as the Mayor may

                                                                        Designate

 

2.       Executive Committee

 

An Executive Committee headed by the Mayor or his authorized representative as Chairman, with the MLG Municipal Development Officer,  and the MHS Human Settlements Officer (HSO) or in his absence the Municipal Settlement Assistant (MSA)  as member shall be operationalized to  exercise the powers and functions of the Council when it is not in session.  Provided, that all actions or resolutions taken by the Executive Committee shall be submitted to the ensuing General Council session for ratification.

 

3.       Functions

 

This Council shall be guided by MLGCD Circular 76-110 and by Sections 8 and 9 of Executive Order 715 with respect to its functions.  In addition,  all Municipal and Barangay projects which shall be funded out of National Assistance to Local Government units as provided for under the annual General Appropriations Act shall have the Councils’ approval or endorsement prior to budgetary inclusions or actual project by the implementing agency concerned.

 

C.      Barangay Development Council

 

1.       Composition

 

Chairman:    Barangay Captain

Members:     Barangay Secretary

                     Barangay Treasurer

                     Barangay Councilmen

                     Barangay Brigades Coordinators

                     Barangay Extension Workers from Municipal and

                                 National Agencies

                     Private Association/Representatives

                                 Operating in the Barangay

 

2.       Executive Committee

 

An Executive Committee headed by the Barangay Captain as Chairman and with two members elected from the second regular session shall be operationalized to exercise the powers and functions of the Council when it is not in session,  provided,  that all actions taken by the  Ex-co shall be submitted to the ensuing regular session of the Council for ratification.

 

3.       Functions

 

In consonance with the general functions of the Provincial and Municipal Councils,  the Barangay Development Council shall be responsible for coordinating and linking the various Ministries,  other agencies,  and government corporations in the provision of extension work within the barangay especially in the promotion of Kilusang Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran and shall likewise review and decide on their barangay projects to be funded out of Barangay Development Funds.

 

II.                   Regular “UGNAYAN” Session

 

The regular session of each council shall be officially called “UGNAYAN” to underline the collaborative and coordinative mission of the various councils in bringing about community development in their respective areas of responsibility.  Thus,  UGNAYAN sessions shall serve as the forum for enlisting-opinions,  recommendations,  and commitments from both the community leaders  and the government officials concerned and a mechanism for effecting resources mobilization through a collective and democratic process of community planning and development.

 

1.   UGNAYAN SA BARANGAY

 

This will refer to the regular session of the Barangay Development Council  which shall be held on the first Saturday of the month.  The Barangay Captain as Chairman shall be responsible for the planning,  organization,  and coordination of the UGNAYAN session with the assistance of Barangay Council members and Barangay Brigades Coordinator.

                 

2.       UGNAYANG PAMBAYAN

 

This will refer to the regular session of the Municipal Development Council chaired by the Municipal Mayor which shall regularly meet on the second Saturday of every month to provide lead time to Barangay issues/projects which may be elevated from the UGNAYAN as Barangay.

 

3.       UGNAYANG PANLALAWIGAN

 

This will refer to the regular session of the Provincial Development Council which shall be held on the third Saturday of every month to provide lead time to any issue/projects which may be elevated from the Municipal  level council or the UGNAYANG PAMBAYAN.

 

III.                  Secretariat Support

 

A.      Central Secretariat

 

The Central Secretariat  of the UGNAYAN  shall be lodged with the Community Development & Services Delivery Group of the Ministry of Human Settlements which shall perform the following:

1.       Coordination with the various regional MHS and MLG offices for the monitoring of UGNAYAN sessions nationwide.

 

2.       Coordination with the MLG and other governments and private agencies  concerned for the implementation of UGNAYAN sessions and its projects/activities.

 

3.       Provision of technical support to any Provincial or Municipal UGNAYAN  session and project activities upon request.

 

4.       Preparation of all necessary guidelines,  documents,  and information for dissemination to all UGNAYAN participants.

 

5.       Preparation and submission of annual UGNAYAN  report for the President.

 

B.      Regional Secretariat

 

The regional office of the Ministry of Human Settlements shall provide the secretariat support as may be needed  by the Provincial Action Center (PAC)  extending their assistance to UGNAYANG PANLALAWIGAN (Provincial  Development Council’s session)  and shall perform the following:

 

1.       Coordination with the various regional offices of other Ministries to follow-up resolutions of commitments agreed  at the Provincial and Municipal levels.

