Empowering Communities For Self-Determination

Empowering Communities for Self-Determination
Copyright © 2009 Local Governance Support Program in

ARMM (LGSPA)
All rights reserved.
The Local Governance Support Program in ARMM (LGSPA)
encourages the use, translation, adaptation and copying of
this material for non-commercial use, with appropriate credit
given to LGSPA.
Although reasonable care has been taken in the preparation
of this manual, neither the publisher nor contributor, nor
writer can accept any liability for any consequences arising TECHNICAL TEAM
from the use thereof or from any information contained
herein.
Writer
ISBN: 978-971-94572-3-7 MADETT VIROLA-GARDIOLA
Printed and bound in Davao City, Philippines Editorial and Creative Direction
MYN GARCIA
Published by:
Contributors and Technical Review Team
The Local Governance Support Program in ARMM (LGSPA) KFI COs and Management Team
Unit 72 Landco Corporate Centre GUIAMEL ALIM
J.P. Laurel Avenue, Bajada
8000 Davao City, Philippines RENE SALAZAR
Tel. No. 63 2 227 7980-81 ATTY. ARMANDO JARILLA
www.lgspa.org.ph JOSE T. DELES JR.
Kadtuntaya Foundation, Inc. (KFI) Technical Coordination
Ground Floor, Community Training and
Resource Center Building CECILIA ISUBAL
Doña Pilar Street, Vilo Subdivision, Poblacion IV JAIME DUMARPA
9600 Cotabato City, Philippines JOSEPH PALANCA
Tel. No. 63 6 4 421 4222 MAYA VANDENBROECK
Fax No. 63 6 4 421 2072
www.kadtun.org
Photography
Task Force Mapalad (TFM) BOBBY TIMONERA
18-C Marunong, Barangay Central DANIEL ONG
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel. No. 63 2 426 5487 / 63 2 433 1383 Art Direction, Cover Design and Layout
Fax No. 63 2 5487
www.tfmnational.org/tfm/ TATA LAO
This project was undertaken with the financial support of

the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA).
LGSPA was implemented by Agriteam Canada.
4 www.agriteam.ca
Empowering Communities
for Self-Determination
csoMethods.indd 3 1/1/2002 5:13:29 aM

6

Contents
ii Foreword
iii Preface
iv Glossary of Terms
viii Introduction
The Community Organizing Manual
1 Section 1: Historical Context
1.1 Aspirations for Self-Determination
1.2 Indigenous People’s Assertion of their Right Self-Determination
1.3 The Bangsamoro Struggle for Self-Determination
1.4 The Role of Civil Society Organizations
13 Section 2: Analyzing the Specific Context of ARMM
2.1 Trends in ARMM
2.2 Analysis of Poverty, Dependency and Conflict
23 Section 3: Strategies of Change
3.1 How Change Happens: Some Theories
3.2 Strategies for Change
33 Section 4: Community Organizing as a Response
4.1 A Brief Historical Sketch
4.2 Why Community Organizing?
4.3 Characteristics of the Process
4.4 Goals of CO in ARMM
4.5 Initial Indicators of Accomplishment in CO Work
47 Section 5: Approaches and Methods in CO
5.1 Access to Basic Services
5.2 Claim-making on Justice, Equity and Right to Self-Determination
5.3 Socio-Economic or Livelihood Projects
5.4 Projects as Platforms for Conscientization and Empowerment
5.5 Agriculture Technology Development
62 Section 6: Steps in the Community Organizing Process
73 Section 7: The Organizers
7.1 Sources of Commitment and Strength
7.2 Creating a Nurturing Environment for CO i
78 Bibliography
79 Annex A: tools for social analysis

Foreword
Social transformation is about empowering communities. This is the challenge to any

organization working for social change. At the heart of empowerment is the fostering of
awareness that understands the causes of poverty and the willingness to take collective
responsibility for changing the situation. These elements of empowerment need to be
rigorously designed into the methods of change agents.
Local Governance Support Program in ARMM (LGSPA) is pleased to have been part of the
effort of the Kadtuntaya Foundation, Inc. (KFI) to strengthen its field methods. This field
manual is a product of over two (2) years of field collaboration between KFI and Task Force
Mapalad (TFM) in the development and application of organizing methods appropriate to
the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). LGSPA earnestly hopes that this
Manual will continue to be tested and revised.
Hopefully, this Manual will serve as a medium to challenge other Bangsamoro civil society
organizations (CSOs) to assess and enhance their field methods.
Local Governance Support Program in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (LGSPA)
ii

Preface
This Manual comes at a time when all efforts, including peace negotiations and development,
are aimed at finding solutions to the decades-old armed conflict in Mindanao. The Manual
provides alternative lenses in making analysis, approaches and strategies towards finding
concrete solutions to the current issues in a given context. It offers more systematic and
historical links to better understanding and appreciating the necessary connections of the
struggle for self-determination to other development issues in the context of the ARMM.
The glossary offers a clear understanding of some important concepts which are usually the
sources of debates and disagreement that sustain the mutual prejudices in Mindanao.
The remaining sections of the manual discuss community organizing not only as a strategy in
delivering basic services effectively but most importantly as an empowering process that will
sustain efforts towards social transformation.
The Manual offers the community worker or the change agent the basic tools and references
that would guide his/her development initiatives towards the goal of social change. Proven
effective in many areas, the CO tools and principles will also work in the ARMM, though they
may need some processes of indigenization and adaptation.
This Manual has been realized through the financial and technical support provided by
LGSPA. It is a legacy that will remain alive as long as it proves itself useful in development
work in the ARMM. We are indeed grateful to LGSPA for this living legacy.
KFI as a partner of LGSPA also extends its gratitude to Madett Virola-Gardiola, our development
specialist, for putting things together and making the manual more easily adaptable.
It is hoped that this manual will be useful now and in the future and be a tool towards social
change.
iii
Guiamel M. Alim
Executive Director, Kadtuntaya Foundation, Inc.

Glossary of Terms
ANCESTRAL DOMAIN
All lands and natural resources in the Autonomous Region that have been possessed
or occupied by indigenous cultural communities since time immemorial, except when
prevented by war, force majeure, or other forms of forcible usurpation”. It includes “pasture
lands, worship areas, burial grounds, forests and fields, mineral resources, except: strategic
minerals such as uranium, coal, petroleum, and other fossil fuels, mineral oils, and all
sources of potential energy; lakes, rivers and lagoons; and national reserves and marine
parks, as well as forest and watershed reservations”. (Article X, Section 1, Republic Act
9054, An Act to Strengthen and Expand the Organic Acct for the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao)
Ancestral domain does not form part of the public domain but encompasses ancestral,
communal, and customary lands, maritime, fluvial and alluvial domains as well all
natural resources therein that have inured or vested ancestral rights on the basis of native
title. Ancestral domain and ancestral land refer to those held under claim of ownership,
occupied or possessed, by themselves or through the ancestors of the Bangsamoro people,
communally or individually since time immemorial continuously to the present, except when
prevented by war, civil disturbance, force majeure, or other forms of possible usurpation or
displacement by force, deceit, stealth, or as a consequence of government project or any
other voluntary dealings entered into by the government and private individuals, corporate
entities or institutions. (The GRP-MILF Draft Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral
Domain)
BANGSAMORO
The Bangsamoro people refers to those who are natives or original inhabitants of Mindanao
and its adjacent islands including Palawan and the Sulu archipelago at the time of conquest
iv
or colonization of its descendants whether mixed or of full blood. Spouses and their
descendants are classified as Bangsamoro. The freedom of choice of the Indigenous people

shall be respected. (The GRP-MILF Draft Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral
Domain)
Bangsamoro is the collective identity of the Islamized people in Mindanao, in the

islands of Basilan and Palawan, and the Sulu and Tawi-Tawi archipelago in the south
of the Philippines. It consists of two words, bangsa and Moro. Bangsa is a Malay word
the political connotation of which means nation, and Moro is the name given by the
Spanish colonialists to the Muslim population of Mindanao similar with the name they
call the Muslims of North Africa who for centuries ruled the Iberian peninsula. Combining
the two words, Bangsamoro means Moro nation. (Abhoud Syed M. Lingga, Chairman,
Bangsamoro People’s Consultative Assembly, http://democracy.mkolar.org/Bangsamoro-
Self-Determination.html, Geneva, Switzerland, July 17, 2002)
BANGSAMORO HOMELAND
The Bangsamoro homeland and historic territory refer to the land mass as well as the
maritime, terrestrial, fluvial and alluvial domains, and the aerial domain, the atmospheric
space above it, embracing the Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan geographic region. (The GRP-MILF
Draft Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain)
INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITY
Filipino citizens residing in the Autonomous Region who are: (a) Tribal peoples. These are
citizens whose social, cultural and economic conditions distinguish them from other sector
of the national community; and (b) Bangsa Moro people. These citizens who are believers
in Islam and who have retained some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and
political institutions. (Article X, Section 3, Republic Act 9054, An Act to Strengthen and
Expand the Organic Acct for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao)
v

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES/INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITIES
Refers to a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and

ascription by others, who have continuously lived as organized community on communally
bounded and defined territory, and who have, under claims of ownership since time
immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds
of language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through
resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions
and cultures, became historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. ICCs/IPs
shall likewise include peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent
from the populations which inhabited the country, at the time of conquest or colonization,
or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and cultures, or the establishment of
present state boundaries, who retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural
and political institutions, but who may have been displaced from their traditional domains
or who may have resettled outside their ancestral domains. (Chapter II, Section 3 (h),
Republic Act 8371 Republic Act 8371 – Indigenous Peoples Rights Act)
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
There does not seem to be one definitive definition of indigenous people, but generally
indigenous people are those that have historically belonged to a particular region or country,
before its colonization or transformation into a nation state, and may have different—often
unique—cultural, linguistic, traditional, and other characteristics to those of the dominant
culture of that region or state. (United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues)
LAND TENURE
Land tenure is the relationship, whether legally or customarily defined, among people,
vi
as individuals or groups, with respect to land. (For convenience, “land” is used here to
include other natural resources such as water and trees.) Land tenure is an institution, i.e.,
rules invented by societies to regulate behaviour. Rules of tenure define how property

rights to land are to be allocated within societies. They define how access is granted to
rights to use, control, and transfer land, as well as associated responsibilities and restraints.
In simple terms, land tenure systems determine who can use what resources for how long,
and under what conditions. (Herrera, Adriana and Maria Guglielma da Passano. 2006.
Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Land Tenure Alternative Conflict Management.
Rome: FAO).
LAND TENURE SYSTEM
The land tenure system in a given jurisdiction comprises the set of possible bases under
which land may be used. As such this range encompasses both rural and urban tenures
and includes ownership, tenancy and other arrangements for the use of land. (Ciparisse,
Gerard. 2003.Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Multilingual Thesaurus on Land
Tenure)
LUMAD
The Lumad is a term being used to denote a group of indigenous peoples of the southern
Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning “native” or “indigenous”. The term is short for
katawhang lumad (literally “indigenous peoples”), the autonym officially adopted by the
delegates of the Lumad Mindanaw Peoples Federation (LMPF) founding assembly in June
26, 1986 at the Guadalupe Formation Center, Balindog, Kidapawan, Cotabato, Philippines.
It is the self-ascription and collective identity of the non-Islamized indigenous peoples of
Mindanao.
RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION
Right to self-determination is the right of peoples to freely determine their political status;
and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. (Article 3, United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) vii

Introduction
After more than three hundred years of struggle, indigenous and Bangsamoro communities
in Mindanao remain in search of meaningful and effective avenues for the attainment of
self-determination which has been recognized in landmark charters and covenants by no
less than the United Nations.
The development of civil society as a significant actor in societal transformation has been
observed in recent years where creative strategies have flourished from emergency response
to rehabilitation, advocacy and lobbying work, electoral reforms, promotion of alternative
practices, among others.
Community based work is seen as a critical arena where the force for the vision of self-
determination can be achieved. Organizing in Moro communities has, in fact, undergone
a rich history of evolution from the period of underground work in alliance with nationalist
democratic forces to peacebuilding efforts which marked the post-1996 Final Peace
Agreement. Persistent violent conflicts and worsening poverty have rendered the call for a
serious assessment of previous efforts an imperative within the ranks of civil society as well
as among support groups which have journeyed with them.
One of the groups that has responded to this call is the Local Governance Support Program
in ARMM (LGSPA) which, in 2007, embarked on an initiative to assess methods of work
among Bangsamoro civil society organizations. From a round of consultations among Civil
Society Organizations (CSO) in Maguindanao and Lanao, a training program was designed
which sought to strengthen existing capacities for community work based on a systematic
field-based assessment of realities that confront ARMM communities. The Kadtuntaya
Foundation, Inc. was identified as a potential pace-setter for such a thorough review and
reinforcement of methods of work as it made its 60-strong field workers available for the
interventions that the partnership agreed to provide.
viii
After a series of regular monthly action-reflection sessions called “tactic sessions”, the
number of participants was narrowed down to those who were directly engaged in issues
which had the potential to activate empowerment processes in their communities. These

include land tenure, access to tools of production, technology-based farming practices,
social services and disaster response. These sessions became virtual laboratories of learning
and re-learning among both old and new Community Organizations (COs). Guided by CO
veterans from the Task Force Mapalad and other NGOS who were familiar with the terrain
of poverty, dependency and conflict, the core group of 15-20 participants re-examined
prevailing notions of development work vis a vis the lens of power, peace and sustainable
development.
These sessions culminated in a 5-day reflection and conceptualization workshop for lead
community organizers who were selected on the basis of their emerging competence
in advancing theories and practice of organizing work. The workshop resulted to more
focused insights on how CO can be done in the specific context of ARMM which are
embodied in this manual. As a work-in-progress, the manual seeks to contribute to the
refinement of CO practice among CSOs who acknowledge the nuances and dynamics of
the ARMM context as they strive to create an impact where it matters most, that is, in the
search for power, peace and sustainable development.
The manual is divided into seven sections. Section 1 lays down the significant historical
factors that need to be taken into account even before the work of CO is defined. Since
ARMM includes historicities shared among both the indigenous people and the Bangsamoro,
the two main political streams are traced back to the time when the articulation of the right
to self-determination, albeit in different terms, started to be heard in the emergence of
IP and Bangsamoro movements. The second section “Analyzing the Specific Context of
ARMM” is all about current trends which characterize the context of ARMM and attempts
to summarize the issues into the three main categories of poverty, dependency and conflict.
Section 3 starts with a presentation of some change theories which are relevant to the
context of ARMM and advances strategies for structural change, sustainable development
and conflict transformation. The importance of multi-cultural considerations in initiating
change is also discussed. Sections 4-6 engages the reader in a normative discourse on ix
community organizing where some goals, principles and approaches have been put
forward for further deepening and refinement based on the contextual realities that have

been presented in the previous sections. Finally, the last section was written as a response
to the reminder of the need for COs to continually revisit their sources of strength and
commitment and for civil society institutions to identify areas in their functioning where
CO can be supported and nurtured.
Previous presentations and articles produced by KFI and CBCS have been used as material
for the sections on context, analysis and strategies as they pertain to the right to self-
determination. Data on community organizing frameworks have been derived mainly from
the Lead CO Workshop held on August 6-10, 2009 as well as the transcriptions of the tactic
sessions held since 2007.
Again, as a work in progress, the manual can be further enhanced with case illustrations
of how some methods and processes have been used to consummate specific issue of land
tenure, access to basic services, technology-based farming and disaster response among
others. It is thus the hope of the people involved in the production of this manual that these
stories of success will continue to be woven into the dynamic praxis on CO as KFI takes on
the challenge of building on the landmarks that have been established in the past two years
as a gesture of reciprocity and complementarity.

