GOOD CITIZENSHIP

Who are the Citizens of the Philippines?

Section 1 of the Philippine Constitution provides that the following are citizens of
The Philippines:

Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this Constitution;
Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines
Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine Citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and
Those who are naturalized in accordance with law

What are the duties and obligations of Citizens?

To be loyal to the Republic

This means that we have faith and confidence in the Republic and love and devotion to the country
We have to be proud being Filipinos, respect our customs, traditions language and institutions

To defend the State

Considering the fact that our country is our home, it is prime duty to love and defend the state at all costs regardless of our creed,
religious beliefs, and wisdom
Loving one’s country can be shown not by words but by deeds
It should be a continuous flame of love considering the fact that we receive the benefits and protection from the State of which
we are a part. In return, it is our primary and honorable duty to defend it against any peril whether from within or from without.

To contribute to the development and welfare of the State

We can do this in the form of paying our taxes willingly and promptly, by helping maintain peace and order, conserving natural
resources, the promotion of social justice by suggesting supportive measures beneficial to the people as a whole, by patronizing
local products and trade and by engaging in productive work.

To uphold the Constitution and obey the laws

It is our prime obligation to uphold the Constitution and obey laws. If the people would disregard them, our country would
collapse and we will not have peace and order

To cooperate with duly constituted authorities

In every organization, there is always a leader to manage the affairs of all constituents. If the members will not cooperate, we can
never expect to become successful in all undertakings that our government would like to do for the good of its citizens.

To exercise rights responsibly and with due regard for the rights of others
No man is an island and we have to live with others. In the exercise of our rights, we have to see to it that we also respect the
rights of other people. If we do this, we can expect harmonious relationship among members of the society.
To engage in gainful work
It is stated in the Bible that if we want to eat, we have to work. It is our obligation as citizens of our country to become
productive, by engaging in gainful work so that we can provide the basic needs of our family and ourselves as well.

To registered and vote

It is our prime duty as citizens of the Philippines to register and vote. Suffrage is both a privilege and a duty which every
qualified citizen must perform.
It is not sufficient to just register and vote, but it is coupled with intellectual judgment during election. We have to consider the
different political issues by different candidates, so that, at least, we can choose the right person to manage government affairs.

How can we become Good Citizens?

We can become good citizens by living in accordance with good citizenship values which can be derive from the preamble of the
Philippine Constitutions such as:
Faith in God
Patriotism
Work
Respect for Life
Respect for Law and Government
Truth
Justice
Freedom
Love
Equality
Peace
Promotion of the Common Good
Concern for the Family and Future Generations
Concern for the Environment and Order

Preamble of the 1987 Philippine Constitution

We the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society and
establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our
patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our prosperity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a
regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality and peace, to ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

The Basic Values of the Filipino People

OUR BASIC VALUES WHAT IT MEANS

1. Unity We want to be as one people. We cherish oneness- as co-
citizens of our country, as members of our family, as co-
workers in an institution.
2. Patriotism We want the best of our country. We want our country be
respected and honored its citizenry and by the whole
world.
3. Faith in Almighty God We want to have God present in our lives. We want to
have a relationship of trust in him. We want to ask for
God’s help beyond what we ourselves can do.
4. Respect for life We want all human life to be preserved, nurtured and
safeguarded.
Respect for Law and Government We want that the rule of law be upheld by all and at all
times, that Government be accorded respect and all laws
be complied with.
Truth We want that we ourselves and others be true; that the
truth reign in our land.
Justice We want that everyone be given what is due him/her as a
human being, and that what governs all relationships is
morally and legally upright.
Freedom We want that each one of us be able to experience our
freedom of will.
Love We want that each one of us desire to love and be loved.
Love begets love. If love reigns in our hearts, the
harmonious relationship of all the people will prevail.
Equality We want that each one of us have the opportunity to be
fully human, and that no one be victim of prejudices or
biases of any kin, and that the interest of one not be
sacrificed against his will for the good of another.
Peace We want to live in a serene and secure community, with a
harmonious relationship with our neighbors. A place
which tranquil could expect harmony among others and
ourselves as well as with the environment.
Promotion of the Common Good We want all Filipinos to meet their basic minimum needs
and to have opportunities to develop and use our god-
given potentials.
Concern for the Family and Future Generations We want what is best for our family and for very single
member in the present and future generations.
Concern for the Environment and Order We want the environment to be preserved and nurtured,
and for ourselves and others to be good stewards of the
environment.
Order We want organizations, system, and predictability in all
aspects of our daily lives and our life as a nation.
Work Everybody wants to have a job to support the basic needs
of his family.
VALUES FORMATION THROUGH COMMUNITY SERVICE

Values are said to be worth the importance we connect to different factors in our lives. The word values come from the
Latin word “valere” which means to measure the worth of something. These are ideas and norms man considers relevant and
good.

A value has been defined as any object, activity or frame of mind that a person considers to be very important to his
life. Unconsciously, values emerge as list of priorities in a person’s life. However, in most cases, people have different priorities
depending on how they look at life and how they interpret survival. That is why it is important to check what the youth values
nowadays, because values taken together are called a Value System which exists not only on individuals but to community as
well. By this, students will be of great help to the community where they will be assigned in shaping a positive corporate culture.

Values are especially important to understanding human behavior. Conflicts between them are often based on
differences in values. When you seem to be at odds with another person, take a look at how your basic values differ. And when
you seem in conflict with the members of the group, examine the group’s value system against your own.

Values education is founded on a sound philosophy of the human person with all its philosophical ramifications and
implications. The supreme and overarching value that characterizes education is HUMAN DIGNITY.

THE MEANING OF MAN AS A PERSON

The term person cannot be exclusively attached to human being since not all persons are considered human beings and
vice versa. To speak of man as being- with-others is to speak of man as a person which also means that he is unique and has his
permanent trademark in the world. Since man is person, his “being-with” existence means he is never alone in his survival in the
world.

Man’s “being-with-others” can be viewed from two standpoints – the general and specific. Generally, man’s “being-
with-others” as a person is man’s fundamental “being-with” to both things and man’s fellow human person. Specifically, man’s
“being-with-others” as a person is man’s irrefutable “being with” because in reality, man needs to co-exist with fellow human
beings.

Man’s co-existence with others does not require a learning process or experience because it is inherent in his being as a
person. However, the quality of his relationship with others needs a process to make it worthy and lasting.

Man establishes a relationship with his fellowman in three levels: I – it, I – he/she, and I – thou. It is in this principle
that a person is expected to manifest his Love of God, of Oneself, of Neighbor, and of Country to evidently show his being and
living with others.

Likewise, a persons’ sets of values is not merely dictated by the need to harmoniously live with others but should be
governed by the biblical perspective that sets the greatest commandment that stated in Matthew 22: 35-40 which says, “Love the
Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind”, and, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”.

THE SELF

Everybody has an obligation to himself, but there are times that we are facing difficulties in understanding these
obligations. One of the reasons is how we understand exactly what “self” is.

One way of understanding oneself is to consider it as a personal role that one plays in the general drama of life. In the
totality of human account, each person has his own unique role to play because of the presence of individual differences. It is a
role that includes various responsibilities that are to be faced, decisions that are to be made, relationships and involvements that
are to be lived and work that is to be performed.

In understanding our selfhood there are certain moral obligations that arise. If a person has a particular life to live then he has a
basic responsibility toward that life. He has the obligation to see that life is “lived” to its fullest. He should play his role as best as
he can and not neglect it.

WHERE VALUES COME FROM

 Our personal values are formed in early childhood and are affected strongly by both the values of our parents, the
environment, the school, the church and the government. The place and time of the first few years of our lives have a great effect
on the formation of our values.

CORE RELATED VALUES

Ideally, values should be consistently present in all the dimensions of human existence. To attain such values is
relatively hard but still achievable. Hence, each student is encouraged to make sure that they know the different human
dimensions and the values needed to live peacefully and productively.