 

2.       Provisions of technical support to any Provincial or Municipal UGNAYAN  session and project activities as may be needed.

 

3.       Monitoring of Provincial and municipal UGNAYAN session for submission to the Central Secretariat.

 

C.      Provincial Secretariat

 

The Provincial Secretariat shall be the Provincial Action Center (PAC) of the Ministry of Human Settlements which shall closely coordinate with the Office of the Governor in the performance of its  UGNAYAN functions as follows:

 

1.       Coordination with the various provincial offices of National Government Agencies and private organizations represented in the UGNAYAN.

 

2.       Provision of technical support in the project formulation and development  as authorized  in the UGNAYAN.

 

3.       Preparation of all necessary documents and information for dissemination to all UGNAYAN participants.

 

4.       Monitoring of UGNAYAN projects and activities for submission to the UGNAYAN PANLALAWIGAN chairman and to the regional office to the Ministry.

 

D.      Municipal Secretariat

 

The Human Settlements Officer (HSO) assisted by the Municipal  Settlements Assistant (MSA) in coordination with the Office of the Mayor  shall provide the secretariat support in the UGNAYANG PAMBAYAN (Municipal Development Councils session).  As such, he shall perform the following:

 

1.       Coordination with the various government and private agencies represented in the UGNAYAN with regard to their participation and project commitments.

 

2.       Extension of  technical support particularly on livelihood  and shelter projects.

 

3.       Preparation of all documents and information for dissemination to all UGNAYAN participants at the town level.

 

E.      Barangay Secretariat

 

The Barangay Secretary assisted by the Service Brigades Coordinators shall provide the secretariat support at the UGNAYAN sa Barangay.

 

IV.                Effectivity

 

This Circular shall be implemented effective November 1982.

 

 

 

 

SGD. IMELDA ROMUALDEZ MARCOS

          Minister

 

 

                                                                                          SGD. JOSE S. RONO

                                                                                         Deputy Prime Minister

 

 

nml/85

 

 

 

ANNEX C

 

HE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LINKAGE

WITH THE ILAW NETWORK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                          ANNEX D  

 

 

 

 

OUTPUT

     -     Technical Agency support for Integrated Program

                in the municipality

-          Involvement of Local Volunteers in implementing

Program Operations

-          Plan for delivery of services to depressed

barangays and poverty

-           
 

OUTPUT

    Municipal Action Plan on    

    Social Development

    (Time Frame:  1 year)

 
 

OUTPUT

    Heightened awareness on Community

    Problems by Participants

 

    Family Plans

 
 

 

ANNEX D
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUTPUT

    Increased confidence among Local

    Leaders to manage neighborhood

    Organization through acquisition of

    Leadership and management skills

 

    Chapter Plans

    Chapter Projects
 

OUTPUT

    Status of children and other groups

    Lessons from experience Strengths

    and weaknesses of community organi-       

    zation.  Quality of Community

    government cooperation

 

OUTPUT

    Greater Local Responsibility

    in Improving the Situation of

    Target Groups 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Annex to CV
 

List of Major Training Programs
 
 

 


Training Program

 

Client/Participants

Duration/Time Frame

Subject Matter Covered

Specific Tasks Performed

(Nestor M. Pestelos)

1.    Provincial and  Municipal/City Social Development Planning Workshops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.)  Provincial Develop-

      ment Councils of areas

      covered by Project

      Compassion (Quezon, 

      Albay, Camarines

      Norte,  Iloilo,  La

      Union,  Davao del Sur,

      Misamis Occidental

 

 

b.) Municipal/City Deve-

     lopment Councils of      

     areas covered by the

    Ilaw ng Buhay

    Movement (42 munici-

    palities and 4 cities in

    7 regions)

 

   - each class is composed

    of 40 participants from

    the village leadership

 

-       Each class lasted 2 to 3 days depending on local funds available

-       Training program was carried out from 1976 to 1986

-       The working was used as entry activity at project inception

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-       Provincial/municipal profile highlighting priority social problems affecting most of the population

-          Sectoral inputs (health food production, etc.) to help solve problems

-          The output  of each workshop was a Provincial/Municipal Action Plan on Social Development (one year time frame)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-          designed the workshop to produce the output with maximum participation of trainees