The Comm unit y Or ganizing M anual
Section 1
Historical Context

Section 1: Historical Context
1 Historical Context
The saga of the Bangsamoro and indigenous people of Mindanao is replete with narratives
of various efforts that have been waged to reclaim their status as self-determining populations.
Indeed, self-determination has been, and will always be, the primary aspiration among Moro
and indigenous peoples’ communities which have advanced their struggle in many arenas of
engagement.
1.1 Aspirations for Self-Determination
Self-Determination, in its most basic sense, refers to the concept or principle wherein a people
or nation exercises the right to statehood or self-rule and that such right has an equal right to
sovereignty. The United Nations Charter includes the principle of self-determination.
The UN General Assembly has repeatedly recognized the right to self-determination in a series
of resolutions it has adopted. The principle of right to self-determination was further codified in
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which together
constitute the International “Bill of Rights”. The two covenants state, “ All peoples have the right of
self-determination. By the virtue of that right they freely determine their political status, and freely
pursue their economic, social, and cultural development”.
The people who are recognized by the principle of self-determination are described as group of
individual human beings having some or all of the following common features:
• Common historical tradition

• Racial or ethnic identity
• Cultural homogeneity
• Linguistic unity
• Religious or ideological affinity
• Territorial connection
• Common economic life
2

The Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), lists other interpretations of Self- Determination
which include:
1. Decolonization which is associated primarily with the process of decolonization where

occupied territories have the right to independence
2. Freedom from foreign domination where sovereign states should be free from occupation
by foreign troops and free from the interference by foreign governments in their domestic
affairs
3. Nationalism where rights of peoples, who are holder of the right to self-determination, to
their own state, or effective control of their territory within a recognized state
4. Minority right where minority peoples have the right to political, economic and cultural
autonomy
5. Democratic governance which recognizes the fact that people have the right to determine
their own destiny within existing state through democratic processes
1.2 Indigenous Peoples’ Assertion of their Right to Self-Determination
In Mindanao, there are a total of 18 indigenous groups which are distinct from the Islamized
ethno-linguistic groups. The collective name by which they have been known since the 1980s is
“lumad” which is a Visayan word for ‘indigenous’.
The last decades have been witness to growing threats of land problems for the indigenous people
owing partly to the steady population growth of their own people and especially the pressure on
the lands by lowland farmers who seek arable lands and foreign and local companies who have
vested interest in the natural resources in the IP areas.
Land is central to the struggle of indigenous peoples for self-determination. Their historical and
cultural identity, right to participate in the country’s economic, social and political activities, and
the establishment of their rightful place in society can all be derived from the recognition of what
has remained of their ancestral domains. While many analysts of land issues tend to treat land the
way that farmers often see it — as a productive resource — indigenous peoples’ tend see land as
part of something greater, called territory. Territory includes the productive function of land, but
also encompasses the concepts of homeland, culture, religion, spiritual sites, ancestors, the natural 3
environment, other resources like water, forests, below-ground minerals, among others.

Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, hailed as a landmark legislation, was signed
into law on October 29, 1997 by then President Fidel Ramos. The IPRA underwent many years of
legislative study and deliberation before it became a law and was a result of various consultations,
consolidated bills related to ancestral domains and lands, and international agreements on the
recognition of land and domain rights of the IPs.
In general, the IPRA seeks to recognize, promote and protect the rights of the IPs. These include
the Right to Ancestral Domain and Lands; Right to Self-Governance and Empowerment; Social
Justice and Human Rights; and the Right to Cultural Integrity. Assessments from IP organizations
and their support groups, however, have repeatedly underscored the need for government to fast-
track the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) application and award processes but this
requires improving the capacity of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to
carry out its mandate.
From 2002 to November 15, 2008 the distribution of CADTs in Luzon and Mindanao was equally
vigorous. Land tenure analysts have observed that though the number of CADTs in Luzon (46
CADTs) is four CADTs higher than in Mindanao (42 CADTs), the total size of land area covered
and the number of individual beneficiaries are higher in Mindanao (1,248,970.2027 hectares with
245,186 individual beneficiaries) than in Luzon (1,029,744.6881 hectares with 216,342 individual
beneficiaries). With the approval of their CADTs, the rights of at least 21 tribes in Mindanao over
their respective ancestral domains have been recognized by the government.
In the ARMM, where the majority of the population from the Moro groups, only one CADT has been
issued covering 2,673.2682 hectares and benefitting a total of 3,482 individual beneficiaries.
4
Beyond ownership of the land rightfully theirs, the bigger context is the struggle for self-
determination, which for the IPs mean they can freely participate in and express their views on

social, economic and political matters that concern them as a people. The role of government is to
help develop the governance capacity of IP leaders and the customary leadership structures (such
as the timuway justice system). Respect for IPs should also translate into a genuine Free Prior and
Informed Consent (FPIC) process, the results of which should reflect their collective sentiments
about development.
Other issues confronting the IPs include: a) the rampant mining activities in ancestral domains
aggressively promoted by the government and the inexorable militarization that accompanies
development aggression; b) the incursion of genetically modified crops and biofuel plantations in
indigenous territories that caused the erosion of traditional agricultural knowledge and practices; c)
the lack of recognition of traditional knowledge and customary laws particularly in the settlement
of disputes, with the undermining of such as unscientific and mere superstitious beliefs; and, d) the
worsening peace situation in Mindanao.
Brief Sketch of IP Assertion to Self-Determination
The IPs have staked their claim to self-determination mainly through unarmed movements which
can be found in two major streams.
In 1986, with the formation of Lumad-Mindanaw as a coalition of different IP tribes , the IPs were
able to articulate their assertion for self-determination as follows: (1) Lumad tribes have their own
right to self-determination; (2) they want to govern themselves; (3) within their respective ancestral
domains and, (4) in accordance with their customary laws.
Seven years later, PANAGTAGBO was formed by IP organizations themselves as a forum for IP
concerns and pronounced their two main assertions that: (1) the Lumad are the “first nations”;
and, (2) they want their own regional autonomy within the Republic of the Philippines.
In the ARMM, the Teduray Lambangian Dulangen Manobo Ancestral Domain Claim has stood
up as a key player in IP efforts to specifically address issues pertaining to ancestral domain in the
region.
5
1.3 The Bangsamoro Struggle for Self-Determination
As a distinct people having common territory and historical tradition, religious affinity and

cultural practices, the Bangsamoro has been at the forefront of the struggle for their right to self-
determination.
Mindanaoan historians contend that the Moro people were politically sovereign people before
the encroachment of colonization in their homeland. Contiguous territories with rich natural
resources were shared among them and they are described to be economically self-sufficient as
proof of their having engaged in local and international trade (barter). As a distinct nation and
entity , they had established diplomatic ties with neighboring countries and had their own political
system and governance (sultanates) in the form of the Sulu sultanate (1450), the Maguindanao
sultanate (1619) and the four (4) principalities of Lanao (pat a pongampong) which covered large
territories. Customary laws governed social relationships and contract in these territories and Islam
was accepted by the Bangsamoro a religion and a system of life.
All these political institutions, social structures and economic activities became the targets of
colonialism for control and rule over the islands in this part of the globe during the early 19th
century.
The more that 300 years of wars waged by the Bangsamoro has always been a war to preserve their
right to self-determination. The Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) observes that the
continuing struggle of the BM against the systematic design by colonial powers to control them
and their ancestral lands, their resources and territories and to assimilate them to a foreign culture
finds its extension in the present conflict in Mindanao. Strategies that have been employed in the
past have continued and are evident in: a) the use of military might against those who organized
resistance against American rule (pacification, massacres); b) the policy of education and attraction
(assimilation and integration); c) declaring the entire Philippines as public land including the
ancestral lands of the Bangsamoro; d) the national settlement programs (minoritization and
depopulation); e) the use of divide and rule policy; and f) transfer of political powers from the
Moro.
These strategies have consequently led to the eventual dispossession and marginalization of
the Bangsamoro, the loss of their ancestral land, degeneration of their cultural identities and a
diminished power to exercise their right to self-determination. The population shifts demonstrated
in the following tables show how such marginalization happened in the past decades.
6

Table 1: Public Land Laws and Resettlement

Hectares Allowed
Year For Homesteader For Non-Christian For Corporations
Moro and Wild Tribes
No provision
1903 16 has. 8 has. 1,024 has.
1913 16 has. 10 has. 1,024 has.
1919 24 has. 4 has. 1,024 has.
1936 16 has. 1,024 has.
Source: Prof. Rudy Rodil, Land Tenure Stories in Central Mindanao, Sept. 2009
Table 2: Population shifts in Cotabato

Census year Towns with Moro Towns with Towns with settlers
majority Lumad majority majority
1918 20 5 0
1939 20 9 3
1970 10 0 38
Source: Prof. Rudy Rodil, Land Tenure Stories in Central Mindanao, Sept. 2009
These acts of colonial aggression were met by armed resistance from the Bangsamoro. Throughout
the history of Moro struggle, their persistent demand has been the recognition of their right to self-
determination and social justice to their people.
Issues surrounding the Right to Self-Determination
The CBCS summarizes the grievances of the Bangsamoro which have been the bases of their
continuing struggle for self-determination as follows:
• Injustice to the Moro Identity

The Moro people is a distinct people. They have different customs and traditions. They
have adopted Islam as their religion and way of life. They have established identity in
their homeland. To impose upon them a way of life strange with that of theirs will meet
resistance.
7
• Injustice to Moro political sovereignty
The Moro people exercise sovereignty over what they call their homeland. They were the
leaders of their people. They were eased out by colonial machinations

• Injustice to Moro ancestral territory

The Moro homeland had been the source of the Bangsamoro’s source of life. Their lakes,
forests, lands, marshes, minerals were their sources from which their generations fed. Take
these resources and you also take the lives of the Bangsamoro
• Injustice to Moro integral development

The BM may have a different worldview, outlook and looking at things. They have
their own views of what development should be. While they can appreciate other
peoples’development initiatives, they would feel at ease with their own brand of
development. It makes a difference when they shape their own development.
In simple terms, the grievances mentioned above constituted injustice to their right to self-
determination.
Status of the Moro Struggle for Self-Determination
The MNLF-led armed struggle since the late 60s led to the eventual signing of peace agreement with
the government in 1996. Earlier, as a response to the clamour for independence, the government
under Cory Aquino created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The MNLF
rejected the ARMM and demanded for an expanded power. After the signing of the Final Peace
Agreement (FPA), Nur Misuari conceded to run for the governor of ARMM and won. But before he
could have finished his term he was accused of having led an attack of the AFP in Jolo in 2001. He
was arrested and incarcerated until his release on bail in April 2008.
The agreement however became controversial when the MNLF accused the government of
unilaterally implemented a plebiscite which violated the provision of the agreement. The MNLF
also accused the government of non-implementation of the twelve-year old peace accord which
has been marred by series of armed clashes between the AFP and MNLF forces. Only lately, the
OIC initiated the review by the tripartite of the 1996 peace accord. Notwithstanding the peace
agreement signed in 1996 between the GRP and the MNLF and the resources poured in the
ARMM because of the peace talks between the MILF and the GRP, the CBCS concludes that no
substantial changes in the lives of the BM has been observed. In fact, the ARMM (where majority
of the Bangsamoro live) registers the lowest in Human Development Index (HDI), lowest literacy
8 rate, lowest life expectancy and highest incidence of poverty.