DIMENSIONS VALUES

1. Physical Health
Physical Fitness
Cleanliness
Harmony with Material Universe
Art & Beauty

2. Intellectual Truth
Knowledge
Creative & Critical Thinking

3. Moral Love
Integrity
Honesty

Self-worth
Self-esteem
Personal Discipline

4. Spiritual Spirituality
Faith in God

5. Social Social Responsibility

Mutual Love
Family Respect
Fidelity
Responsible Parenthood
Concern for Others/Common Good
Society Freedom/Equality
Social Justice/Respect for Human Rights
Peace/Active Non-Violence
Popular Participation

6. Economic Economic Efficiency & Thrift Conservation of Resources

Work Ethics
Self-Reliance
Productivity
Scientific and Technological Knowledge
Vocational Efficiency
Entrepreneurship
 7. Political Nationalism
Common Identity
National Unity
Esteem
Commitment
Civic Consciousness/Pride
Bayanihan/Solidarity
Loyalty to Country

LEADERSHIP
PART I. THE YOUTH

Characteristics of a Filipino Youth

15 to 30 years old ( as stated in Republic Act No. 8044 on Youth in Nation Building Act)
Mentally and physically fit
A dreamer
Has a strong drive to fulfill his dreams and uplift his status in all aspects as well as those around him

The Filipino youth comprise more or less 40% of the total Philippine population. If there are 80 million Filipinos (latest survey,
2003), then there are at least 30 million Filipino youth in the country. In 2007, the projected population is 88.7 M. So 40 % of
88.7M is equivalent to 35.48M Filipino Youth in the country.
The youth sector is composed of the youth worker, youth farmer, youth student and the youth in the community.

Provision in the Constitution

According to the Constitution Article II Section 13, “The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation building
and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well being. I shall inculcate in the youth
patriotism and nationalism and encourage their involvement in public civic affairs.” If this is the case, they should be given a
chance to make their importance felt; to be given protection in their physical, spiritual, intellectual and moral states.

After the discussion of part I, the students will be grouped into 5-6 members, and then they will choice a leader. Each member
will contribute their ideas regarding their observations of the important role of youth in the society and to identify the
contributions of youth leaders in the country. Each group will be asked to discuss their consensus to the class (Leaders will
discuss their output).

PART II. THE ART OF LEADERSHIP

According to Elihu Root (1856 – 1937, U.S. lawyer and Statesman): “there are two entirely different theories according
to which individual men seek to get on in the world. One theory leads a man to pull down everybody around in order to climb up
on them to higher place; the other leads a man to help him in order that he may go up with them.

The true essence of being a leader is the one who helps everybody around him in order that he may go up with them.

Simple (dictionary) definitions of a leader:

one who shows the way
one who acts as guide
one who directs the affairs or actions
one who influences or controls the opinions, thoughts or actions

Questions to ponder:
Do you consider yourself a leader? If yes, what made you one? Why should you want to be a leader? What does a
leader do in an organization?

LEADERSHIP DEFINED

Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. It is a human factor that binds a
group together and motivates it towards the attainment of desired objectives.
 Leadership is the process of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal
achievement. (Rachmann, 1987).

Leadership is the process of inducing a subordinate to behave in a desired manner (Donnelly, 1981).

Leadership is one form of dominance, in which the followers more or less willingly accept direction and control by another
person. (Kuhn, 1990).

Leadership is the ability that brings to success the potentials in an organization, community and its people.

UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF LEADERSHIP

 GIVING VISION

The leader has a clear idea of what he wants to do – professionally and personally – and the strength to persist in the
face of setbacks, even failures. Unless you know where you are going, and why you cannot possibly get there.

 PASSION

The underlying passion for the passion of life, combined with a very particular passion for a vocation, a profession, and
a course of action.

The leader loves what he does and loves doing it.

Without hope, we cannot survive; much less progress.

The leader who communicates passion gives hope and inspiration to other people.

 INTEGRITY

Know yourself is the key word.

The leader never lies to himself, especially about himself, knows his flaws as well as his assets, and deals with them
directly.

 MATURITY

It is important for a leader to be matured, for the needs to have experienced, and grown through that experience.

 TRUST

It is not as much an ingredient of leadership, as it is a product of leadership.

It is a quality that cannot be acquired, but it is earned.

It is given by co-workers and followers, and without it, the leader cannot function.

 CURIOSITY AND DARING

The leader wonders about everything, wants to learn as much as he can, is willing to take risks, experiment, and try
new things.
He does not worry about failure, but embraces errors, knowing he will learn from them.

 LEADER IS LIKE A PREACHER

He has the capacity to convince others, through his eloquence, through his communication skills. He ought to be one
who is able to relate well with sincerity.

FUNCTIONS OF LEADERSHIP
The Leader as an Executive: The most obvious role of the leader in any group is, he is the top coordinator of the activities of the
group. In his executive capacity, the leader does not ordinary carry out the necessary work; he assigns it to other group members.

The Leader as a Planner: The leader often assumes the role of planner deciding the ways and means by which the group shall
achieve its ends. This may involve both the determination of immediate steps and the long-range planning of the future steps to
attain goals and objectives.

The Leader as Policy Maker: One of the most important criticisms of leader’s functions is the establishment of group goals and
policies.
From “above” that is dictated by the authorities’ super ordinate to the given group.
From “below” that is dictated by the decision of the group membership as a whole.
From the leader himself when he has autonomy to make policy decision.

The Leader as Expert: The leader is often distinguished as a source of readily available information and skills.

The Leader as Controller of Internal Relations: More than any other member, the leader governs that specific details of group
structure and by so doing he may function as the controller of the in-group relations.

The Leader as Surveyor of Rewards and Punishment: Particularly significant from a member’s point of view is the leader’s
power to apply reward and punishment, which enables him to exercise control over the group members. Sometimes the rewards
and punishment are concerned with relatively external thins, e.g., when a gang divides stolen loot or when a worker is given an
unpleasant task his foreman.

The Leader as Arbitrator and Mediator: It is his task to act as both judge and conciliator. It is within the power of the leader to
reduce or to encourage factionalism within the group, depending upon what personal aims he seeks to achieve.

The Leader as an Exemplar: In some kinds of groups, the leader may serve as a model of behavior for the group members thus
providing them with a concrete indication of what they should be and do.

The Leader as a Symbol of the Group: Group unity is likely to be exchanged by any factor that makes the groups distinct entity.

The Leader as a Substitute for Individual Responsibility: Not common in certain types of groups, the leader plays an extremely
important role for the individual member in relieving him of responsibility for personal decisions and act that he wishes to avoid.

The Leader as Ideologist: It is the leader to furnish the ideology; he serves as the source of beliefs, value and norms of the
individual members.

The Leader as the Father Figure: The leader serves as the perfect focus for the positive emotional feelings of the individual. He
is the ideal object for identification for transference and for feeling of sub-missioners.

PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP

A LEADER…..
Does not create fear among his followers, but create enthusiasm.
Does not only have goals; but also has a vision, a dream.
Does not only know how to discipline others but also knows to discipline him/her.
Does not only hear, but delegates work among his followers, but also empowers them and makes them fruitful.
Does not only decide on what is right, but discerns what is right.
Does not only provide an open atmosphere, but also creates open mind.
Is not only keen on winning, but also sees failures as opportunities for success.

GUIDEPOST FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

Be flexible
Be consistent in setting policies.
Strive for a good match between leaders and tasks of situations.
Choose the most appropriate strategy for making decisions.
Always remember: subordinates expect you to help.

GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

1. The leader’s awareness of self.

BOSS LEADER

- drives subordinates - coaches subordinates

- depends upon authority - depends upon goodwill
- says “I” - says “WE”
- fixes the blame on breakdown - fixes the breakdown
- knows how job is done - shows how a job is done
- says “GO” - says “LET’S GO”

2. Understanding the group’s characteristics

i.e. skills, maturity, expectations, norms, size and cohesiveness

3. Understanding individual characteristics

i.e. recognizing differences of opinions, background, etc.
4. Flexible of approach
i.e. the ability to use one style of leadership to other
5. Understanding motivation
i.e. what drives one to move
6. A sense of mission
i.e. the belief to lead, the love to work, devotion to people/organization, etc
7. High character
i.e. honest, courageous, sincere, dependable, etc.
8. Job competence
i.e. the leader should know what he /she is doing
9. Good Judgment
i.e. the ability to recognize which is important and which is not
10. Energy
i.e. to always have the zest to do a task expected of him at all times
SKILLS OF A LEADER

1. Working with people

i.e. listen, help, encourage, motivates, etc.
2. Defining issues/priorities
i.e. recognizes the needs of the organization/members, the real objectives and knows to do at all times
3. Handling of meetings
i.e. setting of agenda, dealing with problems, encouraging participants, etc
4. Organizing
i.e. remember that organizational structure positions are created in every organization so that the flow of organizational
communication becomes systematic. But one should not be bossy. Decision should come from down lines.
5. Financial Skills
i.e. remember that finance/money is the lifeblood of an organization. The leader has the responsibility of taking care of it and
translating it to service-better and efficient service.
6. Communication skills
7. Training people
8. Political skills
i.e. knowing how to deal with people from all walks of life
9. Public speaking
10. Supervision skills
i.e. being guided by the by-laws; knowing how to get the best out of staff/members

ADDITIONAL THINGS TO REMEMBER

A good leader should have a BASE – group of people who sees the individual as their leader ( how can you lead if you don’t have
people to lead upon )

Power can be bad, it can be good. A good leader should know how to define good objectives.

There are myriads of things one can talk about on how to be a good leader, how to be an effective leader, how to manage an
organization well, etc., but the best way to learn leadership skills is through experiencing it.
The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on.

WHAT IS TEAM BUILDING?

 One could say that team building is like coaching but for a group.

 To be effective, people need to work together toward a common goal in a coordinated and cooperative way. Therefore
one could also say that team building is a systematic process designed to improve working relationships and team
functioning such as problem solving, decision making and conflict resolution that enables the group to overcome any
goal blocking barrier. For many this result orientated mission is the real purpose for team building. A team building
goal therefore could be simply to identify and develop effective communications.

 The term team building generally refers to the selection, development, and collective motivation of result-oriented
teams. Team building is pursued via a variety of practices, such as group self-assessment and group-dynamic games,
and generally sits within the theory and practice of organizational development.

WHY IS TEAM BUILDING IMPORTANT?

We don't do team building simply because it creates harmonious work groups but primarily because it formalizes the
power of collaboration among what otherwise might be disenfranchised individuals. For many team building is a way to blend
talents, skills and inherent creativity of diverse people. With collaboration at its heart team building leverages team skills, time
and resources for their benefit and that of the organization. The consequence is that effective team building produces better,
faster results and provides a satisfying and motivating experience for team members.

Some reasons why team building is so important are:

1. most organizations are so complex and with de-layering there has to be team building for them to succeed
2. everyone needs to be working towards common goals (that team building will generate and nurture) which need to be
attainable and clearly communicated
3. team building environments will outperform none team based environments

Let us consider further why team is building is so important - team building will make favorable impact in six key areas:

1. Task Achievement - teams are not designed for dealing with simple, repetitive tasks, as individuals will generally be
quicker. However, team building comes into its own when faced with complex tasks, and associated problems, where
probably there is no single, correct answer.
2. Quality of Decisions - team building can generate more ideas than any one individual therefore, it has the choice of
many possibilities before it and the ultimate quality of the decision is likely to be better than an individual's decision.
3. Accuracy of Decisions - judgments are far better through team building than through individual assessment of tasks
that involve random error because team deliberation tends to purge ill-conceived notions and weak individual thinking.
4. Risk taking - it has been shown that team building creates confidence to take greater, but measured, risks (and seize
opportunities) than individuals would.
5. Motivation - team building enhances morale and spurs individuals on to perform effectively at a higher level.
6. Speed of learning - team building creates a progressive, but nurturing, environment enabling team members to learn
faster than individuals working alone.

Team building is important because it helps the group to capitalize on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. The
synergy that comes from team building can be very powerful.

TEAM BUILDING GOALS

 For many organizations team building has become an integral part of their organizational strategy. Their specific team
building goals are to provide team members with:

1. Clarification of mission and vision

2. Establishment of team members roles and responsibilities
3. Faster start up for new teams or teams with new leaders
4. Mechanisms for resolving conflict and elimination of dysfunctional behavior
5. An appreciation of differences in work styles and preferences

TEAM BUILDING ROLES

For the team building to work, the roles and duties contained within team working structures have to be determined. Teams
could, for example, be:

 A small group (typically 5 to 15 employees) which "owns" a distinct part of the process and whose members are
flexible within the group
 Aware of its customer's needs (both internal and external)
 The instrument for maintaining quality levels
 Responsible for its own housekeeping
 Left alone to undertake routine maintenance of plant and equipment
 Empowered to work out how its objectives fit in with the company's mission
 Tasked with making decisions on issues affecting the group
 Trained in problem solving techniques
 Responsible for safety issues
 Part of the selection process
 Self-determining on manning assignments and covering absent members
 Involved in layout of plant and equipment
 Continually striving to improve the product, service and delivery process

WHAT IS THE TEAM BUILDING PROCESS?

Everyone at work whether they are an operator or the Managing Director have worked with others in a team. Therefore
all can express views on what constitutes an effective team building process. However, making team building succeed is often
not as simple as it sounds. Problems with team building tend to be caused by team members who do not know very much about
the team building process.

The task of team building is first to establish what the team was established to achieve. The team building process
therefore must consists of all the things which go to make up how the team goes about achieving the task, and what influences it
whilst doing so.

There are many aspects to this team building thinking and here are a few:

 The team building structure - if there is a large number of a team member, it is often difficult to get a reasonably fair
discussion going. If there are too few, there may be a series of silences. If some of the team members are of a higher
status in the organization than others, then this could be inhibiting discussion and therefore arrest the team building
process. If there is insufficient expert knowledge in the team then opinions rather than facts will be offered which can
often lead to arguments and therefore destroy the team building process.
 The nature of the individuals - Differences in personality and mood often show up during team building - some
people can't seem to stop talking whilst others keep quiet, and others try to act as umpires or referees. All team building
discussions need to be controlled by the individuals and by a chairperson.
 The environment of the team meeting - The size of the meeting areas, its shape, heating, ventilation, lighting, seating,
acoustics and decorations can all affect the efficiency of team meetings and therefore the team building process.
  The way decisions are made - For team building behavior to take place, in a team meeting trying to reach a decision,
then the communication process must cultivate listening and foster fairness if commitment and consensus and with it
team building is to be realized.

A key to team building is that of creating a shared vision but that takes time and requires the full participation of all. If team
members do not have a personal vision or lack confidence to it then team building will become difficult if not untenable.

SELECTION FOR EFFECTIVE TEAM BUILDING

To make team building effective, team member selection is clearly very important. All too often team building is
dismissed as the assembly of a group of individuals, calling them a team and telling them to get on with it. (This may explain
why so many have difficulty getting the team building process to deliver the potential organizational benefits).

The essence of effective team building is that - the members of the team work well together either as a group from the
outset or initially simply compliments each other as individuals. In which case, the team building process will progress smoothly.
The potential compatibility of any particular individual with the rest of the team is therefore critically important for team building
to succeed.

Individuals need to understand and learn the skills that make effective team building possible. Most people know how
to work independently or to give up uniqueness to aid team building, but to maintain some individuality during the team building
process and subsequently during team working is an evolutionary step to take. Team members need to understand that team
building succeeds with diversity and creativity.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE TEAM:

1. Mutual trust – it takes a long time to build and can be destroyed quickly. It is established in a team when every
member feels free to express his opinion, says how he feels about issues and asks questions, which may concern
retaliation ridicule, or negative consequences.