-          Supervised the provincial/ municipal /city survey to arrive at findings to make training inputs pertinent to client’s needs

-          Directly responsible for two inputs:  action planning and development communication

-          Directly handled all workshops

 

 

 

 

 

2. Family Ilaw Training

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.)Family heads of adult

    adult members of the

    family at project sites

b.) Each class is normally 60 in number

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.)  Each  class runs for 4 nights, at 3 hours per session

b.)  The FIT class is conducted outside the Center, right at the barangay or village

c.)   The output is a simple family plan to feature participation in local development projects

 

-          Community profile

-          Backyard food production

-          Health & Nutrition

-          Environmental Management

-          Education and culture

-          Organization

 

 

 

 

a.)                Supervised the designing & testing of the modules in Jan.-March, 1978

b.)  Directly handled the organization input during demonstration classes for local trainors

 

 

 

 

3. Chapter Officers Training Courses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.)   Those who attend this live-in course at the Center are newly elected officers of community organizations

b.)   Each class consists of around 30 participants

 

 

 

 

-       Duration for each class is 5 days

-       This is an on-going training program at the Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Management functions:

     * Planning

     * Organizing

     * Actuating

     * Controlling

 

-          How to conduct meetings

-          How to handle conflicts

-          How to communicate

 

a.)     Wrote the first draft of the various inputs

b.)     Supervised the testing/revisions of the design

c.)     Directly handle inputs on planning and communication

 

 

 

4. Skills Training of Municipal Development Core Groups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.)   This course is attended by selected local officials, government extension workers, and volunteers of non-governmental organizations operating at municipal level

b.)   Each class consists usually of 25 participants

 

 

-          Duration for each class is     14 days, half of which is spent for practicum

-          This is  a regular course at the Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-          Training  techniques

 

-          How to gather data

 

-          Team building

 

-          Community Organizing

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.)     Designed the course.  Handled the initial classes

b.)     Directly handle the session on training  techniques and community organizing

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Environmental Resource Management Training

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.)         Attended by professionals in various fields

b.)         Usually a live-in activity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.)      Duration of each course ranges from 1 month to 3 months based on need assessment of clients

b.)        Conducted by the Center upon request

c.)        Initial developed and tested for the World Bank

 

 

 

 

 

-          Extent of environmental damage

-          Appropriate technologies to enhance ecology

-          Livelihood or income generation

-          Project management, monitoring and evaluation

-          Planning as management functions

-          Resource management

 

 

a.)     Wrote the design for the course and supervised revision work until the approval of World Bank and the project

b.)     Directly handled the training and practicum for the site managers hired under the project

c.)     Evaluated trainees’ outputs and the various community plans generated by the training activity

 

6. Appropriate Community Development

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.)         Offered to CD policy-makers and practitioners

b.)         First course was attended by participants from Indonesia  and Yemen

 

 

 

 

-          This is a three-week live-in course at the Center

-          Course can be modified to suit the needs of specific groups

 

 

 

 

 

-          Philosophy of CD

-          CD Approaches compared

-          Basic Organizing Process

-          Case Studies and Field Practicum on CD Skills

 

 

 

 

a.)                Prepared the Course design.  Directly handled the first course.

b.)     Supervised the preparation of the case studies used

c.)     Handled sessions on

-    organizing process

-     CD approaches

-     workshops

 

7. Local-Level Planning Workshop           

 

 

 

 

 

 

-          Attended by local officials,  extension workers,  volunteers, and members of the village development councils (for sites of convergence of services

 

- This is a 5-day workshop conducted at the project site

 

 

 

 

 

 

-          Situation analysis

-          Problem analysis

-          Project identification

-          Resource Assessment

 

 

 

 

a.)     Wrote the initial design used for the early classes

b.)                 Participated in evaluating  the outputs

 

 

 

8. Trainors’ Training

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Conducted for trainors at provincial and municipal levels in areas with priority UNICEF assistance

 

 

 

 

 

 

-          Normally it takes 5 days for each class

-          Subject matter is adjusted to suit specific needs of local trainors

 

 

 

 

 

 

-          Community organizing

-          Approaches to social preparation

-          How to formulate training objectives

-          Training techniques

-          How to communicate effectively

-          Team planning

-          How to make training design

 

a.)     Designed the course for community organizers of UNICEF assisted projects

b.)     Directly handle sessions on

-          training techniques

-          social preparation