Table 3: Selected Human Development Indicators
The MILF, a splinter group of the MNLF which entered into peace talks with the GRP upon the
invitation of the latter in 1997, has pursued the establishment of a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity
(BJE) in Mindanao. The eleven-year old peace process led by the MILF was marred by a series of
armed violence in between and had already signed interim agreements on cessation of hostilities
(ceasefire) and the development and rehabilitation of conflict-ridden areas in Mindanao through
the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA). The final and contentious issue was on ancestral
domain, which covers territories, resources and governance. However, because of disagreement
on procedural matters and the said “lack of political and moral capital of the current government”,
the talks broke down before they could sign a MOA on ancestral domain. Several Bangsamoro
CSOs declared that the government reneged on its commitment to follow the self-determination
framework which will contain the “consensus points” earlier agreed on and instead backtracked
to the use of constitution as the basis for any agreements.
In recent months, prospects for the resumption of the peace talks with a newly constituted panel
on the side of the government is seen in a more positive light with the July 28, 2009 meeting held
in Kuala Lumpur.
Government Response
Government responses to the right to self-determination of the Bangsamoro are perceived to be 9

varied but mostly ineffective and at its best served the interest of the government. “Divide-and-
rule tactics” is how analysts like Jubair describes government response. (Road to Peace: Jubair,
Luwaran)

The Americans created the Moro province under a military governor for easy colonial administration
and “in the guise of civilizing the people of Mindanao and Sulu, the Moro province epitomized
the gradual usurpation of the powers of the sultans in Mindanao and Sulu”. Some Moros were also
integrated to the Philippine Constabulary.
During the time of Marcos, a four-year war against the Muslims was waged in the south and later
ushered in the infamous Tripoli Agreement of 1976. While the negotiations were going on, leaders
of the MNLF were lured to surrender through a variety of government programs. Also, an autonomy
law was passed that created two regions with no political power other than administrative. It
served as a social base for Malacanang to effectively manage the affairs of the Moro people.
During this time, the Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) was also created to look into the welfare of
the Muslims in the Philippines.
When Cory Aquino became the president, a new autonomy law (RA 6734) was passed that created
the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
In 1996, an expanded ARMM (RA 9054) was organized under the presidency of Ramos. It was also
during this time that the present controversial 1996 peace agreement between the MNLF and the
GRP was signed. Ramos also entered into peace talks with the MILF.
The short-lived presidency of the plunder-convicted Joseph Estrada made a final blow in the peace
talks by declaring an all-out war against the MILF. The peace talks resumed months later until
Estrada was ousted and a new administration was installed.
President Gloria Arroyo announced her strategy for an all-out-peace with the rebels until the attack
of the AFP on the MILF camp in Pikit, North Cotabato in 2003. Another armed conflict took place
in 2006 in Maguindanao and since August of 2008, skirmishes between the AFP and MILF have
placed the number of internally displaced people at 600,000 which is considered to be the highest
in the past decades.
The CBCS has aritculated that all these political power sharing schemes have not been effective
and responsive to the genuine need for self-determination.
10 1.4 The Role of Civil Society Organizations
The CSOs are an important sector of the Bangsamoro population. With their sheer number they
can make a difference and are perceived to be the missing link in the peace process. Aside from

playing an important role in the peace process as an important stakeholders, they are also seen to
be a potential force in developing the Bangsamoro development framework which can serve as
the roadmap for peace.
As a collective force, CSOs play significant and uncompromising roles in the peace processes and
have been called upon to undertake the following strategies and initiatives:
1. Serve as watchdog and monitors in the on-going peace talks between the government
and the MILF and the on-going tripartite review of the 1996 peace agreement.
2. Draft a comprehensive development framework and agenda for the Bangsamoro and IPs
through a more participative sectoral analysis of the socio-economic, cultural and political
situation.
3. Engage in massive educational and information campaign about the peace processes.
4. Engage in a more aggressive prejudice reduction activities through inter-faith and inter-
cultural and inter-life dialogues.
5. Lobby for solidarity support to the peace processes.
6. Push for the legitimate agenda of the Bangsamoro and IPs with the national government.
7. Work for the unity of the Bangsamoro and IPs through intra-group dialogues and
consultations.
8. Oppose and expose the spoilers and provocateurs in the peace process.
9. Engage in the education of the Bangsamoro and IPs of the issue of self-determination and
freedom.
10. Organize communities and create alternative centers of power where the right to self-
determination is freely and collectively experienced.
In order to undertake these roles and initiatives, the CSOs need to be well-informed about the on-
going peace processes and the legitimate demand for self-determination of the Bangsamoro and 11
IPs. Along with the recognition of this need is the acknowledgement that within the CSOs there is
also the need to strengthen unity and cooperation.

12

Section 2
Analyzing the Specific

Context of ARMM
13

Section 2: Analyzing the Specific Context of ARMM
2 Analyzing the Specific Context of ARMM
2.1 Trends in ARMM
Using conjunctural analysis to describe the situation in ARMM, the following trends are easily
observed:
• Low economic output and investments
According to the UNDP, the Mindanao conflict has resulted in loss output equivalent to P 108
billion to P 158 billion during the 1970- 2000 period, or P 5 to 7 billion per year in the ARMM
(2 percent of regional GDP). The World Bank cites additional output loss as P 10 billion to
reflect reduction in investments after instances of armed conflict.
Table 4: Regional GDP Growth

Regional GDP Growth, 2006-2007
ila os y l s s s a
le on PA co ya ya ya ul ao ao EN ao G
A
an CAR Iloc l z Bi sa sa sa ns an av G an
M Va Lu Vi i Vi i d D d
ro an al BARZON lV en in in
et ay nt
r rn tra rn P M KSAR M CARA
MIMARO te te a n
14 M
Ca
g Ce CALA es Ce
n
Ea
s
an
g
he
r
SOC usli
m
W t
bo or M
m N
Za
Source: National Statistics Coordination Board (2009)

Table 5: Average Male and Female Incomes

Average Male and Female Incomes, in pesos, 2006
Source: United Nations Development Program (2009).
• The Human Cost of War: Loss of Lives
The World Bank [Schiavo Campo and Judd: 2005] estimated that a total of 120,000 lives
(civilians and combatants) were lost in the Mindanao conflict from the 1970s to the present.
A recent study showed that over the 18 year period 1986 2004, some 4,700 combatants
have been killed and 1,500 wounded in military encounters. Of the total combatants lost, 58
percent were due to armed encounters with the NPA, 35 percent to the encounters with the
MILF, and 7 percent to the encounters with the MNLF. [P. Abinales, et al: 2005]
15

• Physical insecurity and high levels of internal displacement
The outbreak of armed hostilities between the government forces and the Moro liberation
forces inevitably led to the displacement of communities. The escalation of fighting and heavy
bombardment compelled people to seek refuge in evacuation centers, where living conditions
are harsh. Normal social life and productive activity came to a halt. The most vulnerable,
infants and the elderly, succumbed to various illnesses due to lack of immediate medical
attention, medicines and food.
The estimated number of internally displaced persons in Mindanao fluctuated from 800,000 in
year 2000 at the height of the “all-out war” ordered by President Joseph E. Estrada against the
MILF, to 438,000 in 2003 during another “all-out war” called by President Gloria M. Arroyo
against the MILF, and to 60,000 at the end of 2004. The number reached its peak again in 2008
with 600,000 and totaled 30,335 as of May 2009.
Table 6: Rate of Displacement
Year No. of IDPs added Remarks

2000 800,000 “All-out-war” policy of Estrada vs. MILF Camp
Abu Bakar in March
2001 52,000 Ceasefire agreement with MILF in June; MNLF unrest in

Sulu and Zamboanga in November
2002 95,000 Ceasefire violations
2003 438,000 Buliok offensives vs. MILF; ceasefire restored in July
2004 - No clashes since May; international monitoring

in place beginning October
2006-2007 170,000 Skirmishes in different parts of Mindanao
2008 600,000 Post MOA-AD conflict from August to December
2009 30,335 Military offensives against Moro rebels in Datu Piang,

Maguindanao in May
16
*protracted Mindanao conflict
Source: HDN (2005), IDMC (2009), Sundang (2009)

Displacement has resulted to many issues such as: a) breakdown of social cohesion;
b) indignity and discrimination; c) special vulnerability of women, children and elderly;
and, d) loss of productive assets.
Many Muslims communities and societies were driven by the prolonged and intense war to
completely relocate to cities and provinces outside of Mindanao. For major ethnic groups
such as the Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausug, Yakan and Iranon, anywhere from one fifth to
one third now live in areas outside of their ancestral homelands, some reduced to virtual
Muslim ghettoes in places such as Metro Manila, Tanay and Baguio. The exodus of Mindanao
Muslims has reached neighboring countries. Thousands of Muslim Filipinos now work illegally
in Sabah, Malaysia, exposed to police harassment, periodic crackdowns, and deportations.
Table 7: Access to Credit Before and After Conflict
17
Source: World Bank (2004).

• High levels of poverty incidence
The challenges of social, economic, and human rehabilitation and development are daunting
in conflict affected areas in Mindanao, particularly in areas belonging to the Autonomous
Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Poverty and illiteracy rates are high.
In 2000, the incidence of poverty in ARMM was almost twice that for the Philippines as
a whole: 63% of the population in the region was considered poor compared with 34%
for the whole country. The average annual household income in ARMM was only 57% of
the national average (P81,519 against P144,039). While the net enrollment rate in primary
education in 2001 in ARMM was fairly high (82% in ARMM compared to 96% for the whole
country), net enrollment in secondary education was only 39%, and substantially lower than
the 72% national average.
Table 8: Poverty Incidence by families

Poverty Incidence by families, 2000-2006
18
Source: National Statistical Coordination Board (2009).

Table 9: Poverty Incidence by Population

Poverty Incidence by Population, 2003-2006
Source: National Statistical Coordination Board (2009).
19

 Low levels of access to social services

Consequently, poverty has caused low levels of access to basic services as shown in the
following figure:
Table 10: Access to Basic Services
Access to Basic Services, 2007
Literacy rate (2003)
Families with walls made of strong materials
Families with roofs made of strong materials
armm
Families owning house and lots
Phils
Families with sanitary toilets
Families with safe water
Families with electricity
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Source: National Statistics Office (2009).
20

2.2 Analysis of Poverty, Dependence and Conflict
Poverty has many dimensions, hence the concept poverty-complex. The most obvious is the
economic dimension: the lack of jobs, an asset base, low incomes and earnings, deficient market
infrastructures and so on. These economic challenges are aggravated by a policy environment
that is geared to empower the rich, instead of helping the poor. A country’s culture is often also
loaded against the poor, including in the areas of education and patriarchal norms and behavior.
Then there is also the human development challenge of malnutrition, disease, inadequate housing,
and lack of security in one’s future. And often the poor, especially those in the cities, live in urban
squalor and subject to the toxic effects of pollution aggravated by a lack of access to clean water
and adequate energy. Often the combination of these challenges lead to a culture of silence and
the defeat of the spirit of the poor.
Poverty alleviation is one of the basic goals in development. Poverty should be addressed at
the economic, social, political, cultural and psychological levels. Social change is needed to
address the socio-economic and political structures that cause poverty. It should focus on human
development and empowerment.
There are two levels of poverty: a) material; and b) psychological or behavioral which are
both closely inter-related. Material poverty is characterized by: a) lack of material wealth and
resources for improved quality of life; b) lack of access to basic social services; c) lack of access
to production resources. Psychological and behavioral poverty is characterized by powerlessness
and the “culture of silence.
Powerlessness means that the poor are not able to protect their interests, fight the structural causes
of poverty, increase their access to resources and protect family and community from aggression
and oppression.
Culture of Silence is demonstrated by the: a) failure of the poor to understand the context and
causes of poverty; b) failure to understand their own contribution; c) failure to see and trust
their strengths; d) dependency, lack of confidence, and the “internalization of the image of the
oppressor”; and e) lack the capacity to be critical of internal weaknesses.
Poverty and its causes can also be understood looking at the structural organization of the society
in ARMM. The monopoly of the local elite in access and control of productive assets and political 21
power make most of the people poor.

At the same time, the elites’ control of power and position in their society ensures their total control
of the resources from national state institutions. Due to the under-development, the government
is the highest employer in the region and the biggest source of investments. The elites control
does not stop with the resources of the national government, a very significant portion of the
resources of international development agencies is also captured. Since governance is poor, these
investments in development are usually lost.
The other indicator of under-development is the weakness of formal and informal institutions,
including institutions of the state to ensure protection of citizens, to ensure that ethics and justice
will rule, and that property rights, especially the ownership right to lands are enforced. The failure
of these institutions leave citizens in the region to go back to the clan system as the most effective
way to survive. While we understand the positive contribution of the traditional clans in keeping
the society in ARMM together, we also are critical about its capacity for social reform.
Development should therefore address the culture of silence, lead to the empowerment of the
poor, use empowering processes in education and contribute to poverty alleviation and social
change
Empowerment and Liberating Education (conscientization) addresses the totality of the person
(savoir-etre), includes attitudes, culture, values, intentions, behavior, social adaptation, interpersonal
relations, etc. It focuses on the two levels of understanding the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of oppression and
responsibility to liberate themselves.
22

Section 3
Strategies of Change
23

Section 3: Strategies of Change
3 Strategies of Change
3.1 How Change Happens: Some Theories
Since organizing work involves strategies to change a current situation, it is important to articulate
one’s theory of change not so much as an academic hypothesis but rather as an everyday
expectation of “how the world works”. In organizing work, theories of change are basically built
on working assumptions about how things operate in particular communities and in society in
general.
Three main theories of change will be discussed as they address specific realities in the ARMM
context which were described in the previous section, namely: poverty-complex, dependence and
conflict.
Economic, political and cultural determinants: Structural Change
Factors in societal change may be summarised under three main headings: economic, political and
cultural. Marx is the most famous proponent of the notion that societies/forms of social organisation
are largely determined by economic factors, and in particular the impact of industrial capitalism.
Among political influences the state—government—now plays a very large role in social life and
change in industrial societies. Cultural influences clearly play an important part in social change.
For example, secularization and the development of science have had major effects on the way
in which we think, attitudes to legitimacy and authority, and have thus also influenced social
structures, systems and values. (Giddens and Duneier, 2000)
If these are the key factors in societal change, foundations wanting to effect change at this level
need to focus on changing economic, political or cultural structures and processes. This macro
approach to social change is adopted by some international foundations aiming to change
economic and political conditions. These fundamental themes of resources, power/politics, and
cultural factors reappear, in a sense, in theories of organizational change.
Independence among the three realms of society: Comprehensive Sustainable Development
24 Social Threefolding is a sociological theory that suggests increasing the independence of society’s
three primary realms (economy, polity and culture) in such a way that those three realms can
mutually correct each other in an ongoing process. The movement aims for democracy in political
life, freedom in cultural life, and uncoerced cooperation/community in economic life. Based

on the philosophy of Anthroposophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, social threefolding defines

civil society, government, and business as the three key institutions of social life. Each of these
powerful institutions has the potential to “represent,” in its own way, the realm of society from
which each is active—civil society represents culture; government represents polity; and business,
the economy.
So RE
PO tate
ty
vil U
cie
LI
SOCIETY
Ci ULT
S
TY
C
ECONOMY
Market
Business cannot truly represent the interests of culture or polity. Nor can civil society truly
understand the detailed workings of the economy or truly represent the political system. Nor can
government articulate economic and cultural aspirations. Because the processes and concerns
of the economy are quite different from those of polity and culture, threefolding recognizes that
business, government, and civil society will naturally emphasize different aspects of society as a
whole.
On the other hand, all three key institutions have the right to criticize each other when their
respective institutional activities are starting to harm people and nature, within or outside their
respective realms. This is bound to happen, since the boundaries between the realms of society
are fluid and the actions of key institutions are bound to have impacts beyond their own natural
habitat or realm.
25
Comprehensive sustainable development means that the goal of the conscious interaction of
the three key institutions is not just conventional sustainable development but comprehensive
sustainable development.