2. Mutual support – it results from group members having genuine concern for each other’s welfare, growth and
personal success. If mutual support is established in a team, a member need not waste time and energy protecting
himself or his function from anyone else. All we give and receive help to and from each other in accomplishing
whatever goal the team is working on.

3. Genuine communication – it has 2 dimensions: (1) the quality and openness and authenticity of the member who is
speaking; (2) the quality of non – evaluative listening by other members

Open authenticity communication takes place when mutual trust and support are so well established that
no member feels he has to be guarded or cautions about what he says;

Non–evaluative listening simply means listening to what the other person is trying to communicate, with
bias – filters removed.

4. Accepting conflicts as normal and working them through – individuals differ uniquely from one another and will not
agree on many things. A good leader accepts conflicts as normal, natural and as asset, since it is from conflict that most
growth and innovation are derived.

5. Mutual respect for individual differences – there are decisions which, in goal – oriented team, must be team decisions
because they require the commitment of most or all the resources of the team and cannot be implemented without this
commitment. A good team delegates within itself.

ENVIRONMENT

It is perceived as the immediate surroundings of an individual. In a boarder context, environment is a complex system
which deals with a network of living and non-living entities.
ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

It is a zero-waste management through total recycling for the community. Its main objective is to make the community
permanently and regularly clean, sanitary and litter less. It also inspires and elicits maximum voluntary participation from almost
all of the people and various sectors of the community while persuasively challenging the creativity skills and capabilities for
cooperation and unity.

ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT act of 2000 – RA 9003

Republic Act 9003 considers “waste as a resource that can be recovered,” emphasizing re-cycling, re-use and
composting as methods to minimize and eventually manage the waste program.
This act aims for the reduction of solid waste through “source reduction and waste minimization measures including
composting, recycling, re-use, recovery, green charcoal process, and others before collection, treatment, and disposal in
appropriate and environmentally sound solid waste management facilities in accordance with ecologically sustainable
development principles”. (Section2-C)
It also sets to “ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment, and disposal of solid waste
through formulation and adoption of the best environmental practice in ecological waste management excluding incineration”.
(Section 2-D)
Further, this Act gives strong emphasis on the role of municipal and local government units (LGUs). It empowers the
LGUs to create solid waste management communities even in the barangay level. This requires the participation of non-
government offices, people’s organizations, church leaders, educators, and other business and community associations.

BENEFITS OF ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

 Simplified, hygienic, dignified management of household waste

 Maximum and optimum recovery or retrieval of much needed, costly materials
 Enhanced ecological balance of the environment, eliminating open dump sites, lessening pollution of our soil, air and
water resources
 Served as a springboard or starting point for useful, timely household or barangay level projects to help our people
endure or overcome the present economic crisis such as:
 Food production (backyard vegetable gardens, mini-space, container gardens, eco-pounds using household
waste water for raising kangkong, gabi, kuhol, tialapia, azola, etc.)
 Cottage industries (handicraft, house-décor, toys) utilizing discarded materials and generating employment
for housewives, out of school youth and school children
 Herbal gardens, ornamental plant nurseries, fruit bearing, fuel or firewood supplying trees (like ipil ipil),
organic compost-making techniques, greening and reforestation projects
 Trash-to-cash projects to generate seed capital for health services and health education projects, and
vocational training programs
 Easily accessible/affordable, result-visible projects that can be easily understood by almost everyone

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF ECOLOGICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

1. Utilizing appropriate technology in existing dump site to prolong their life

2. Initially reduce volume of waste stream that mix both compostable and non-compostable waste
3. Reduce pollution by lessening unnecessary burning
4. Reduce the incidence of diseases associated with unsanitary or unhygienic waste disposal
5. Utilize waste material for income generating projects such as urban gardening and livestock raising, cottage
industry

METHODOLOGY OF THE FIVE F’s TOTAL RECYCLING

The two kinds of solid waste are:

1. Non-biodegradable or non-compostable
- Factory returnable (dry paper, cardboards, plastic rubber, glass, bottles, mirror, metals, mineral, tin
cans, dry fibers or pieces of clothing, and wood)
2. Biodegradable or compostable
- Feed materials (food leftovers, kitchen or cooking waste, fruit peeling, vegetable trimmings, egg
shells, and fish entrails)
 - Fertilizer materials (food leftovers, kitchen refuse, animal wastes, garden wastes such as dry leaves
and other plant parts, sawdust and wood shavings)
- Fuel materials (saw dust, shavings, wood boxes, rice hull, coco shells, corn cobs, coffee hull,
newspapers, and cardboards)
- Filling materials (porcelain chips and useable plastics)

What are the most productive/useful/healthful uses of each of the five F’s?
1. Factory recyclables can be used for handicrafts or sold to junk shops
2. Feed materials can be used for house pets, livestock or for composting
3. Fertilizer materials can be used for making compost to enrich the soil for growing vegetables, medicinal
plants and ornamental plants and fruit trees
4. Fuel materials can be used for cooking purposes
5. Filling materials are unusable or unwanted materials which can be compactly packed in plastic bags
buried low places putting stones and soil over these filling materials

Why are compostable deadly when not properly managed?

Even if organic compostable are just 10 to 20% per households and with lesser volume, the potential
problems of increasing the density of flies, cockroaches, rodents (rats) by providing food, harborages and breeding
grounds are really dangerous.
Every minute, three Filipinos die, 80% are most related to filth-borne associated diseases or poor
management of solid or liquid waste. The sad thing is that most of them are children below 6 years of age.
Compostable or organic biomass when allowed on the surface, water body would mean reduction of
dissolved oxygen due to organism planktons growth competing with the oxygen. This result to reduction of fish
population due to fish kill bloom is inevitable. Siltation sedimentation caused by organic biomass will eventually kill
the coral reef (hence 70% of corals are damaged) due to compostable being eroded by rain.

Why dump sites increase ecological problems?

1. To maintain a dump site is very expensive and it lowers the values of the land plus it attracts household
pests and pollution problems
2. Scavengers are difficult to control at dump sites. The practice of dump site sorting will bring more
misery to the poor and will increase the disease pattern with volume of waste uncontrolled, top soil
covering will be very expensive in both equipment and energy use
3. Pollution will always be the problem in all dump sites, especially during rainy days. Air pollution will
add gases that are highly toxic.
4. The methane generated by methanuric bacteria if uncollected or not properly use can contribute 20 times
more warming than carbon dioxide in vehicles.

COMPOSTING
It is a biological process in which organic materials such as vegetable trimmings, fruit peelings, kitchen refuse, dry
leaves cut grasses and plant parts are broken down into a soil-like product. It is a form of recycling, a natural way of returning
nutrients to the soil.

What are the benefits of composting?

1. By composting organic wastes at home, one can produce a soil enriches which can be used in gardening
2. It reduces the incidence of household pests by minimizing their food supply
3. It reduces the valuable landfill spaces normally used to dispose this materials

What are the types of small-scale composters?

a. Twin pits
b. Paso-paso or clay flower pots compost garden
c. Backyard compost pile

THE THREE TYPES OF Rs OF SLOID WASTE MANAGEMENT

1. R is for REDUCE. Avoid wasteful consumption of goods. Begin by asking the question: “Do I really need it?” in
doing so, we minimize waste and conserve our natural resources. Conservation like charity begin within thyself.
 2. R is for REUSE. When practicable reuse items that is still useful instead of just throwing them away. It would
greatly help if we patronize goods that are reusable rather than throw away types.
3. R is for RECYCLE. Waste can be valuable resource. Items that are useless or of little may mean great value to
someone.

