Preface

Ma. Linnea V. Tanchuling and Ma. Theresa V. Tungapalan, PhD

Part 1. Re-examining Community Experiences
Agribista: Pag-oorganisa at kolektibong pamamahala sa agrikultura ng Molinete Farmers Association ng Laurel, Batangas

Wilfredo P. Awitan

Abstract     Ang Agribista ay mula sa pinagsamang mga salita na agrikultura at aktibista. Ito ay tungkol sa kolektibong pagkilos ng Molinete Farmers Association (MOFA) ng Laurel, Batangas upang isulong ang sustenableng programa ng agrikultura sa Molinete. Ang mga karanasan ng MOFA sa pag-oorganisa, mobilisasyon, at pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga suportang institusyon ay naka-ugat sa pagtataguyod ng samahan patungo sa likas – kayang pag-unlad. Sinasalamin ng karanasan ng MOFA ang paglalakbay mula sa kawalan ng pagkilos at direksyon ng dating samahan ng mga magsasaka – tungo sa mas aktibo at kolektibong pagkilos sa agrikultura para sa kapakanan ng kasapian tungo sa sustenableng pag-unlad.

Keywords    agribista, pagpapaunlad ng pamayanan, pag-oorganisa, likas-kayang pagsasaka

Engaging persons with disabilities in organizing and development work

Paul Edward N. Muego

Abstract     Working with persons with disabilities has emerged as a “new” arena for development work. A critical reflection on community organizing work of persons with disabilities is necessary at this point since there is a growing interest on disability and disability-inclusive development. The study seeks to examine how disability is understood by support institutions, mainly by Local Government Units (LGUs), and how such understanding shaped why and how they engage in community organizing work with persons with disabilities. The study puts forward the concept of ka-pasan to examine the experiences in organizing persons with disabilities from the perspective of strengthening people’s capacities to live together.

Three data gathering methods were used: 1.) Being there and being part of (integration and observation), 2.) Conversations and dialogue (interviews, focus group discussions), and 3.) Leafing through, reflecting on (review of existing documents). The study focused on the experiences of the Las Piñas Persons with Disabilities Federation, Inc. The study shows that developing deeper disability awareness comes hand in hand with enhancing skills and capacities for collective action. In the process, everyone can become part of building better communities—‘kasama sa pagpasan sa paglalakbay tungo sa ganap na kaunlaran’.

Keywords     persons with disabilities (PWDs), community organizing, working with LGU

Ug-ugfo: Pagkilos ng katutubong kababaihang magsasaka laban sa proyektong ‘Hydropower’ sa Bontoc, Mountain Province

Miriam T. Teves

Abstract    Abuyog sa Benguet, Innabuyog sa Kalinga, Binnadang sa Mountain Province, Ug-ugfo sa Bontoc – iba’t ibang katawagan sa bayanihan, ang tradisyunal na sistema ng pagtutulungan ng mamamayang Pilipino. Sa Bontoc, ito ay tradisyon ng pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan ng katutubong kababaihang magsasaka hindi lamang sa gawaing bukid kundi maging sa pamilya, personal na buhay at mga hangarin. Paglilinang din ito ng kamulatan para sa kolektibong identidad at pagkilos ng katutubong kababaihang magsasaka.

Ang mga prinsipyo ng sama-samang makababaihang pananaliksik (participatory feminist research) ang naging gabay sa pag-aaral. Ito ay panimulang pagsusuri sa posibleng epekto ng proyektong ‘renewable energy’ (‘hydropower’) at pagtatayo ng 18 kilometrong tunnel na makakaapekto sa lupaing ninuno ng mga katutubo ng tribong Ibontok. Layunin ng pag-aaral na makatulong para higit na maunawaan ang kalagayan ng kababaihang katutubong magsasaka at ang pakikibaka ng tribong Ibontok laban sa agresyong pangkaunlaran.

Isang barangay sa Bontoc, Mountain Province ang naging tuon ng pagaaral na ito. Labing walong (18) kababaihan at limang (5) kalalakihan na kasapi ng Womens Club, Farmer’s Association at Youth Organization sa Bontoc ang kasama sa mga talakayan, kwentong buhay, interbyu at mga impormal na pag-uusap. Dahil sa mainit na isyu ng ‘proyektong pangkaunlaran’ at seguridad, pinagkaisahan ng mga kalahok at mananaliksik na gumamit ng ibang pangalan ng mga tao, lugar at organisasyon upang itago ang kanilang tunay na pagkakakilanlan. Katuwang sa isinagawang pananaliksik ang dalawang lider kababaihan mula sa tribo, mula sa pag-aayos ng mga layunin hanggang sa pagsusuri ng datos.
Inaasahan na ang pag-aaral ay makakatulong sa organisasyon ng katutubong kababaihan para matukoy ang mas angkop na estratehiya ng pag-oorganisa at makapagambag sa gawaing adbokasiya para sa lupa, kabuhayan, at mga karapatan ng tribong Ibontok.