Conventional sustainable development often just means environmentally sound economic

development, which entails the almost impossible attempt to make neo-liberal economic models
of development compatible with environmental concerns. Granted that this attempt is doable,
success is highly unlikely because of structural defects in neo-liberal economic theory. This
synthesis is still not enough and is too narrow. Often business concerns dominate the discourse on
conventional “sustainable development.”
Comprehensive sustainable development, on the other hand, starts with the premise that there
are three key institutions that represent the three realms of society, and thereby potentially the
wholeness of social life. These three realms will bring perspectives appropriate to the realm to
which they belong. Business will bring economic concerns. Government will bring political
concerns. Civil society will bring cultural, social, ecological, human, and spiritual concerns.
Comprehensive sustainable development therefore considers seven dimensions of development:
economic, political, cultural, social, ecological, human, and spiritual.
Transforming Relationships and Systems: Conflict Transformation
Since change always involves a movement from one thing to another, peacebuilding efforts in
conflict-affected communities should not only look at the starting point but also to the goal and
the process of getting from one point to another.
Conflict transformation, developed mainly from the work of peace activist John Lederach, is based
on the premise that, aside from the need to stop violence (as starting point), change efforts should
also address the question of “what do we hope to build?” Thus, while conflict resolution focuses
on de-escalation of conflict and diffusion of crises, transformation allows for an ebb and flow in
conflict and sees the presenting problem as a potential opportunity to transform the relationship
and the systems in which relationships are embedded.
Social conflict creates changes in the four dimensions; namely: the personal, the relational, the
structural and the cultural.
26

Box 1: Four Dimensions of Conflict
Personal Relational
Conflict changes individuals Refers to people who have direct, face
personally, emotionally to face contact. When conflict escalates,
and spiritually communication patterns change,
stereotypes are created, polarization
increases and trust decreases
Structural Cultural
Conflict impacts systems and structures— Violent conflict causes deep-seated
how relationships are organized, and cultural changes. For example, the norms
who has access to power—from family that guide patterns of behavior between
and organizations to communities and elders and youth or women and men.
whole societies
Conflict Transformation thus requires addressing violent conflicts at the structural, cultural, relation
and personal levels where key actors are mobilized in the three (3) tracks of the peace processes
(top-level negotiations, education and advocacy work, grassroots peace constituency building.
Finding a Holistic and Relevant Framework for Analysis and Strategy
In the context of ARMM, the complexity of issues necessitates an integrated framework that can
provide tools for analyzing the situation and strategizing for change. The challenge for CSOs
seeking to sharpen methods of work is thus to revisit and reassess their strategies from a holistic
perspective. This can help CSOs to avoid the trap of “be-all” and “end-all” approaches such as
those that focused solely on economic development which found some groups neglecting the
overarching political agenda for self-determination. It also enables community based workers to
shift comfortably from dialogue to critical collaboration or even pressure tactics as they confront
the more structural causes of conflict in their areas.
27
There is now a growing awareness among CSOs that genuine change can only happen if issues
are addressed both at the relational/individual and structural levels. Structures create the systems
that influence the behaviour and culture of people. Individual attitudes and behavior, on the other

hand, influence the way structures operate. CSOs need to continually hone their analysis and
strategies to be able to respond proactively to the context of poverty, dependency and conflict in
ARMM.
3.2 Strategies for Change
Some of the strategies that have been proven useful and effective in organizing for change and
empowerment are discussed in this section to point out directions where CSOs can look into
as they continue to revisit and redefine their methods of work. These include strategies such as
liberating education, cultural work, affirmative action, advocacy, and sustainable development.
Liberating Education
In liberating education, the aim is to empower the poor and the marginalized. It is a process of
conscientization which helps to break the ‘culture of silence’ to enable the people to engage in
critical thinking regarding the self, and become more active and committed. Liberating education
is a process, not teaching but assisting the poor to learn new knowledge and skills. The learner is
the center of the process and is thus concerned more about ‘how’ we teach. The specific objectives
of liberating education are: a) critical thinking; b) enhancement of problem-solving capacity;
c) improvement of decision making and analysis of options; d) enhancement of confidence; e)
enhancement of capacity to experiment, test principles, engage in new tasks; and f) increasing
cooperation and collaboration.
Some of the basic principles are: a) ‘praxis’ or action-reflection and thus knowledge is experiential;
b) the learner is the main resource of knowledge and generate their own knowledge; c) knowledge
is power and the poor must be involved in creating and owning knowledge; d) thinking, feeling
and acting are needed; and, e) action should be based on people’s participation.
Cultural Action for Freedom: Paolo Freire and some Islamic scholars
Some organic scholars have interpreted the concept of ‘praxis’ in the light of Islamic precepts. Dr.
Al Shariati, in his discourse “What Has to be Done” defines praxis as action-reflection directed at
the structures that need to be transformed or an act of “considering the world”. The requirements for
28 social change are spelled out in three terms; namely: a) with clear ideology; b) unified organization
with vanguard leaders; and, c) long-term strategy. (Mawdudi, Qutub and Al’Banna in “Revelation
or Revolution” the Gramscian Approach to the Rise of Political Islam – in Butko, 2004)

The enlightened person, according to Al Shariati, continues in the paths of the prophets…with
a MISSION to “guide” and work for justice; his language is compatible with his time; and with
proposed solutions conforming to cultural values of his society. The greatest responsibility of the
enlightened soul is to identify the real causes of backwardness of his society and discover the real
cause of stagnation and degeneration of the people of his environment (analysis). Moreover, he
should educate his slumbering and ignorant society as to the basic reason of its ominous historical
and social destiny (reflection/education). Then based on the resources, responsibilities and needs
“Whereas our people need self-awareness,

our enlightened intellectuals are in need of ‘faith’
(Al-Shariati)
“As enlightened intellectuals, our task is to strive

for progressive self-awareness through
conscientious and honest reflexive self-criticism.”
(Freire)
and sufferings of his society, he should identify the rational solutions which would enable his
people to emancipate themselves from the status quo (action).
Some Islamic scholars emphasize the need to know the people’s ‘cultural taxonomy’ which refers
to the prevalent spirit that governs the body of knowledge, characteristics, feelings, traditions,
outlooks and ideals of people of any given society. In other words, the common spirit that connects
the said characteristics of the society and gives meaning to its culture, by which people breathe,
get nourishment and growth.
Bangsamoro society is basically indigenous, traditional and religious which means that it is 29
imbued with Islamic ideals at the same time rooted on extant traditions, a’dat and malayu culture.
Community Organizers (COs) thus need to recognize the challenges in diversity of a multi-cultural
and multicontextual Bangsamoro society. For instance, while some areas are steeped in vertical

issues of class and ethnicity, these same communities have to deal with center-periphery issues,
marginalization, and inclusion, integration and self-determination which are more horizontal in
orientation.
Affirmative Action
With regard to the struggle for self-determination, affirmative action is a strategy that can be taken
seriously. In ARMM, CSOs share the sentiment that the recognition has been nominal and has not
been translated into concrete action and results. There is thus a realization that political power
is necessary and that it requires getting the people heard through affirmative action. Participation
recognizes the reality of power relations and the stratification of society at all levels; ensures that
problems and solutions are identified, analyzed and acted upon by the poor; builds in processes of
reflection (of themselves and of structures of society); and facilitates the development of appropriate
forms of organization and types of leadership.
A collective and more specific roadmap for the Bangsamoro can be the anchor of such affirmation
action. Even with a political agreement in the peace talks, for example, the specific development
aspects of that agenda need to be spelled out. CSOs need to clarify their agenda and seize
opportunities for promoting such an agenda. Electoral processes, for instance, is seen to be a
viable venue for reforms to be pursued based on a clear agenda.
Advocacy
Reforms can be achieved by advocating for policies that can improve the lives of communities which
have been marginalized and constantly affected by conflict. Decision-makers and implementers of
these policies at the local, national and regional levels are the targets of legislative reforms.
Development Projects as Empowerment Platforms
In socio-economic and political domain, people assisted to solve socio-economic problems and
act for social change. In science and technology, the people start with their indigenous knowledge,
opens and adopts advances in science according to their condition and needs and participates in
research. In human domain, the people are able to break the culture of silence. This implies that
30 project development and management should have two main sets of objectives which are the
material and pedagogical. They also need liberating and empowering approaches.

Sustainable Development
In the work for development, the communities that are being envisioned are permanent and this
means the people should be allowed to thrive where they can develop themselves, not in evacuation
centers. As the struggle for self-determination is being waged in different fronts, indigenous people
and Bangsamoro civil society see the need to develop their capacities on a sustained basis so
that they can demonstrate development alternatives that genuinely promote their worldview
and lifesystems. These would include existing efforts to promote systems of sustainable farming,
relevant and value-based education, shared responsibility between men and women, and others.
The search for holistic and relevant methods of work towards the change that the Bangsamoro
communities seek to create together should be built on critical thinking and determined action.
Years of painstaking work should be opened up for reflection and learning. Models of successful
initiatives must not be missed out. Such a collective base of action and reflection will spur the
process of change towards the goals that the people define for themselves.
31

32

Section 4
Community Organizing
As A Response
33

Section 4: Community Organizing As A Response
4 Community Organizing as a response
4.1 A Brief Historical Sketch
In the areas now covered by the ARMM, community organizing (CO) has evolved based on
the paradigms of transformation and change where it finds its roots. As the MNLF resistance
movement was starting to gain ground, Moro student activists of the early 70s took other parallel
forms of struggle as they engaged in political education work which supported the establishment
of the mass base for the national democratic struggle. That period saw the establishment of
issue-oriented formations among the youth sector, peasants, women, and laborers. Total human
development was the emerging concept at the time which emphasized the need to analyze the
root causes of problems in Philippine society. In Mindanao, church groups were among the first
to banner this paradigm at the time when the growing social concern among their ranks found
expression in church-sponsored organizations which immersed themselves among the indigenous
people and the Bangsamoro groups in Mindanao.
During the martial law period these church-based programs came out as non-government
organizations which were the first to engage in organizing inspite of the repressive conditions at
that time. Hence, national organizations built their local counterparts in most of Mindanao and
these include the Urban Rural Missionaries, Episcopal Commission on Tribal Filipinos, Share and
Care Apostolate for Poor Settlers and PEACE, among others. Some of these local formations which
worked directly on Moro and IP issues include the Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Council and the Moro
People’s Resource Center.
With the establishment of NGOs by various political organizations, a new breed of organizers
emerged which were steeped in ideological disciplines and who were undeniably among the most
effective NGOs of that period. Mass movements reached their peak in the early 80s or during
the period prior to the EDSA revolt. The continuing repression had become fertile ground for the
consolidation of the opposition to the martial law regime as widespread unrest was fanned by
poverty, unfair labor practices and human rights violations. At the same time, peasant and labor
organizing, human rights advocacy, international solidarity work, networking, campaigns for
sustainable development and the growth of the women’s movement provided the countervailing
force for the context.
34
Lumad Mindanaw became prominent at this time as Indigenous Peoples (IP) groups were
consolidated around the issue of self-determination. Eventually, the IP organizations decided to
form their own alliance which was known as Panagtagbo.

Some Moro political analysts purport that the people power movement of the mid-eighties
drastically changed the landscape as the NGOs and organized groups started to seek venues
for engagement with the people-installed government. It was at this time when schisms within
the tactical alliances in social movement started to show as they took divergent positions in a
relatively new arena of governance, electoral politics and economic development.
Moro NGOs began to mushroom in the 1990s especially after the signing of the GRP-MNLF Final
Peace Agreement. With the development package as part of the deal, many found opportunities
to engage in the rehabilitation of war-torn communities in areas covered by the Special Zone of
Peace and Development (SZOPAD). Suddenly, NGOs were established or transformed overnight
with peacebuilding agenda, structures and programs. International donor agencies dominated the
development scene as they offered supposedly new paradigms, tools, approaches and resources to
bring peace to Mindanao. Dialogue and negotiation were new skills NGOs had to learn along with
emergency response, rehabilitation, conflict transformation and many other new concepts which
came with the slew of foreign assistance.
The 90s is characterized by the growth of NGOs and POs seeking to benefit from the so-called
“peace dividends”; the revival of Muslim-Christian interfaith dialogues and the build up of
momentum among the Mindanao-wide movement for peacebuilding.
With new approaches came new language and new ways of doing things. Social preparation,
humanitarian work, accompaniment, bridging leadership and many other more neutral terms were
introduced.
Some NGOs felt compelled to find new anchors which would allow them to swim the current tide
of mainstream peace and development work without losing sight of the values and ideologies that
used to infuse their work. Many found it necessary to revisit and reassess their current work in the
light of commonly held principles as a people. Eventually, everything went back to the question
of their identity as the indigenous peoples’ organizations redefined their concepts of organization,
development and governance. In the same manner, Bangsamoro NGOs found consolidation in
many formations such as civil society consortium, alliances and coalitions which has emerged in
recent years.
Bangsamoro civil society organizations have recently initiated the crafting of a socio-economic 35
development agenda which culminated in a two-day congress in Davao City among 92 leaders
who agreed on the following points:

• Pursue the right to self-determination through the process of decolonization;