SOURCES OF SOLID WASTE IN A COMMUNITY

1. Household wastes – waste generated at the household level
2. Commercial-Industrial wastes – generated by restaurants, eateries, offices, markets, talipapa, plant mills, factories
(including such as chemicals, paints and sand)
3. Farm and Agricultural wastes – farm manure and crop residues
4. Institutional wastes – generated by hospitals, schools, churches and prisons
5. Mining wastes – slag heaps and coal refuse piles
6. Miscellaneous and Specialized wastes – residues of sewage treatment plants, ash from incinerators and residues
from the combustion of solid fuels, debris caused by disasters (fires, typhoons, flood, etc.) large waste from
demolitions and construction rubble, and dead animals.
7. Hazardous wastes – wastes that pose a potential hazard to living creatures because they are toxic or lethal, non-
degradable or persistent in nature, and may cause detrimental cumulative effects.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT WASTE GENERATION

1. The state of the national economy – as standards arise, there is a corresponding increase in the quantity and quality
of wastes
2. The lifestyle of the people – reflected in product marketing techniques, such as the clearly perceptible shift in
consumer preferences for pre-packaged foodstuff, the increase in use of paper lined with plastics for packaging,
and the use of disposable diapers.
3. The demographic profile of the population – the greater the number of persons per household, the greater volume
of waste generated
4. The size and type of dwelling – those who dwell in larger and more expensive type homes produce more waste per
capita.
5. Age – young consumers patronize a set of products different from those consumed by their elders.
6. Religion – consumer preferences in Islamic countries differ greatly with predominantly Christian nations.
7. The extent to which the 3R’s are carried out – where the population is more concerned with the environment in
general, there is a concerted effort to cut down waste at the point of origin
8. Presence of pets and domestic animals
9. Seasonal variations
10. Presence of laws and ordinances governing waste management
11. Company buy-lack guarantees for used containers and packaging

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY
Introduction

Community centers and associations have played a significant part in the life of many local communities and networks.
The new social centers are not limited to recreational activities, and most important because ‘socialized schools’, could act as
magnets attracting, citizens whose segregation into class and ethnic groups had obscured their common bonds, loyalties, and
responsibilities. Like social settlements before them, social centers would harmonize and encourage cooperation among the
working class and immigrant elements and at the same time ease some of the difficulty of depressed life.
It is believed that people occasionally need a break from their routine activities and therefore providing community and
recreational activities would allow them to develop different skills. Basic enjoyment arising from simple barangay “palaro”
would encourage youth participation and may promote actions against drugs. Recreational activities are not limited to the youth –
hence, elderly activities are also thought of and made possible over time. These would include sport-related activities, educational
and even musical sessions.

Definition of Recreational Activities

 is a leisure activity, which is done free time
 sometimes referred to as play for the young and diversion for the adults, because they are enjoying the activity

Lopez et.al, (1993) defines it, as a worthwhile, socially accepted and socially constructive leisure experience that provides
immediate and inherent satisfaction to the individual who voluntarily participates in the activity.

Other definition given by Coloma & Herrera (2004) state that:

 It is an activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates a person
 A diversion that occupies one’s time and thoughts, usually pleasantly
  An activity that refreshes, renews health and spirit of enjoyment and relaxation

Values of Recreational Activities

1. Engaging in favorable sports could develop good health, muscular strength, power, agility, flexibility, etc.
2. Proper conduct and behavior among participants could also be developed through group activities.
3. Joining on the leagues, clubs and other smaller organizations could give the out of school youth the opportunity to
socialize through group work in the form of play and other extracurricular activities instead of roaming in the streets to
create trouble.
4. Organizing competitions in the different enjoyable activities such as sports and games, dancing, and other activities can
develop the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play.
5. Leisure time activities could bring happiness to a person.
6. Sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership and honesty could be developed in joining sports.

Types of Recreational Activities

1. Physical
 aerobics
 dancing
 group games
 minor sports
 outing like field trips, picnics, hiking and camping

2. Social
 parties, dancing
 evening dinner with friends

3. Cultural
 arts and crafts
 glee club and choral groups
 dramatics, concerts and lectures

4. Intellectual
 poetry writing
 song writing
 reading
 research and investigations
 short story and novel writing
 answering crossword puzzles
 playing chess
 scrabble

Concept of Community Needs Assessment

Needs assessment, social analysis or community diagnosis as others refer to, is a concrete base for the formulation of
programs. It reflects the sentiments, needs, aspirations and recommendations of the community people. When it is done properly,
it will reflect also the trainees’ feeling of oneness with the community. They begin to see that the people’s problems also reflect
their own.
Needs assessment becomes significant when it is conducted through integration with the people. Our analysis and
assessment should be done with the people. Hence, it does be genuinely pro-people. Analysis of social situation becomes
meaningful if it is used as an instrument for conscientization. Those immersing in the community must not just make the people
realize their issues but also make them to act on it. Their realization of the problems should help make the community realize the
relation between their local condition and situation of other communities around them. It is important that the people realize that
they can do something to change their situation for the better.
Assessing the needs of the community is a prelude to effective program offered to clients. This will ensure solutions to
problems, issues and concerns of the people in the locality.

Community Needs Assessment Defined

It is the process wherein problems, issues and concerns of the community are identified through the use of several tools
for assessment.
It encourages the participation of the community, as they are the stakeholders, to the findings in the assessment.

Importance of Needs Assessment

1. Gather information about citizens’ attitudes and options in order of importance.
 2. Determine how citizens rank issues, problems and opportunities in order of importance or urgency.
3. Give citizens a voice in determining policies, goals and priorities.
4. Evaluate current programs and policies.
5. Provide speculations about what people are thinking.
6. Provide speculations about what people really want.

Information to be included in Assessing Community Needs

1. Historical Development
Refers to data on how the community became what it is today and provides insights into the kind of resources to collect
and weed.
2. Geographical and Transportation Information
It includes information on the community’s patterns and population contributions.
3. Political and Legal Functions
It includes strategies for community-based selection [or this may include strategies that community uses for selecting
players in the political sphere].
4. Demographic Data
It includes data on age characteristics, size, race, and transience of population.
5. Economic Data
It refers to the economic base, social, cultural, educational, recreational organizations. This includes the values and
social pattern.

Methods in Collecting Data for Community Needs Assessment

1. Focused Group Discussion (FGD) with Key informants
The key informants of the community are people who hold socially responsible positions such as educators, public
officials, clergy and business representatives or those who are active in community events.
These are people who can provide good information that will guide and give you better understanding on historical
issues needed by the community.
2. Community Forum/Assembly
This involves holding of group events that may include the entire community. It gives visibility to the leaders and raises
the status of the community but it requires lots of planning and publicity.
This meeting can be a venue where people can express their needs and be immediately validated by the rest of the
attendees. Participatory action research effectively uses this method.
3. Public Records
Public records like national census will provide data for social and demographic indicators of the community. Data
include are age, gender, educational level, locality, etc. that tend to contribute to library use.
4. Survey
Survey and questionnaires involve asking individuals in the community about their everyday needs. This can be
implemented through the following:
a. Mailing questionnaires to randomly selected members of the community;
b. Performing telephone survey;
c. Handing out surveys while people are in an assembly; and
d. Posting questionnaires on your public access computer catalog
“An example of this is the Minimum Basic Needs (MBN) Form of the DSWD”.

Steps in Conducting Needs Assessment

1. Establish a working committee to solicit citizen and community involvement and develop a plan of action.
2. List important aspects that are needed to be looked upon.
This may also mean identifying the surveyors’ own capability and strength.
3. Identify the population to be surveyed.
This also includes making communications with community leaders and authorities of the identified population to
facilitate other procedures.
4. Determine the information that is needed.
It may be existing information which must be collected or it may be information gathered using a survey. Information
like demographic profile may be readily gathered from the barangay, municipal or city records office
5. Select a random sample of person to survey.
A good number of representative populations to be surveyed will contribute to the validity of the information.
6. Develop and pretest a questionnaire.
Afterwards, if the questionnaire was found to be a valid tool for measurement of data, proceed to distributing the
questionnaire for community use.
7. Collate the information.
8. Analyze the data.
 This may be done together with the core group members of the community. Community participation in analyzing
gathered data is also important so that they can feel the ownership of the issues and concerns in their community.
9. Go back to the community for validation of information.
This may be done through a community assembly or simple community group discussion.
10. Finalize the document.
Make sure that there are corresponding recommendations for the issues and concerns found.