Participation as Subscriptions: Re-examining participatory development practices

Karl Arvin F. Hapal 

Abstract    Participation is one of the most ubiquitous terms in the field of development. Yet, despite of its inspiring and effervescent effect, its attainment has remained elusive and tenuous. This article argues that the concept of participation must be appreciated as an ideology – a prescription or a vision of what society ought to be rather than acute description of social relationships and dynamics. This article instead proposes the concepts of subscription, congruence and buying-in as alternative concepts that may account for discrepant realities. These concepts were gleaned from the experience of community organizing in Bagong Silang and member-organization dynamics of the Workers Cooperative in Caloocan.

Keywords    participation, community organizing, participatory development

Part 2. Praxis-oriented Learning and the Field Instruction Program
Reflections on community-engaged feminist scholarship from experiences in the Field Instruction Program

Teresa Villamor-Barrameda

Abstract    This paper argues that applied social science disciplines like the Women and Development Studies program should develop their own parameters in defining what constitutes a community-engaged scholarship. Using the parameters of transformative, feminist and excellence-oriented community engaged scholarship, this paper examines the Field Instruction Program (FIP) of the University of the Philippines’ Department of Women and Development Studies (DWDS) as a community-engaged feminist scholarship. At the same time, it serves as an experience paper that synthesizes the FIP experience of the DWDS based on a document review of FIP assessment reports, fieldwork sharing documents, students’ integrated papers and personal journals, complemented by interviews with past graduates and current agency partners. It highlights that community engagement through the FIP partnership provides mutual benefits to both the academic institution and the partner agencies/community organizations. 

The paper concludes that the FIP is a form of community-engaged feminist scholarship that is transformative in the sense that it creates life-changing conditions for the community of women and other marginalized groups, as well as life-changing experiences for the students. On the part of the academic institution, the FIP provides venues for faculty supervisors to render services and to produce knowledge products for curricular enhancement, dissemination and popularization. It also provides a venue for both the students and faculty to put feminist processes, principles, values and ethics into practice. While being transformative and feminist in practice, the FIP also reflects a scholarship of excellence anchored to academic rigor, accountability, relevance and commitment to genuine public service.

Keywords     field instruction, community-engaged scholarship, feminist scholarship

Interrogating Poverty: Rhetoric, narratives and concepts

Venarica B. Papa

Abstract     In an era where inclusive growth, participatory and sustainable development take prominence, the task of understanding poverty must go beyond academic debates and intellectual inquiries. Its meanings are often reflected and measured in terms of statistics and development metrics, with corresponding indices and graphs. But the analytical frameworks used to define poverty must also be subjected to re-examination.

This paper tackles reflections on poverty from both academic and practice-based experiences. It presents various definitions of poverty and the dominant narratives that prevail in society which influence the relationship of the poor with the state, with the society and with and among themselves. The reflections also tackle observed and experienced realities of how development workers and CD practitioners engage the poor in their development agenda based on the experiences from the Field Instruction Program of the Department of Community Development, UP-CSWCD. Community integration and organizing process are viewed as part of the enabling mechanisms for enhancing pro-poor and people-centered approaches in engaging and mobilizing the poor towards their own agenda of development.

Keywords     poverty, development, community organizing, community integration

Lessons from the Field Instruction Program: Learning together, theorizing change, fostering discussions of power

Devralin T. Lagos

Abstract     Recognizing community development (CD) practice as a ‘learning journey’, I embark on this endeavor to step back, see my work and its background, and to reflect on my CD journey, both as a practitioner and a teacher. In these times of resurgent populist politics, autocratic governance and compromised democratic processes, social transformation workers are caught in a ‘moment of truth’: to unmask and grapple with elusive natures of power and inequalities. It is our duty to persist in our conversations about the ways to nurture CD workers to assist and enable, as well as to live, work, and fight alongside marginalized communities.

By examining my experiences of facilitating the Field Instruction Program (FIP) of the Department of Community Development, UP-CSWCD, I contributeto the conversation of three processes I found useful in teaching CD. First is the process of learning together through dialogue. This encompasses the challenging task of listening to and learning from one another; albeit critical of perspectives that need to be unlearned. I also talk about the facilitation of theory of change thinking, referring to the examination of the dynamic realities surrounding CD work as basis for potential Community Organizing-Community Development (CO-CD) strategies. Finally, I propose fostering discussions on power, cognizant that the changes we want to see in relationships, individuals, processes, systems and conditions need the understanding and reconfiguration of power.

Keywords     fieldwork, dialogue, teaching CD, CO-CD perspectives

Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this journal are solely the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the College of Social Work and Community Development.