• Explore peaceful avenues including support to the demand for full implementation of the
MNLF-GRP Agreement and the ongoing peace process between the GRP-MILF;
• Support initiatives, moves and processes that seek to (bring together) the Moro fronts in
solidarity towards the attainment of RSD;
• Seek resolution of the Muslim Mindanao conflict by addressing its root causes – injustice,
poverty, underdevelopment, displacement and the illegal encroachment of the Bangsamoro
territory, by returning to them lands unjustly taken form them through legitimized processes
that were alien to them, such as land titling and the national enactment of colonization
laws;
• Pursue retrieval of lands taken from their forebears with policies enforced upon them
by the succession of colonial and neo-colonial administrations without undermining the
legitimate rights of the present owners;
• Enhanced respect for other peoples in a diversity of Bangsamoro territory or governance
and tolerance shall be the guiding principles in the relationship of Moros with other
peoples;
• Access to all social services necessary to establish a productive, self-reliant and righteous
ummah;
• Exercise control over its territories, including the realm of decision-making on the
utilization, preservation and protection of its natural resources through ways formulated
to collectively benefit the Moros of the present and future generations;
• Development and establishment of their own system of education for children and youth,
as well as alternative learning system for adults;
• Human Security which does not solely apply on the problem of terrorism, but more
important for every human being to be safe, and be secured in their domicile as well as
their rights protected, including free movement and speech (without violating the Qur’an
prohibition of slander);
• Rights of women shall be defended and protected and their representation in governance
and other forums and sectors of society shall be upheld and promoted. In the same
manner that cases of violations against their rights shall be documented and prosecuted;
• Promotion and establishment of an Islam-inspired finance and economic system of usury-
free, partnership (profit-loss sharing) scheme on public transactions, particularly those
pertaining to market and banking businesses and in the management and utilization of the
36 Bangsamoro resources;
• Moro cultural heritage, the tradition and the rifh history of the Bangsamoro people shall
be maintained, preserved and promoted and shall be taught in schools attended by Moros
and non-Moros; and

• Rights of children and youth shall be upheld and protected equally at all time among
Moro and non-Moro people in the Bangsamoro Homeland.
4.2 Why Community Organizing?
Community organizers (COs) have arrived at a consensus on the definition of community organizing
as a “collective, participatory, transformative, liberative, sustained and systematic process of
building people’s organizations by mobilizing and enhancing the capabilities and resources of the
people for the resolution of their issues and concerns towards effecting change in their existing and
oppressive exploitative conditions.” (1994 National Rural CO Conference)
Contextualizing the definition would mean a reiteration of the issues and concerns which
characterize IP and Bangsamoro communities in ARMM which are poverty, dependency and
conflict.
The term “community” is used to describe an aggregation of families and individuals, settled in
a fairly compact and contiguous geographical area, with significant elements of common life,
as shown by manners, customs, traditions and mode of speech (Ross, 1967). In most ARMM
communities there may be similar special interest groups and sectors such as farmers, fisherfolks,
women, youth and others. There are also special groups or entities such as clans, sultanates,
mosque-based congregations, politico-military groups, professions or welfare bodies that govern
the patterns of relationship among the people of a community.
Community Organizing has been undertaken by CSOs to achieve:
a. Empowerment
Power is at the core of organizing work. It is a combination of the vision for self-determination
and the force that comes from building structures (from POs to alliances to broader movements)
that support that vision. What has been corrupted and destroyed through decades of coercion,
marginalization and subsequently a pervading “culture of silence” is slowly regained as
people start to work together around felt issues by harnessing their collective capacities.
In the context of ARMM, indigenous people and Bangsamoro communities concretize the
aspirations for self-determination through the empowering processs of CO where people 37
are able to confront and transform the structures and institutions that have perpetuated their
marginalization. Thus, from mere objects of development efforts that have inundated the
political economic landscape, they are able to assert their rights, determine their destiny and

stand with dignity.
b. Alternative Centers of Power
Where there are structures that support inequity, dependence and violent conflict, CO seeks
to create centers of power which embody the principles of participation (‘maswarah’), justice,
self-reliance, equitable distribution of wealth and stewardship (‘vicegerency’) in the utilization
of the vital means of production. These alternative centers of power are relatively permanent
organizational structures which best serve the needs and aspirations of the people. These may
evolve from an initially informal or ad hoc committee or task force into a more established
people’s organization which also has the capacity to like with other groups and sectors.
Through these structures, alternatives to the current situation are ventured into, desired and
tacit systems and values are internalized in a way that the aspirations for self-determination are
experienced concretely at the local level.
c. Total Human Development
Through CO processes, organized groups are able to work together for short-term and long-
term goals in achieving the full realization of the dignity of individuals. Starting with immediate
issues addressing practical needs of safety, food, shelter, education and health, the COs build
on the experiences of ‘small victories’ to propel the movement towards the more long-
term goals of tenurial security, conflict resolution, sustainable livelihoods, cultural integrity,
participatory governance, and equitable sharing of resources.
4.3 Characteristics of the Process
The CO process is characterized by the following key features:
a. Action-Reflection Cycle

The action-reflection cycle is a progressive process which builds on local, small and concrete
“felt” issues which people want to resolve. It entails the systematic capacity development of
as many affected people as possible through their participation in the organizing processes
38 such as identification and prioritization of issues, decision making on courses of action,
mobilization and evaluation and reflection on the action taken. Emphasis is made on the
dynamism of the process which builds on simple issues (land, employment, social services,
etc.) to broader social change goals (major reforms, liberation and self-determination) as well

as local to national arenas and concrete to abstract goals.
In undertaking the action-reflection cycle, the CO builds on the understanding that people have
a wealth of experiences and capacity for discernment which need to be harnessed continually
in every step of the organizing process. As such, community life and action become the
greatest resource for learning and conscientization of the people and the role of the CO is to
guide them towards that process. The CO therefore does not take on a leadership role but is
comfortable to stay in the background to allow people to discover their insights themselves.
b. Relevance
Paolo Freire has enunciated the principle of relevance as the key factor in mobilizing people
for action. “People act on the basis of their self-interest” may sound too pragmatic but it is
“The leaders do bear the responsibility for

co-coordination—and, at times, direction—but leaders who deny
praxis to the oppressed thereby invalidates their own praxis. By
imposing their words on others, they falsify that word and establish
a contradiction between their methods and their objectives…”
Dr. Al Shariati, “Translating Theory into Practice,” What Must Be Done.
a reality that people will not act on something unless they see any value or meaning in it for
them. For example, self-determination may be an abstract concept to many who have grown
accustomed to blind obedience to and neglect by government and no amount of explanation
about their rights will be sufficient. But if they experience and realize their ability to make local
government units deliver basic goods and services such as water or relief goods for IDPs, the
right to self-determination will take on a more concrete expression for them. That concrete
experience of something very relevant will also motivate them to act on other issues that they
feel strongly about.
39
c. Social Awareness/Consciousness Raising
As mentioned earlier, experience is the strongest impetus for people to develop awareness and

motivation to act on their realities. The importance of CO processes such as groundworking

and reflection where the CO employs a “dialogical” method of communication cannot be
undermined. This means COs do now just ‘download’ ideas and issues for the other person
to digest but allows the person to think critically and articulate for him/herself the ideas and
concerns that matter. Conscientization happens not through ‘banking’ or imposing one’s ideas
but emerges from concrete actions that people have reflected on.
d. Constituency and Consensus Building (expanding the “circle of influence”)
Organizing for self-determination means creating consensus among the people who have
been divided and ruled by colonial masters for hundreds of years. This painstaking work can
be described as a movement to expand the ‘circle of influence’ so that as many communities
and are penetrated. Community Organizing facilitates the process for these groups to be able
to agree on common actions, goals and objectives.
The pursuit of the right to self-determination has created a atmosphere inclusion and exclusion
which is the reason why people have resisted the MOA-AD. Consensus building should thus
seen the different groups which belong to the community who may have different interests
and positions with regard to the issues of self-determination. It is in the area of education
where such prejudices and exclusion emanated and so it is through education that these
should be transformed.
Consensus building is based on the common good for all peoples based on different faiths
and spirituality. It entails recognizing differences and it is here where negotiation is important.
Negotiation is undertaken based on ‘common good’. The CO should ask “what is the definition
of ‘common good’ in terms of the issue of Mindanao? What is the common good in relation to
the right to self-determination and justice for the lumads?
e. Promoting a Culture of Leadership
Lessons from CO work has shown how difficult organizing can become if the organizer also
assumes the role of a leader. This is because CO work is group-centered, not leader-oriented
and leaders are identified, emerge and tested through action rather than just hand-picked by
40 some external entity or accepted by the people with resignation. Instead of a leader-centered
culture, therefore, the CO directs efforts towards the development of a ‘culture of leadership’
within the people’s organization where each individual takes responsibility for the welfare of
the other members of the group.

f. Culture-Sensitive
ARMM is characterized by clan structures which are dominant and powerful forces in the
community. The sultan has domain within the clan and can definitely help in the consolidation
of victory of the organizing work.
For instance, consolidation of victory is attained when people secure the instruments of
government such as CBFM, CLOA for land tenure. In ARMM, the power of government to say
that the land is theirs is less than the power of the clan to say “is that really yours?”
Community organizing starts from the reality of where the people are and so, does not seek
to antagonize or confront these clan structures. Instead, it finds out how these power centers
can be influenced. Community Organizing analyzes the different characteristics of each clan
which may have shared or competing interests with another clan. The structures of governance,
context and circumstances of each clan should also be understood. A good starting point
would be the “tarsila” (geneology) and sociogram of the clan which can be used to analyze
such relationships.
The following matrix summarizes the analysis of opportunities and threats that COs identified
as they attempted to strategize how to tap into the clan system:
Opportunities Threats
• power to influence with its constituents • possibilities of clad dominating
the development process and project
• some of them are also members of the implementation
POs that will influence the clan in decision
making. • the clan may tend to interfere in the
implementation of the projects
• access to information
• overlapping of power between PO and clan
• CSO participation in BDCs leadership
• presence of other NGOs • security of the officers
The key questions that COs ask are: Is it possible to work within the clan? Is there someone 41
in the clan that can be influenced and who can then carry the interests of the people by
influencing his clan? In the process of collaboration, the CO should be able to strategize how
to enter the structure and influence it.

g. Internal/External Work
There is both internal and external organizing work. It is important to assess who are the actors
at the external and internal dimensions: who are resisting, who has the motivation and who
has the influence. The other dynamics of clan is that they are also part of the revolutionary
movement. A possible strategy is to start from the “doable” and then expand the circle of
influence so that people’s organizations and CSOs can influence the political sphere.
Thus, there is a need to identify ‘champions’ who can go down to the masses and also work
with the clans and political structures. What would unite the Bangsamoro? There is no
question about Islam but the political agenda among groups are diverse. Organizing within
the Bangsamoro communities is not enough, (e.g. social services) there is also a need to address
the bigger political issues.
Community organizing is perceived by some to be a palliative measure. It is premised on the

notion that the revolution should be won first before any real change can happen. This can
be seen in the famous expression “get the chicken first before we decide on how to split it”.
But COs believe that organizing is important to enable people to experience empowerment
through small issue victories which could eventually build their capacities to tackle broader
political issues. This means that internal and external organizing should both be done at the
same time.
4.4 GOALS OF CO IN ARMM
Having defined the context and characteristics that guide organizing work in ARMM, several
goals can then be put forward to concretize these principles and strategies for change. These are
described in the following points:
a. Peaceful co-existence and cooperation
Community organizing seeks to promote unity and solidarity among the tri-people and
others groups in resolving conflicts constructively. With the attainment of unity, there is greater
possibility of cooperation in socio-economic, political and cultural endeavors. Some of the
42 indicators for achieving this goal could be the reconciliation of warring groups or clans,
solidarity among revolutionary groups, unification of CSOs for a common peace agenda, and
reduction of prejudices.

b. Institutionalizing democratic participation in governance (participatory governance)
This refers to the capability of POs and CSOs to participate directly in the governance of their
community. This also relates to their participation in mainstream political activities.
Participatory governance entails: a) consultative processes of crafting people’s development

agenda; b) clean and honest conduct of elections not selection; c) strict implementation of
local government code; and, d) instituting transparency and accountability mechanisms.
The attainment of the goal for participatory governance can be seen in the following
indicators:
• POs/CSOs agenda and priorities incorporated in development council plans
• POs/CSOs participation in development councils
• Alliances of CSOs and other groups (clans/sultanates) formed to scale up advocacy on

issues (electoral reforms, RSD)
• PO/CSO leaders/members are elected to LGU posts
c. Transformation of conflict and peacebuilding (power agenda)
One of the key tasks and goals of CO in areas which have had a long history of violent conflict
is to bring out the voice of the people and enable them to take on active roles in achieving
solutions to their issues and maintain the balance of power through collective action. The
following matrix illustrates how specific issues can be addressed and outlines the different
levels of engagement.
43

Specific Issue Strategy/Key Task Level of engagement

Armed confrontations in the • Reconciliation of conflicting parties (conflict Elders/leaders of clan
context of clan feuds/Use of armed management) Political leaders
forces in resolving conflicts • Popularization of ANV approaches using AFP/Police Officers
appropriate cultural /religious practices MILF/MNLF
• Reduction of partisan military interventions in Religious leaders
clan feuds
Use of excessive military force in • Training for Military Officers on Military, Religious leaders, LGU
law enforcement Peacebuilding, Affected communities
• Dialogue between Military and Affected
communities
Mutual mistrust and prejudices • Promotion of culture of Peace (Peace Religious Leaders
among community groups (inter Education, Radio Programs, etc) Tribal, Traditional leaders
and intra – discrimination) • Facilitation of dialogues (inter-community Academe/Education institution
dialogues) Families/Communities
Non-recognition and denial of • Education on Basic Human rights and Military, Humanitarian Network/
civil-political, economic, social protection laws Alliances
and cultural rights during times of • Documentation of HR violations/dialogue (or LGU, IDPs
armed conflict confront) perpetrators
• Humanitarian response
Misuse of Public funds; lack of • Strengthening community social structures LGUs, GLA, DILG, POs/CBO
transparency and accountability (POs or Clan) to improve participation in
(Abuse of power in government Governance.
structures/ failure of governance • Awareness building on the functions of formal
and rule of law) institutions and related laws,
• Facilitation to improve delivery of social
services
During the CO training sessions when these indicators and strategies were being fleshed out, the
COs were unanimous in saying that organizing for peace and conflict transformation should be
anchored on power. Thus analysis of the issues, power structures and strategies are essential at
every step of the process.
44 CO should emphasize that poverty is not the only cause of conflict and that there are deeper issues
of injustice which need to be addressed. Absence of war and palliative approaches which seek to
provide economic development alone will therefore not be sufficient goals in peacebuilding.