Community Assistance in Assessing Needs

1. Help identify community groups and citizens to be involved in the working committee.
2. Facilitate a group discussion to identify important issues and set priorities.
3. Help select the sample to be surveyed and design a system to identify respondents.
4. Provide tested questions from which the working committees choose questions that address the issues and
concerns.
5. Help design a process to distribute and collect survey questionnaires, code, enter and analyze the resulting data.
6. Provide summary reports of data.
7. Suggest programs to report the results and strategies to solicit community involvement.
8. Work with citizens to identify courses of action based on the information.

SOCIAL RESOURCE MOBILIZATION

The concept of social mobilization emerged from the recognition that a genuine participatory to development is
essential for success and sustainability. Civil society participation in development efforts is, therefore, increasingly recognized by
agencies and governments as essential for promoting good governance- improving responsiveness of national policies and
programs to citizen’s needs and ensuring transparency and accountability in policy- making and implementation processes of
such programs like the Civic Welfare Training Service. Genuine participation of people involved and the citizen’s, however, is
very necessary and goes beyond dialogue with or contracting a few non- governmental organizations. It must engage all citizens
(men and women, in their various capacities, socio- economic status, affiliations and locations) beyond elections to active
participation in making decisions that affect their lives. Involving people requires efforts and mechanisms that can empower all
but, most especially, the disadvantaged members of society to participate effectively in developmental processes.

The social mobilization concept requires working hand- in- hand with individuals, organizations, policy makers and
communities to forge a collective identity to achieve common goals. It is through this process that people at various levels of
society engage in dialogue and negotiation wherein collective action emanates. It is also an approach that involves planned
actions and processes to reach, influence and involve all relevant segments of society across all sectors from the national to
community levels in order to effect positive behavior and social change.

Social mobilization is also an approach and tool for the Civic Welfare Training Group to adopt whichever can help
people organize for collective action by pooling resources and building the solidarity required to resolve common problems and
work towards community advancement. It is a process that empowers men and women to organize their own democratically self-
governing groups or community organizations which enable them to initiate and control their own personal and communal
development. It is a process of taking action to influence behavior to positively affect social change at all levels of society.

Effective social mobilization goes beyond community organizations, harnessing the potential and efforts of
government, non- governmental sectors and citizens to work towards sustainable social, economic and political development. The
benefits of social mobilization to community organizations and its impact locally and nationally can be best sustained within an
enabling political, policy and regulatory environment where mechanisms for linking experiences and lessons at the community
level to policy are developed.

Social mobilization as a whole aims to involve all the people in the communities and empower them to act at the
grassroots level. The outcomes should be the people’s active involvement ranging from identifying a need to implementation in
achieving the development objective and evaluation effort. Simply stated, social mobilization calls for a journey among partners
and results in the successful transformation of development goals into societal action

The societal mobilization strategy calls for partnership with all stakeholders which are the following:

1. Political-policy makers
Advocacy in this group helps foster the commitment that will clear the way for action. The goal here is
to build consensus with sound data, to create a knowledgeable and supportive environment for decision- making,
including the allocation of adequate resources.

2. Bureaucratic/ Technocratic- government workers and technical experts

 Policy makers depend on the technocrats, bureaucrats, and service professionals to provide the rationale
for decisions as well as to plan and implement programs. This sector includes disparate groups, each with its own
agenda, conflicting interests and concerns.

3. Non-governmental sector
This covers a multitude of interests. Non- governmental organizations for special purposes, social
institutions and associations that represent organized support, religious groups with their ideological bends,
commerce and industry that operate on for- profit basis and professional groups that exist to advance their interests
are here.

4. Community groups
Community leaders, schools, churches, mosques, and grassroots groups are critical to get communities
involved. They help transform development goals into action. Popular participation takes place here.

5. Households and individuals

Individual actions are the ultimate pay- off of the health program. In the household, where such
behavioral actions take place, key individuals in traditional society often hold sway. There is a need for a
deliberate action to inform and educate individuals in the household, so that they can make informed choices.

KEY ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL MOBILIZATION

1. Organizational Development
It is a process in which community members, especially the poor, form their own groups or organizations based on
common development interests and needs that are best served in organizing themselves as a group.

2. Capital formation for development through Community Savings

This enhances a community organization’s power to realize its full potential. “Savings generated by individual
members are the assets of the community organization and are the first step towards their self- reliance” (Pandey,
2002) Accumulated savings can be used for internal credit with interest, to enable individual members to engage
in income generation activities. They can also be used for enterprise development at the community level.

3. Training for Human Resource Development

Community members can maximize their potential not only by organizing themselves but also by upgrading their
existing skills to better manage new inputs- business and community initiatives- and establish effective links with
local governments and other sectors. Local human resource development can be best promoted when trained
individuals take up the responsibility to train other community members.

4. Socio- economic development

Socio- economic development initiatives are a great incentive for community members to organize themselves. It
is important, therefore, that an initiative which includes social mobilization provide support in the form of
matching grants or access to credit, marketing and other services that will lead to tangible improvements in social
economic conditions within the community if well facilitated, this process can result in increased institutional
capacity, enhanced social status and voice (especially for disadvantaged people, including women, the poor and
youth). These results, in turn, motivate people to remain organized as they begin to enjoy the benefits of collective
action and recognize its potential to create or influence change in their communities.

BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MOBILIZATION

1. For Poverty Alleviation

Social mobilization is an important tool in the poverty alleviation process, as it enables communities and the
poor to help themselves to engage actively in solving their own problems and effectively tackling poverty in its
multi- dimensional form.

2. For promoting Democratic Governance

Social mobilization must be institutionalized within government for it to be effective. This would encourage
participation in decision- making, build capacity for participatory planning, build a common vision on
development and ensure transparency.
Creating demand for good governance through social mobilization must be complemented with increased
capacity of the local government to manage and effectively respond to this demand and improve its governance
practices Capacity- building efforts must therefore target civil society organizations (including CBOs, elected
representatives, etc) and government
 3. For Environment
Social mobilization organizes people to better manage their natural resources and fight against illegal
practices of organizations that degrade the environment, through promoting appropriate legal, regulatory and
institutional frameworks and policy dialogue.

4. For Conflict Prevention

As people organize to address common problems, and to collectively improve their socio- economic
conditions in an equitable, democratic and transparent manner, the possibility of conflict can be significantly
reduced.

Social mobilization is said to be best effective when it reveals that:

1. The organized people representing different ethnic group act as a vehicle to develop social harmony and peace and
increase the general capacity of the people for self- empowerment. Full participation at the grass- roots is only
possible if the rural people are organized.

2. A properly designed community mobilization process leads community members, both male and female, to the
emergence of self- governing institutions which act as the sustainable organizations for co-operation, peace and
development, helping people to enhance their receiving and utilizing capacities and also to work together for
household and community initiatives.

3. The result of the social mobilization process is that people get organized to work together if they live in close
proximity and share common interests for community development. The foremost requirement in this process is
that people organize themselves into a broad based and multi- purpose and multi- ethnic Community Organization
(CO).

4. The Community Organization is a mass coalition of all those residents of a village whose continuing economic
and social interests are best served organizing themselves as a group. Such an organization can be created around
an activity of importance to most of the villagers. Before one becomes a member of CO, the individual struggles
against a harsh environment. Once he/ she is organized in a broad- based group, the individual has the leverage
with which to address and tackle problems, which he/ she could not have done alone. The group can function in
various fields depending on the needs of the village or community.

5. Social mobilization is based on the active participation of all households without any discrimination. For
preventive development to be effective, mobilization should cover each member of the community, irrespective of
the ethnic group, economic group or different settlements at the lower level. Social harmony will be best achieved
by forming social capital through multi- ethnic and multi- economic group community organizations which will be
engaged in multi- sectoral development for themselves and their villages.

NETWORKING & LINGKAGING

WHAT IS AN ALLIANCE?
An alliance is an association of people, groups, or nations who agree to cooperate and achieve a shared goal.
It is the coming together of persons, groups or nation, mutually committing to support each other to achieve a desired
goal.

When are alliances formed?

 Alliances are formed when there are needs or objectives that are perceived to be shared like protection from a common
enemy, or objectives to attain.

 Alliances are formed when aside from having common needs and objectives mutual trust and respect and a willingness
to commit are present.

Who are these Potential Allies?

Potential Stakeholders maybe the local government units from the barangay to the provincial level, people’s organization, non
governmental organizations, academic and research institutions, media business associations, donor agencies, even armed groups
from the government or otherwise.

STEPS in ALLIANCE BUILDING

1. COMING TOGETHER- Before any alliance takes place one has to have a good understanding about the project
- the rallying point. It is responsive to the needs identified by the beneficiaries themselves. Does its scheme
manifest assurance of continuity or sustainability? Are the key personnel of its management without doubt
qualified and committed? What can you offer as your counterpart in the alliance?
 Initiators for collaborative work come together due to:
1. need for action and
2. a common vision of a better community
3. other than knowledge about and access to potential partners, initiators in alliance building
must consider also the following:
a. Adequacy of Partners. The coverage of the collaborative task determines the
adequate number of collaborative partners. Too many alliances may require a
restructuring to avoid confusion and unnecessary delays. Breaking the big
group into smaller groups and the big task into smaller ones will help keep the
alliance effective and efficient. The more specific task will be assigned to the
sub groups.
b. Interest and commitment of decision Makers. To facilitate and strengthen the
collaborative bond, major policy makers and authorities of all collaborating
stakeholders should be drawn into line. Initiators must sell the idea of working
together to them to get their interest and commitment. Once you win them on
your side, others will fall into line.
4. Threats but potential partners. Persons and Organization perceived to be blocks to
collaborative work that possesses the needed resources and skills for a successful
collaboration should be influenced to join in. Sitting down with them to present the
advantages of collaborating with each other might work. There are cases when staunch
opponents become significant allies.
5. History of potential partners. It is also to consider how the person or group worked with
alliances in the past. Identifying the goat from the sheep at the inception stage will help
secure the viability of the collaborative endeavor.
6. Skills, it is imperative to know what skills are needed to bring this collaboration into
success. Initiators of the alliance should look into the personal and collective skills in the
market of would be partners.
7. Multi sectoral participation. Initiatives to collaborate tend to involve only persons and
institutions within the same field of discipline and or mission. However, often needed
data, skills, resources and other form of support can come from persons or groups
belonging to other sectors.

2. BUILDING AND STRENTHENING

After identifying Potential partners, what more can be done?

In 1992, Apple and IBM rushed to do a joint venture called Taligent tasked to create a new-object oriented
operating system. This joint venture for a time showed indicators of synergism. But later, the objective of
creating a new operating system failed. IBM took upon its shoulder the burden of the loss which was said to
exceed $150 Million.

What was wrong in that partnership? With all systems seemingly in their right places at the outset, why
did it fail? Why Apple and IBM succeeded for a while to convince people that trust and respect were present
in the years of their partnership; the reverse actually happened. Their years of togetherness were puckered
with a number of lawsuits thrown against each other for patent and technology infringement. Clearly, trust
and respect were absent from beginning of their alliance. This failure of an early alliance prototype teaches us
to properly establish the rules of engagement for creating a genuine, honest and transparent alliance.

a. Getting Potential Partners to Engage

1. Gather as much information about the prospective partner before
meeting them. Conduct profiling of potential stakeholders in the
vicinity in terms of their VGMO, programs, projects, target
beneficiaries and resources. Identify from the data the potential
partners that have a role in addressing certain issues or components of
the project.
2. Know the decision-makers and the key players in the organization.
Invite them to your program presentation.
3. Present the program in a simple, organized and understandable manner.
 4. Show the potential mutual benefits that can be gained from
collaborating.
5. Be attentive to the interests and cultural overtones of potential
collaborators.
6. Be clear with the exploratory intentions of the first few meetings with
potential partners.
b. Leveling off. By leveling off, partners create a base of information accessible to all
stakeholders to facilitate common knowledge about partner’s self-interest, cultures
and visions.
1. Self-interest is a powerful stimulant which when properly understood
and considered can work to the advantage of the alliance. It should be
clear to all what each partner has something to gain from collaborating.
The more self-interest is openly expressed, the deeper trust and respect
develop between or among collaborators.
2. Sensitivity and responsibility to be expressed and implied cultural
differences and similarities can further enhance the level of respect and
trust. Talking candidly about cultural expectations and traditions during
formal and informal gatherings is important.
3. A shared vision ensures sustainability of collaboration. A shared vision
is an imagery of what partners hope to create in the future. Formulating
a vision out of many individual or corporate visions is difficult because
it takes a lot of listening, thinking, time and maturity. But, when
partners are clear on what desired ends the alliance is working to
achieve, they will be motivated and energized.

3. STRATEGIC PLANNING. This provides the framework for allied work; it is divided into five (5) tasks:
 Formulation of the Mission Statement. The mission statement expresses the particular of the
general direction stated by the vision, the purposes, values and beliefs of the alliance.
1. It must describe what must be achieved for whom
2. It must define the coverage of task.
3. It must express the desired objectives which is related to the missions of individual or
collective partners but somehow unique from them.
4. It must be clearly expressed for all partners to understand.
 Environmental and Capacity Assessment
1. Environmental assessment looks into the threats and the opportunities external but affecting
the collaboration.
2. Capacity assessment looks into internal strengths and weaknesses and confronts the
environment in the context of its perceived capabilities. A hasty external and self-analysis
may spell disaster for the alliance. A careful analysis of both reinforces strengths and fills
in gaps consequently making the alliance stronger.
 Goal Formulation. A goal is a specific statement of what alliance commits to do. This consists of
the standard against which the progress of the alliance is to be measured. Goals that span for a
period of three years or more are called long term goals and those that are immediate are dubbed
as short term goals.
1. A goal states desired achievements
2. It is realistic
3. It is measurable
4. It is specific
5. It is expressed in a simple and easily understood statement.
 Strategy Selection. To achieve the goals, appropriate strategy should be selected.
1. An appropriate strategy must lead to goal realization
2. It must work within the bounds of available resources
3. It must be consistent with the mission Statement.
 Development of an Action Plan. Basing on the goals made, a plan of action is made. The plan of
action list down the steps to be undertaken. The plan may best be arranged into a matrix for easy
reference. The action plan consists of the following data:
1. the activities to be undertaken
2. the partners responsible to carry out the activity
3. time frame for completion
4. accountability indicators
5. success indicators and
6. anticipated costs
 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN. This is the time for the allied partners to manifest their
commitment to the mission and vision that they set for themselves under this collaborative scheme. The
implementation may begin by piloting certain activities before going full scale. This allows partners to fill gaps
before resorting to full implementation.

5. EVALUATION. This stage is the time of knowing how the collaborative efforts and strategies fare against the
set standards. Evaluation may be conducted by all the stakeholders of the alliance or it may be conducted by all
the stakeholders of the alliance or it may be conducted by entities external to it. AN evaluation tool that is
sensitive enough to measure degrees of efficiency, effectiveness, and other indicators of success should be
designed. Invite the stakeholders to be present in the present in the project’s evaluation and phasing-out activities.
 the whole collaborative process is subject to review and revision as more allies are added, as new
events unfold and as new directions are set.