4.5 Initial Indicators of Accomplishment in CO Work
“What gets measured gets done” is a phrase that describes the importance of defining the impact
of CO concretely or in terms that are tangible and observable. These may be in the form of changes
in behavior, physical structures, laws, ways of interacting with each other, forms of organization,
participation levels and others. The guideposts for setting these indicators are found in the goals
that COs have set which are described in the form results.
The following matrix provides an example of the indicators of change that CO work can measure
after the work has been done.
Areas of Concern Indicators of Change
Organizational Development • Men and women sharing key leadership positions
• PO with clear VMG and functional committees
• PO has short/medium term plans
• PO is regularly meeting to assess and plan
• PO is managing IGP to support its operation
• Capable of raising external funds
Critical Thinking/ • Financial and internal control systems operational
Consciousness • PO leaders and members are capable of formulating clear analysis of community,
Bangsamoro and national issues
• Active participation in advocating agenda towards achieving RSD (darusallam) and IP
political aspirations
• Community resolves conflict peacefully
Access to Basic Services • Leaders and members successfully negotiated for the delivery of basic services and
infrastructure
• Volunteers accredited by line agencies (RHU, DSWD, DA, DILG and etc.)
Land Tenure • Tenurial instruments (CBFMA, and CLOA) are issued to rightful farmers/groups
Economic Self-Reliance • PO Agro-enterprise plan operating profitably
• Substantial savings mobilization and CBU funds generated and invested
Agricultural Development • PO adopts and promotes environment-friendly technologies
and Ecological Protection Upland: agro-forestry, SALT-DFS (contour farming-diversified farming system) and
trees planted in watershed
Lowland: LEISA towards NFTS, Diversified Farming System
• Reduced production cost, increase income
• Increase food supply
Democratic participation in • PO leaders and members articulated the kind of government they wanted and vocal about
governance the graft and corruption practices in their area
• Alliance of POs and other groups (barangay level) formed to scale up advocacy on issues 45
• People’s agenda and priorities incorporated in the barangay and council plan
• POs participation in barangay development councils and special bodies
• PO-implemented mechanism for effective electoral participation
• Some PO leaders/members are elected to barangay posts
• PO capable of presenting alternative development plans to LGUs/GLAs

A truly empowering organizing process should result to people in the communities being able
to attain what they want in terms that they have defined themselves. Thus the process itself
of identifying indicators of change should also be done with the people rather than limited to
deskwork among planners and change agents.
46

Section 5
Approaches and
Methods in CO
47

Section 5: Approaches and Methods in CO
5 Approaches and Methods in CO
From the 18 months of community organizing training processes which were undergone by KFI,
four (4) major approaches emerged as strategic interventions towards the attainment of the goals
in community organizing. These are:
5.1 Access to Basic Services
How can the provision or access to social services, which has been considered ‘dole-out’ be
made empowering? The CO should be on the look out for ‘felt needs’ which bother people and
the arouses them to action. On this basis, community based solutions which promote self-reliance
can be pursued by them. Another track is to demand services from the government (also referred
to as ‘duty-bearers’) as their responsibility to their constituents as citizens have the right to exact
and claim services from government.
5.2 Claim Making on Justice, Equity and Right to Self-Determination
This approach brings the people to four levels of action where they are able to expose, oppose,
propose and partner with agents of change which they want to influence.
To expose means to engage in evidence-based action. The difference in organizing in the current
times is that information is everywhere and the challenge is how to use information to guide
and assist the people in their claim making. Evidence-based action is important and this is why
conjunctural and institutional analysis are important. To oppose is to correct and resist. Correcting
the mistake is a collaboration. If the state does not want to accept the mistake, then people should
resist. To propose is to be able to put forward solutions. Part of the democratic use of power is
that the PO also has a proposal on the use of power. Principled, meaning based on values that is
being espoused. To partner is all about principled collaboration.
48

Empowering Communities for more Secure Land Tenure
Rolando, 51 years old, has been a farmer all his life. He belongs to the Teduray Indigenous
community which inhabiting Central Mindanao’s Mt. Daguma Range in the Province of
Maguindanao in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Rolando is the second
generation in his clan that had shifted from swidden (slash and burn) to settled agriculture.
Coming from the tradition of shifting agriculture where the principle of usufruct governed
access and use of land, private land ownership is undeveloped concept among the
Tedurays.
In 1987, a logging company fenced off about two hectares of land in Sitio Kemadagan
in Barangay Temikur, in the Municipality of Ampatuan. This was part of the general area
cultivated by Rolando’s family. The fenced off area was intended to be developed as nursery
by the logging company. Seeing the fence as an infringement of their traditional free access
to the area, Rolando together with his father and brothers, contested the company plan by
erecting their homes in the area.
Fortunately for Rolando, the company did not oppose their occupation. A condition was
set however: Rolando could not make any permanent improvements on the land. The
company maintained that since the contested area was within their logging concession
they would uproot or demolish any permanent improvement.
There were talks going around that the claimed concession area in Rolando’s Barangay
was illegal. The Industrial Forest Management Agreement of the logging company was
issued by the Region 12 office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR), an adjacent Region which had no authority over areas in ARMM. But Rolando
was not disposed to push the issue further. He could cultivate the land and that was all that
mattered. All he wanted was open access to land to plant his crops.
For the next 20 years, Rolando worked on the land. He eventually sired 13 children which
made him work even harder. Over the years, he developed about 10 hectares of land,
half of which were planted to corn, about 2 hectares to coffee and banana, and another 3 49
hectares to palay (wet rice). While the company left him to mind his own business, Rolando
knew that his access to the land was in a way subject to the company’s consent. His right
to the land was contestable.

There was a growing awareness among the Teduray communities of the newly enacted
Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA). Under the law, enacted in 1998 Indigenous Peoples
like the Tedurays can get their ancestral territory declared as “Ancestral Domain”, thereby
secure their prior right to the land.
Rolando together with 163 other families formed the Teduray Fagamfungon Temikur-(TFT)
Association of Tedurays in Temikur. With the help of Kadtuntaya Foundation Inc (KFI), a local
civil society organization, they were able to put together the documentary requirements to
file a claim for ancestral domain. Claims under the IPRA were received and processed by
the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
TFT eventually federated with other Teduray communities who filed similar claims. Under
the umbrella of the Teduray, Lambangian, Dulangan Manobo Ancestral Domain Claim
(TLDMADC), a claim was filed for a 250,000 hectare Teduray ancestral domain spanning 6
municipalities in the Province of Maguindanao.
Ten years lapsed with no action taken on the application. NCIP came up with various
excuses including lack of personnel and funds to conduct a delineation survey. The best
excuse was the jurisdiction issue. Since the claim was in ARMM, NCIP could not take direct
action. The Office of Southern Cultural Communities (OSCC), NCIP’s ARMM counterpart
on the other hand claimed that the NCIP mandate was not devolved to them. There was a
need for a legal instrument to fill the legal crack. And so began the long wait to patch the
crack.
For the meantime, KFI under its Land Tenure Improvement Program conducted information
campaign on the IPRA Law. It also implemented health and agriculture projects in Barangay
Temikur. Assistance also continued to capacitate TLDMADC to follow up its application
with NCIP.
Towards the last quarter of 2008, LGSPA began providing assistance to KFI to improve
its methods of community work. For the next 18 months, LGSPA support provided bi-
monthly coaching assistance to 30 KFI field workers to sharpen their methods of work in
50
their targeted communities. Field methods were realigned to be consistent with the vision,
mission and goals of KFI for “social transformation and empowerment of the people”.
The “tactic sessions” were on-the-job training which developed the discipline of problem

analysis, goal setting and strategy formulation. At the heart of the strategy is a facilitative
process of building awareness among members of the community to take action on their
problem.
The tactics session revealed that as KFI and TLDMADC waited for NCIP to do its job, other
interests had began to encroach on the 250,000 hectare claim of the Tedurays. Analysis
showed that 10 years after the claim application, more than 40% of the targeted claim
had been put under various forms of occupancy which could undermine the integrity of
the ancestral domain claim. This underlined the need to protect the area in the interim
from further encroachment while waiting for the ancestral domain claim process to take
its painfully slow course. Subsequent tactics sessions focused on exploring other legal
instruments to immediately secure the claim. Rather than wait and fall for the NCIP’s
invocation for patience, the need was to empower TFT and TLDMADC to take action. This
became the organizing strategy.
Ronie and Lanie were KFI staff responsible for Barangay Temikur. During the tactics session,
one of the options that emerged to immediately secure the land tenure of the members of
the TFT was to work for the declaration of the ancestral domain as part of the Community
Based Forest Management (CBFM) program of the government. This will give TFT the prior
right to protect and develop the land for 25 years. As indigenous people with undisputed
years of productive occupancy of the area, the members of the TFT were qualified CBFM
claimants. Moreover, the process of application would involve decisions of government
units and agencies within the ARMM and not a Manila-based bureaucracy .
Ronie and Lanie, following retooling in the LGSPA supported tactics sessions took another
track in their work with TFT. They held a series of meetings with the TFT officers and
leaders to assess the advocacy for ancestral domain. The CBFM option was discussed and
consequently agreed upon by the 163 TFT members.
Tasks were identified and assigned to generate the requirements for a CBFM application:
1. Letter of Intent of TFT and compilation of members/claimants profiles
2. Barangay Resolution of Support
51
3. Municipal Resolution of support
4. Mapping of claim
5. Submission of requirements to the CENRO; endorsement by CENRO to PENRO

6. Approval of PENRO and endorsement to Secretary of DENR-ARMM

7. Awarding of CBFM to TFT on March 4, 2009, about 12 months after deciding
to apply for CBFM, TFT completed the 5th of the seven steps of the process.
After about six months of delay, the Community Environment and Natural Resource
Officer (CENRO) of the Municipality of Ampatuan endorsed the CBFM application to the
Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Officer (PENRO). One more major hurdle
for TFT before the anticipated awarding of the CBFM. It was a process of capacity building
of TFT through a facilitative KFI field approach. Whereas before Lani and Ronie took the
main lead in implementing activities with TFT, a basic shift in approach was adopted
which placed primary responsibility for action to TFT. From passive beneficiaries of the
effort of KFI staff, TFT took active lead in implementing the plan of action.
The application process where TFT engaged Government became the vehicle for the
exercise of community capacity. TFT engaged three levels of Government: Barangay,
Municipal and Regional. The Barangay Government was not difficult since most of its
council members were claimants. Acquiring the Municipal Resolution required more
engagement. TFT formed a team who could dialogue with the Municipal Council. A
Municipal Council member who would sponsor the resolution was identified. He was
then fully briefed on the CBFM application emphasizing the economic benefits to the
community.
It should be noted that the Municipal Council is dominated by the dominant Muslim
Maguindanaoans. No Teduray sits on the current Municipal Council. TFT officers
appeared before a Committee to explain their request for resolution. Capitalizing on
the Municipal Government’s Comprehensive Development Plan’s (CDP-ELA) expressed
priority to provide economic support to Teduray community, the delegation presented the
agricultural, environmental and peace-promoting benefits of CBFM. The same afternoon
after the committee hearing, the draft Resolution was presented to the Council Floor and
was unanimously approved. The Municipal Mayor approved the Resolution a few days
later.
52
While the process of engagement with the Municipal Government seemed procedural,
there were other interests which tried to block the TFT’s effort to get a Municipal approval.
Three months after the approval of the Municipal Resolution, the head of the TFT Team

who negotiated with the Municipal Council was killed in an ambush. It is believed that the
perpetrators were not pleased with the Municipal Resolution.
Engaging the CENRO was even more challenging. As Roni explained, it was hard to predict
what to expect from the CENRO. The CENRO was not forthright and came up with new
requirements as the process progressed.
The CENRO was responsible for preparing the sketch map of the area applied for. But on
the appointed dates of the survey, he had excuses for not showing up. But TFT persisted.
After about three months, the CENRO told TFT money was needed to outsource the task
of surveying because the office had no equipment and funds to do the mapping. Since KFI
had personnel and equipment, it offered to do the job. More obstacles were laid along the
way by the CENRO.
TFT persisted, applying pressure tactics to get the CENRO to move. All communications
were documented with copy furnished to the Provincial DENR head. Mr. CENRO objected
to what he described as incorrect protocol. To appease him, TFT agreed not to put the cc
but in subtle way made it clear that the PENRO was regularly apprised of developments.
As part of the pressure tactic, a CBFM forum was organized inviting the DENR-ARMM to
update DENR on the KFI-DENR CBFM partnership. Amidst declaration of DENR leadership
of its primary purpose to serve the interest of the people, TFT leaders took the occasion
to bring up difficulties encountered by their application. The Temikur leaders specifically
sought clarification from DENR representatives on the so called “technical description of
the claimants”. This was another requirement sprung by the CENRO to TFT which could
not be explained fully to TFT. The DENR reps could neither explain this requirement nor
were they aware of any such requirement.
Three weeks after the forum the CENRO forwarded the endorsement to the PENRO
(waiving need for technical description of the claimants).
Roni and Lani were very pleased that the application had moved to the sixth step, the
53
second to the last step. Lani was optimistic that the PENRO was an easier office to deal
with. KFI had earlier initiated discussions with the PENRO and he declared his willingness
to give full support. The same PENRO showed up in the forum with encouraging words

for TFT.“ But who knows what kind of surprise awaits us,” said Lani. During the forum, KFI
announced that their planned Earth Day celebration where they hoped some awarding of
CBFM would happen. God willing, said the PENRO.
Whether the awarding will happen on Earth Day or later, Roni sees the CBFM as the
light at the end of the tunnel. After 18 months of engagement, he has a stronger and a
more dynamic TFT taking charge of this advocacy. This land tenure advocacy also got the
support of the Barangay and the Municipal Government.
TLDMADC are carefully watching the progress of the TFT effort. The TLDMADC leadership
were initially concerned with the perceived shift of the advocacy from Ancestral Domain
to CBFM by KFI supported groups. TFT and other similar groups were able to explain
that there was no conflict. It was a short versus long term effort. The lack of any result on
the ancestral domain claim over the last 10 years had made Teduray’s skeptical of land
tenure efforts. A successful intermediate strategy will energize and strengthen the long term
effort.
Rolando could not believe that in about a year, he is close to a significant breakthrough.
He is aware that CBFM is a simple 25 year lease on the land. But during that period, land
use will be subject to his “free, prior and informed consent.” In the meantime, a stronger
TFT is emerging that will continue to pursue a Teduray Ancestral Domain.
54

5.3 Socio-economic or Livelihood Projects
This approach is usually chosen by Community Organizers because: a) people demand for
tangible assistance from the NGO; b) political organizing work is not acceptable and puts the life
of the COs at risk; c) the area of expertise of the NGO or donor is focused on projects; d) there are
immediate needs that need concrete response such as food and shelter in emergency situations.
Examples of initiatives demonstrating this approach are the introduction of projects, such a health
care, income generating projects, enterprise development, credit/marketing production, multi-
purpose cooperative formation, etc. that are identified by the CO with the community after a study
of the felts needs of the community or pre-packaged by the funding source base on its perceived
needs of the community.
Caution should be exercised by the CO in adopting this approach to avoid falling into the “dole-
out” trap and create further dependence in the community. Thus, people should be encouraged to
develop self-help or self-managed projects where external funds for concrete projects are utilized
to stimulate participation and interest in collective activities. In order to do this, the following
ideas may be explored:
• Promoting stewardship: it is good to begin the livelihood program on the concept or notion
of ‘stewardship’ which exists in all faiths. The project will thus be viewed as being given in
trust for the good of the community rather than for narrow personal interests.
• Equity: this means ensuring that resources and benefits from projects are shared and
distributed equitably. Selection of beneficiaries through objectively drawn and implemented
criteria is thus an essential process which COs need to guide the community with. To avoid
perceptions of inequity, processes as well as resources should be transparent and shared with
the community. It is also best if the NGO avoids handling the funds in behalf of the community
and the PO is strengthened in terms of safekeeping and wise utilization of funds based on
agreed upon policies and plans.
• Ecological sustainability: economic projects should not cause further harm to our deteriorating
environmental situation. This will require deeper assessment of the values that the community
seeks to uphold and their capacity to decide against harmful practices such as chemical 55
farming, extractive mining and destruction of forests among others. Economic projects should
be implemented at such a scale that changes unsustainable production practices (rural and
urban) because if our practices are not sustainable, we become dependent on multinationals

and global markets.
5.4 Projects as Platforms for Conscientization and Empowerment
Introduction
The basic framework, principles and approaches of Community Organizing should be utilized
in the implementation of “predetermined” or pre-packaged projects. The creative application of
CO is most important in regions where conflict and poverty attract significant development funds
and other resources. Most of these resources are usually earmarked for specific types and sectors
of development; such as schools, potable water systems, food aid, medical services and supplies,
etc.
The pre-determination of the type of projects contradicts a basic CO process where the community
identifies their problems, rank the importance of these problems and choose the problems they
want to solve. What is even more problematic is that classic CO normally does not deliver resources
and projects. Community Organizing is centered in the mobilization of the community to demand
for these projects and services from responsible offices (or from the duty bearers if we use the
Human Rights Based Approach terminology). The community demand is therefore an exercise of
their collective rights, making the experience liberating.
A strong grasp of CO is needed as development activists grapple with the tensions brought about by
specific project “deliverables” on one hand, and the need to use the projects for conscientization
and empowerment, on the other hand.
A short review of CO
Community Organizing is an action reflection process that leads to liberating education. Liberating
education is needed because poverty is rooted in society’s structures that need to be reformed.
The social reform agenda therefore permeates the CO process. Social reform can only be achieved
if the power of the poor becomes stronger than the powers that want to maintain the status quo.
Second, poverty is also rooted in peoples’ perception of their external reality and of themselves.
This is the cause of behavioral problems of the poor like dependency, lack of confidence,
56 opportunism, admiration and incorporation of the image of the oppressors (Erap topping the polls
for “presidentiables”), etc.

Community Organizing is an approach that ensures collectively learning experiences where

people identify their problems, analyze, plan and act on their solutions. Collective participation is
a “must” because common rather than individual experiences are needed for social reform.
CO in project implementation
Basic Community Organizing principles and steps cannot be sacrificed. Social Investigation
remains very important as projects are implemented within existing community structures that
mirrors and reinforces the unjust social “triangle” of the larger society. These local structures need
to be addressed or managed to avoid projects being captured by local elites thereby strengthening
the very structures of poverty that need to be changed.
Participation of the people at all stages of the development projects is needed. The CO approach
to ensure wide participation is to address the economic and material aspects closest to the gut of
the people. Identifying what the problems are must be followed by detailed analysis on “how”
the problems are affecting the people. People do not just lack efficient potable water supply.
The time and labor needed to gather drinking water is computed and analyzed. The water borne
diseases suffered is itemized and analyzed, including its related costs. The resulting malnutrition
and stunted growth is discussed. These become the gut-level motivating factor for people to act.
Understanding local structures and how people are affected by specific problems require the CO
step of community integration. Integration will allow the CO to motivate and agitate people to
action. “Concretizing” the solutions to problems to as much details as possible is an important CO
step. A community does not just need a water system for potable use. The community will identify
the type and size of the water pump, the size of the reservoir, the size of the main and distribution
pipes, the volume of the water flow, the cost of maintenance of the system, the rules in managing
the system, etc.
The continuing reflection process that raises purely material concerns to the level where solutions to
problems become their common right remains very important. The development of “consciousness”
will be uneven and one of the key organization processes is to identify the “advance” elements.
These organizations, whether these are organizations for the management of water systems, pre-
school and feeding programmes, health services, etc, because of the CO process, will become
new centers of power.
57

Stories from the KFI CO-Trainees
The water system project in Upi is a good example where the community identified the problem,
and how they were badly affected by its lack (labor burden, ailments, etc.). They participated
in planning and selecting a specific water system as the solution (although there are technical
problems due to the weakness of the technical “consultant”). While the project was funded by
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the people also requested and received a substantial counterpart
from the local government. The rules in maintaining and managing the water system were also
crafted by the people. The creation of the “village water association” is in effect a new social
center of power.
This experience is also related and contributed to the strength of the struggle of some members
of the community to earn legal tenurial rights to their lands. Farmers in these communities joined
in a “rally” during the “Earth Day” celebration, which was, at the same time, a show of strength
related to their struggle for ownership of their farms.
The health project in Datu Paglat town where several barangays were involved in waste
management to protect their environment and health is another example. Ailments and morbidity
were discussed and solutions that they local people can contribute were discussed. The proper
management of community waste was agreed and adapted by several barangays.
5.5 Agriculture Technology Development
The main objective of Community Organizing is the conscientization and empowerment of the poor.
It addresses the behavioral poverty of the poor like dependency, opportunism, lack of confidence
and internalization of the oppressor image (as ideal), etc. CO is also aimed at structural reform as
poverty is caused by unjust social structures. Hence, peoples’ empowerment is paramount.
Agricultural technology development is also aimed at poverty reduction. However, poverty suffered
by small farmers is not only about technology and low productivity but related more closely to
the lack of justice, like the lack of access and ownership of land by poor farmers, and their lack
58
of access and control of market forces and institutions. Furthermore, poverty is behavioral and
agricultural technology development must contribute to eradicating the culture that makes people
poor.

Adapting a technology that increases productivity may raise farmers’ harvests but this will increase
their dependence on “external” sources of science/knowledge. This will also erode their confidence
in discovering their own solutions to production problems, reduce their independent critical
thinking, and will reduce their capacity to perceive the negative impacts of new technologies. In a
sense, while harvests increase, the people become poorer in a more profound sense.
Hence, it is often said that “sustainable agriculture” is more about people than it is about plants.
It is therefore important to adapt the CO framework, principles and approaches to agricultural
technology development so that agricultural projects contribute to conscientization and
empowerment of small farmers, and to the agenda of social reform.
The Agricultural Context
First, it is important to have a broad understanding of the agricultural context in the country.
Agriculture in the country had moved from subsistence agriculture to an intensive production
system where the harvests are geared towards external markets. More than half of the agricultural
lands in the country are planted to cash crops and/or industrial crops like coconuts, sugar cane,
coffee, rubber, etc. For major food crops, especially cereals (mainly rice and corn), farming has
moved from a “once-a-year” cultivation to a year round production resulting to 2 to 3 agricultural
cropping seasons per year. More than half of the harvests of rice and corn are sold to the market.
The integration of agriculture into the market economy has altered production systems radically.
Productivity and income per unit of land has increased. However, the capacity of soils to naturally
replenish has practically disappeared due to lack of a fallow period. This has resulted to the
increased use of inorganic fertilizers. Irrigation systems have to be constructed to provide a year
round supply of water. New modern varieties that fit intensive production system replaced farmers’
traditional varieties. Due to the constant presence of the crop, pests and diseases infestations also
increased resulting to higher use of pesticides. Inputs for agricultural production, like seeds and
chemicals, have become a multi-billion dollar industry.
The natural resources needed for agriculture like soil, water, genetic diversity, etc, are fast being
eroded. The technologies that dominate these production systems are mostly imported and not
generated by farmers in their own farms. Thus, what is also lost and replaced by corporate and
institutional science are the farmers’ traditional knowledge systems in agriculture. In the Philippines, 59
this replacement started around 40 years ago. Since the beginning of agriculture around 8,000
years ago, science and technology in agriculture had always been developed by farmers. This
replacement is a process of disempowerment and dependency.

According to Mr. Tony Quizon of Asian NGO Coalition (ANGOC), the Philippine rural areas suffer
three levels of tenancy; technological tenancy because farmers do not control it, land tenancy
because the struggle for agrarian reform is not yet over, and market tenancy because farmers have
no control over local, national and global market forces.
In ARMM, the constant recurrence of war and the lack of peace and order have prevented
the development of highly productive farmlands. Another reason for the lower agricultural
development in the region maybe the lack of strong property rights on the land. The integration
of agriculture in ARMM to market economy is lesser than in other parts of the country. However,
farming technologies, in general, have also been altered towards the use of modern varieties,
synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. Still, productivity per unit of land is lower, and there
are less permanent cash crops. Large farms using intensive and industrial type of production that
are market oriented are usually owned by large corporations, or by rich and powerful families.
Sustainable agriculture
There is a need to develop alternative systems of agriculture aimed to; a) conserve the natural
resources needed in agriculture, b) increase farmers’ income and quality of life and most importantly,
c) develop alternative production systems that is based on farmers’ traditional knowledge and
informed by the advancements in science.
There are many descriptions of what sustainable agriculture is. Some believe in “organic agriculture”,
others in “low external input sustainable agriculture” (leisa), others in “natural farming”, and others
in the application of agro-ecological science.
This section of the manual will not discuss which of these sustainable options are better and it is
also very possible that the best approach is the combination of the different options.
This section of the manual is not so much about what the farmers need to learn (of these approaches),
but on how farmers learn. Ensuring a conscienticizing and empowering learning experiences in
developing sustainable agriculture technologies is the heart of the application of CO in agricultural
projects.
60
CO in Sustainable Agriculture Technology Development
The basic steps in classical CO, especially integration, social investigation, peoples’ identification
of problems, analyzing how these problems are affecting the people, collective participation at all

stages, etc. remain very important. The only difference is that the development activist will focus
on the agricultural sector and its related problems.
Classical CO advise that there is a need to break down a large complex problem and/or issue into
smaller and manageable issues. The same applies to agriculture. The main and practical categories
are the following; a) soil and nutrient management b) pest and disease management, c) genetic and
seed resources management (varieties and breeds), and d) the total production management (e.g.
rice-based, cacao-coconut-corn systems, corn-beans, food and cash crop combination, irrigated or
dry land etc). (A 5th category, market management, can be added. However, market management
is an equally huge subject. There is a need for the adaptation of CO in people’s management of
market forces.)
These problems/issues are be the foci where the farmers will be organized around. The process
should lead to farmers’ identification of production problems guided by the four categories above.
Under soils and nutrient category the problems can be the lack of drainage resulting to iron
toxicity, the lack of organic content leading to the loss of productive soil texture, depletion of
natural fertility, the high cost of fertilizers (either synthetic or organic), lack of irrigation, etc. Under
pest and diseases, some of the problems that may identify are fungus (e.g. blast in rice and sigatoka
in banana farms), different viruses like tungro and their insect carriers, rice black bugs, borers, etc.
Under genetics and seeds the problems maybe the lack of seeds vigor and cleanliness (this can
reduce harvest by 50%), lack of appropriate varieties adapted to the different biotic and abiotic
stresses in the locality, lack of pest and disease tolerance of their current varieties and breeds,
lack of marketability of varieties, etc. Under total production systems the possible problems are
the need to develop alternative rotation cash crops, the right combination of crops, the most
appropriate livestock components, etc.
These agricultural production problems will be identified by the community, analized and ranked
in importance and discussed how these are adversely affecting their lives. What is important in
the CO process is that the community will identify their most important production problem.
At this stage, it is important to categorize the problems into short-term and “doable” problems
e.g. rice bugs, defoliators, banana nematodes, etc, and the longer-term problems like drainage
of peat soil zones, medium to large size irrigation systems, etc. The idea for this sub-category is
to ensure that farmers will address problems where they can develop solutions while building up
the organization to face the longer-term and bigger problems. (This is like the case of organizing 61
around day care centers, community canals, and water pumps before tackling the complex and
difficult issue of land.)

Designing the learning experiences and the use of science and technology
The rule, it is not what we want the farmers to learn that is most important but how the farmers
learn. Community Organizers’ task therefore, once the production problems are prioritized, is to
design the on-farm research that will outline the potential solutions into learning modules. The
main guide in developing these on-farm research and learning modules is that it should try its best
to start with what farmers know (e.g. resistance to pest and diseases, disease seasons, rain patterns,
etc). The second guide is the use of other technical sources and advancements in agricultural
sciences to guide the learning modules.
This is where the ‘farmers’ field school” (FFS) approach is adapted by CO practioners. The FFS
approach is informed by the most recent developments in agricultural sciences. At the same time,
its approach is strongly guided by Habermas and Friere.
Under this approach, the farmers’ field is used as the on-farm research and learning “laboratory”.
The “school” will run throughout the whole cropping season. In these learning fields where
possible solutions to problems are studied, the farmers gather the data, and the farmers analize
and make their own conclusions. Thus the guide phrase: “whose problems, whose data and whose
analyses” remain useful.
The learning process will help ensure that farmers will “own” the knowledge generated in their on-
farm research. This is the empowerment and conscientization process. This will build confidence
in their own capacity and slowly build critical thinking needed to face other problems, and
ultimately address the agenda for social reform.
For example, once the farmers learn that there is very little need to use pesticides against leaf
eating insects at the vegetative stage of the rice plant, they will begin to question the government
programme that supplies and encourages the use of pesticides for this problem. Once farmers
learn how to produce their own high quality seeds, they will begin to question the billions of
subsidies that the government pays to seed companies.
The process is as important as the outcome.
62 This approach is characterized by the practice of production which nurtures life; use of natural
resources which benefit immediate community; utilization of natural resources which also
regenerates life; and, practice of development which ensures the future generation life.