SYNTHESIS

Building alliance or developing inter-agency collaboration is a systematic process of research, group dynamics, planning,
decision making, implementing and evaluating. Alliances increase the quantity and the quality of resources enhancing service
delivery and encouraging the better use of available resources in addressing most common interest and goals. It also increases
opportunities for cultural exchange and cultural awareness and competence. However it is a difficult process since it necessitates
sensitivity to individual/ institutional and cultural differences as well as sustained adaptation or coping up with the ever changing
environment. Moreover the act of collaborating can sometimes drag on to a loner time and may also take considerable physical
and psychological investments. A strong alliance is a product of sustained effort and commitment of partners. Transparency, right
motivation and trust from each partner for all partners in the collaborative alliance are in fact the essential bond without which
alliances dissipates.

OVERVIEW OF THE IMMERSION

What is a community?

A community is a collective of people with similar interests and goals whether living in the same geographic locality or
not.

What are the elements of a community?

 Demographics (include population distribution and density)

 History (events of the past that contributed to the development of the community)
 Culture (ways of living of the people)
 Economy (income level, occupation of people)
 Structures (physical, political and social structures)

Why is immersion an important approach (strategy) in giving service to the communities?

Through community immersion, trainees will be exposed in further and other realities of life which they may or may
not belong to.
What is community immersion?

Community immersion is a strategy that goes beyond acquainting us with community concerns but make possible
participation in their (re)solution.

Forms of integration in community immersion:

 Home visits
 Living with selected families preferably with key informants
 Informal discussions with individual or groups
 Sharing in household and community activities (cooking with the community host, clean –up drive)
 Attendance in social gatherings (fiesta, weddings, etc.)
 Assistance in production work (selling, farming, etc.)

Whom do you immerse within the community?

Community-based service projects must be premised on the principle of people empowerment and not the “dole-out” mentality.
Teach people how to fish so that they will live for a lifetime.
What conditions may qualify one to go into community immersion?

As for NSTP, students enrolled in NSTP_CWTS?LTS 2 are mandated to undergo community immersion for a period covering a
minimum of 54 hours to a maximum of 90 hours a cited from CHED prescribed Program of Instruction (POI), 2007 edition.

What personal gains may a student get from community immersion?

Community immersion improves the trainees’ understanding of himself in relation to others.

 Opportunity for the trainees to comprehend people’s lives because of the chance given to them to see real life
situations, live, identify and associate with the people therein;
 Gain social acceptance derived from community relations coupled with the right to offer services;
 Enhance experiences in conducting asset mapping such as identifying geographic coverage, point out resources and the
use, and the relationships of people with the existing resources;
 Establish rapport and relationship with different people who may be of help to them at some future time;
 Develop their conscientization ability. It helps them realize issues that will help solve problems in the community. It is
important for them to do something that can change their situation.
 Acquire first-hand experiences in dealing with community works; and
 Chance to learn life skills that will enrich and better their persons.
What you should and should not do in community immersion?

THINGS TO REMEMBER…
(Before the conduct of community immersion)

1. Familiarize yourself with the basic information and theories regarding community life. At this stage, you must at least have
in your mind a community you intend to immerse at. Ask around for information about this community.
2. Secure a waiver from the NSTP Office prior to the visit and have it signed by your parents.
3. Always inform your faculty in-charge of your destination, time table and plan of action.
4. Be armed with background information about the area of immersion. This will be helpful in locating resources and site entry
and exit points which will make your travel more convenient. Background information will enable you to anticipate the
general characteristic of people in that area.
In example, there are barangays here in Manila which are historically and primarily composed of Pampangueños. With
this background information, you can assess that people in that community mainly identify with Pampagueños. To facilitate
your community activities promptly, you can ask a fellow train who have deeper understanding of the culture to lead you on.
5. Pay courtesy call to community leaders, whether formal or informa l. Courtesy calls may also be done to officers of an NGO
where the project is also directed to. Be sure that the people who will be you in your project and the key informants of the
community are informed of your every visit. Provide them a copy of the schedule of your activity.
*Harmonious relationship with community leaders and officers can almost ensure you your safety in their area. By
relating well towards them, you can solicit their support in your projects and activities. This may be able to commit in
providing security when you roam around and familiarize yourself with the community.
6. Secure documents like letter of acceptance from the community , Memorandum of Agreement, etc. and other documents
pertinent to your stay in the community.
7. Bring your own personal provisions like water, snacks and extra shirt . These will be helpful to fill these hunger pangs while
conducting the immersion. Community people are often very hospitable. They will almost likely offer you food and water if
they see that you are unable to provide for yourself. This is despite that they might be offering their last supply of food.
Remember, you are there in the community to assess if you could help and work with them, so try not to be an additional
burden to them.

During the Actual Conduct of Community Immersion…

8. Be courteous to everyone -- whether to a vendor or a community official. Remember

that you are there to work with the community.
9. Act properly and discretely. YOU ARE REPRESENTING YOUR SCHOOL AND YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS. Be
RESPONSIBLE WITH THE WORDS YOU SAY. Your actins and words would easily be generalized as the behavior of
every other student in your school. In one of our interviews with community organizations, they alleged that some schools
wherein their previous students have not shown proper behavior will no longer be welcome to conduct immersion activities
in their area.
10. Depending on the type of entry you use, (please see page 50 on Phases of Community Immersion) wear proper uniforms and
identification card. This will allow the community to identify who are the trainees who will immerse in their community.
This can also promote your school’s image as you become “ambassadors” for community service. Depending on the
 situation, there may be some cases wherein decent civilian clothes are more appropriate to wear during immersion time
especially if you are trying to be mass-based and less format.
11. It is highly advised to keep your valuable secured to protect you from unnecessarily attracting and distracting community
people, from possible theft, etc.
12. Depending on the type of entry you use, (please see page 50 on Phases of Community Immersion) wear proper uniforms and
identification card. This will allow the community to identify who are the trainees who will immerse in their community.
This can also promote your school’s image as you become “ambassadors” for community service. Depending on the
situation, there may be some cases wherein decent civilian clothes are more appropriate to wear during immersion time
especially if you are trying to be mass-based and less format.
13. It is highly advised to keep your valuable secured to protect you from unnecessarily attracting and distracting community
people, from possible theft, etc.

After community immersion

14. Validate and evaluate if the programs and activities were conducted appropriately and as planned.
15. Provide copies of your final documentation output to the UNSTP Office and to the community where you conducted your
immersion for records purposes.
* Your documentation may serve as a baseline study for the community and other batches of NSTP students in
conducting community immersion. This will avoid unnecessary repetition of activities and may be a basis for
enhancement of other previously conducted activities.

Things to avoid…

Before the conduct of community immersion

1. Never forget to inform and get the consent of our parents/guardians about the activities lined up.
2. Do not go directly to the community without determining the background information about it.
3. Avoid bringing of original copies of signed documents in the community. It is better to carry around original and certified
true copies of documents to prevent loss and smudging the paper.
4. However sometimes, community people could be insistent in their hospitality in offering you provisions like food. Try to
gauge whether it would be offensive to refuse their offer. If you think they will be offended if you beg off, you may accept
food or water in your plate or glass but do not consume it. Especially if you are not able to have as much background
information in the community you are immersing at, avoid consuming their resources and focus on your work. This is also
for your own safety.
*Whenever possible and not offensive, decline and tell them respectfully rather that you appreciate their hospitality.

During the actual community immersion period

1. Avoid labeling ands naming people with politically incorrect terms. Try to be more discreet in your use of
words to avoid offending other people.
2. Do not show off in terms of dressing up. You are there in the community to help. Just bring an extra white
shirt f you have to change your soiled uniforms after your activities.
Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Be as low profile as possible and avoid being identified as a guest in the community.
3. Never bring out your valuable things like cell phones, jewelry and money in public places.
4. Never promise and commit to a task that is beyond your and your school’s capability. Never go beyond the
activities stated in your MOA to avoid false commitments and dependency of the community.