Section 6
Steps in the Community

Organizing Process
63

Section 6: Steps in the Community Organizing Process
6 Steps in the community Organizing process
Community Organizers employ day-to-day processes or steps depending on the results of their
social investigation. The familiarity of the organizer with the area also determines the length of
period spent for certain activities such as immersion and issue analysis. Urgency of issues being
addressed can also be a significant factor in deciding where to start as can be seen in emergency
response situations. In short, context is a very important consideration in deciding which steps to
apply.
However, there are basic steps that are useful to bear in mind as they allow for time-tested
and proven skills to take root and attain results desired by COs for the process to be genuinely
conscientizing and empowering. The said steps have been articulated as a result of a series of
reflections among veteran COs in rural areas in the Philippines and are summarized in the “Rural
CO Standards” which serves as a common guide among those who want to sharpen their praxis
(Rural CO Standards: 2002).
Also known as the ten-step process in organizing communities, the specific steps are integration,
social investigation, tentative programming, groundworking, meeting, roleplay, mobilization,
evaluation, reflection, and formation of people’s organization.
6.1 Integration
Description
Integration is becoming one with the people in the community getting to know the culture,
economy, leaders, history, rhythms, and lifestyle of the community.
Integration guarantees that the person’s commitment to change society is attuned to what
the people want by way of change and not to some theoretical model or ideology or
religion.
Integration is basic to all other steps: If the organizers are not with the people, they can
never really learn the true dimensions of the people’s problems or how to motivate the
64 change.

How to do Integration:
• Participation in direct production activities, such as, planting or harvesting rice,

fishing etc.
• Conduct of house-to-house visits
• Conversing with people where they usually congregate (e.g. corner store, wells,
rivers, etc.)
• Participation in social activities
• Helping in household chores, cooking food, dishwashing, fetching
water, etc.
• Avoiding undesirable behavior or taboos such as drinking and
gambling
6.2 Social Investigation
Purpose of Social Investigation
Before any organizing can be done effectively in any community, it is important to analyze
the situation where the change interventions are being introduced through CO. Social
Analysis is thus undertaken to enable the organizers to gain:

• Knowledge of situation in the region (cognitive)
• Understanding the factors that affect/ determine underdevelopment and conflict
(analytical)
• Designing interventions to combat marginalization (prescriptive)
• Evaluation of whether current programs and existing organizations are effective in
addressing poverty issues (assessment)
Social Investigation (SI) is done to: a) understand the situation of the community and the
environment; b) analyze the factors that cause the situation; c) understand the possible
alternatives to the situation; and d) assess the existing programs and organizations that try
to improve the situation.
How SI can be done: 65
• Study the documents or reports that talk of the people’s problem.

• Learn from the people themselves how they feel about the problem, how they see
the details of the problems, complications and significance.
• Study the problem as it is affected by the power structure of the community. That is,
study how the leaders are tied to problem.
Some of the data which can be gathered are:
a. Geographic and demographic data: physical description of the area, population,

etc.
b. Available resources: human/gender, natural/environment, equipment/machines,
technology
c. Major sources of income as well as secondary sources of income
d. Tenurial Arrangement: number of owner-cultivators, tenants, landless workers,
small fisherfolks, kinds of tenurial instruments, extent of landlessness or lack of
control over aquatic resources
e. Production survey: average yield, technology used
f. Environment Scanning: land use mapping, soil analysis, watersheds, slopes,
riverbanks for rehabilitation, type of soil and water conservation needed,
description and extent of ecological destruction and resource degradation
g. Level of satisfaction of basic needs (i.e. food, clothing, shelter, health, education
h. Formal and informal leaders of the community
i. Economic, political and socio-cultural forces affecting the community (i.e., market
forces, corporations, government officials and organizations, church, etc.)
j. Worldviews of people- folklores, beliefs and traditions
k. Potential leaders of the organizing process
Analysis of the data can be guided with the use of some tools which are presented below in a
summary matrix. The detailed description of each tool can be found in Annex A.
66

Some Tools for Social Analysis

TOOLBOX FOR SOCIAL ANALYSIS
Conjunctural Analysis Mode of production analysis (macro structural
analysis)
Historical Analysis/ Timeline
1. Asiatic mode of production
Structural Analysis (E-P-C) 2. Semi-colonial, semi-feudal
1. Pillars of support 3. International dependency model
2. Ideological/Political apparatus code 4. Disarticulated economy analysis

Social forces Analysis Participatory tools for community analysis
1. Mapping: social mapping, institutional mapping
Gender Analysis 2. Ranking: problem, preference, wealth
3. Calendaring: timeline, seasonal calendar
Conflict/ Peace Analysis 3. SARAR/ Story with a gap
Environmental Analysis
Sectoral Analysis
1. Peasant, fisherfolk situationer
2. Labor, urban poor situationer
6.3 Tentative Program
Description

Planning is the process of identifying goals and translating them into specific activities to
meet community needs or solve community problems.
The CO should not have preconceived ideas on what are the right issues to tackle. He
should be continually curious and always looking for deeper levels of complexity in
problems in problem. Finally, he should choose one issue to work on.
Guidelines for choosing an issue: 67
• It affects a large number of people; it is basic in organizing to include large numbers

of people

• People must feel strongly about the problem.

• The problem should be “winnable”; the people should be able to get what they
want soon
• Action on the issue should interest other people who will join in, allies are needed
at every stage of the organizing work
• The issue should lead to other issues
6.4 Groundworking
Description
This means to go around and motivate people on one-on-one basis to do something about
the issue; some aspects of motivation/agitation that can be used are self-interest, morality,
rights, honor or shame, and anger.
Since this method is crucial to the organizing process, the organizer must ensure that it is
not done haphazardly. The CO must have all the data, information and skills needed to
make the process work such as:
a. Community problems and concerns, and common felt needs

b. An assessment of the past successful and futile actions on these problems,
concerns and needs
c. Existing opportunities and resources for the resolution of issues
d. Culture of people their values; and
e. An assessment of the social dynamics of the community
6.5 Meeting
Description
When the people collectively ratify what they have decided individually. It gives a sense
of collective power and confidence; it shows people they are not alone. The meeting also
settles details on the planned action.
68 The meeting aims to arrive at an agreement among the community residents on their
common needs and problems, and the necessary actions and delineation of tasks that
must be undertaken to resolve the issues

Method
The process usually includes the following:
a. Presentation of the list of community issues and concerns that surfaced during the
SI phase which is formally validated or further enriched by the people
b. An analysis of these issues and concerns in a way that is participatory and the
results are final
c. Prioritization of issues
d. Coming up with plan of action
e. Delineation of tasks with an adhoc committee or task force
6.6 Role Play
Description
This means to act out the meeting that will take place between the leaders of the people
and the representatives of the government or institutions.
• It is a way of training people to anticipate what will happen and to prepare

themselves
• It is good method to develop a sense of reaction on the spot
• Main advantage of the method—by its nature, it involves people’s emotions as well
69
as their intellect and people enter into it with full enthusiasm; it allows for an air of
confrontation that people should get used to

6.7 Mobilization or Action
Description
This is the actual experience of the people in confronting the powerful and the actual
exercise of people’s power. This is the action undertaken by the community to address
and resolve the identified issues and concerns. This can be in the form of negotiation or
dialogue coupled with pressure tactics. The process serves to build and strengthen the
people’s confidence in their capacity to act collectively on their issues and confront the
powers-that-be.
Method
In negotiating or dialoguing with the target group or person—or those who have authority
to resolve or impede the resolution of the issue—the panel must be skilled in:
a. Presenting their concerns, needs and apprehensions as well as their positions or

proposed solutions on how these can be addressed
b. Understanding the concerns, needs apprehensions and positions of the other
party as well an in convincing them that the problem at hand has to be resolved
for both their benefits
c. If the other party refuses to listen, articulating the possible consequences of their
refusal to listen and act
6.8 Evaluation
Description
Evaluation has been defined as the “process of discovering by the people what has been
accomplished, what has been left out and what remains to be done” (TAGISAN). It is
learning from the strengths and weaknesses of the finished action. It is thus essential to
evaluate not only to what degree the objectives are being met, but also the degree to
which the objectives correspond to the real problems.
70

6.9 Reflection
Description
Reflection is different from evaluation in the sense that it deals with deeper ongoing
concerns and may need a quieter atmosphere. It is best done right after the evaluation
when the experiences are still fresh in the people’s minds.
6.10 Formation of People’s Organization
Description
It is best to formalize the community based organization or people’s organization after

the people have undergone a series of activities together. In that way, the abilities of the
members and leaders are tested and become the basis for the selection of key leaders and
design of the structure.
Some principles which can be observed in the establishment of the organization are: a)
maximum participation of membership; b) maximum control of the people; c) simplicity
of structure (e.g. general assembly, council of leaders, executive committed, working
committees); and d) collective and shared leadership.
Characteristics of PO
POs come as a result of many successive actions of the people are characterized as
follows:
• An organization of smaller organizations rather than individuals

• Has an inherent structure to help people participate and deliberate, and provides
for a system of checks and balances
• Faces multiple issues at any given time
• Is in constant action as a demonstration of the principle that : action is the lifeblood
of the organization”
• Projects an image of power and sets out to win its issues 71
• New leaders are constantly emerging
• Partisan politics and alliances are made very critically

• Mobilizes resources from the people

• Creates an impact beyond its immediate concerns and areas.
72

Section 7
The Organizers
73

Section 7: The Organizers
Section 7: The OrganizerS
7.1 Sources of Commitment and Strength
Each organizer has a different story to tell about the sources of their strength and commitment.
Some examples of these are values, family, sense of belonging, the community itself and faith.
Organizers experience their work not just as a source of employment but a lifelong vocation. In
training organizers, it is important to tap into these sources to be able to sustain their commitment
to a very challenging vocation.
Some of the stories that were shared by the KFI trainees follow:
“I felt effective when I was able to go into the area which is dominated by the MILF. The livelihood
project was organized and people participated and the project developed and existed until now. My
commitment and perseverance and the positive attitude of the community made me able to face the
challenge. A picture of children in a community that I hang in my room is where I draw my strength
to do all this.” - Krems
“I am proud that for two and a half years as CO I have learned so much specially the land rights
advocacy that I was able to organize. Their eagerness to participate made the advocacy easier to do.
I was able to win the sympathy of the people. I learned to be more flexible in dealing with them.”
- Ronnie
“I was able to go to an area where no Christian is allowed and risked my life just to talk to the leader
of the community. My family has been part of the conflict as resident of the area and I do not have to
change my religion to be able to carry out the task. To be open to accept history and that we can still
hope for the future.” - Cliff
“I willingly went to meet some group in the area during the time when the government declared an
‘all out war’ and Christians are not allowed to enter a Muslim area. I did not mind receiving very little
because I thought that being a peace builder it will be useless if I am not able to do something to settle
the problem. The source of my strength is my faith and my commitment to the people” - Derek
“We went to an area and were held by an armed group. This group was known to kill anyone who
goes to this place. Through the intervention of some people in the area we were able to do our work.
74 To learn to deal with different groups and the struggle that we have been fighting for helped me to
continue my work.” - Norman

“I was assigned to an area known to be a problem area. It was also a problem for me because I barely
know the community and I was not welcome because I was not from there. I was sent there to work
but instead they wanted to do the work and made me a participant. I was treated as an outsider and
there were even threats to my life. Being open to learn and share my own learning helped in dealing
with them and they were able to accept me”. - Rollie
“The Datus do not want for the Tedurays to be taught because leaders fear that they might become
problem late on. I persevered to make them ware of their rights and learn to be empowered. My faith
in Islam is where I draw my strength”. - Yasser
“Being able to break the barrier between the Muslims and Christians. The community
where I was denied entry once was able to see the sincerity in my work. No matter
how little is done they appreciated my work” - Edith
“Being able to break culture of silence. My work is in project development and my

character is “to see is to believe’ defying protocols and breaking rules even if am
not familiar with the area. If I see that one person dominates I feel that I need to do
something, especially if I see children and women.” - Nonits
“We were on our way to distribute relief goods to a community when our vehicle
was stuck in the area near a rebel camp. We stayed for a while until help came.
When I reached home I reflected if this is really the work that I want to do. I realized
that this is my contribution to the people. What helped was the tenacity to stand for
what you want to do” . - Jimmy
“I was warned that if I enter a community they expected the CO to help them solve
the problem. When I was in the community the people asked me what was I doing
there and that they do not need help from anybody. I persevered in my work with
the help of my fellow CO. My contribution to help was small but I was able to contribute to make
a change. The courage to do something made it happen”. – Saudi
“My work in KFI was the best experience I had. I felt fulfilled when ‘Bakwit Power’ happened.
The fear that my ideas were not acceptable vanished when people approached me and thank me,
appreciating what I did. The right to self- determination is my commitment.” - Nash
“When I joined the land rights team. The warm acceptance of the community in Tinungkaan, I was
able to bring people from DENR to visit the area. Being CO helped in all the work. I put myself on
75
the ground, I work not above them but with them.” - Lanie
“When I joined KFI in 2002. I saw so many idle areas that I saw the importance of linkaging and
mobilize the community. The water project in Upi and being able to look for funds. With determination

and faith we can achieve the task no matter how big or small.” - Cams
The barangay was able to sustain the daycare classes in Kinebaka that we started. Day care facilitators
are empowered, they work as day care facilitators and they are also tapped as Barangay facilitators.
Day care workers continue to work even if they do no longer receive allowance. Their commitment
to work even if they walk long hours to reach the barangay is an inspiration to us.” - Sam
According to the KFI CO consultant and trainer, one of the best moments of COs is when the
paradigm shift takes place in terms of one’s ability to understand why there are poor people. This
usually happens during the social analysis stage when they learn to analyze what causes poverty.
For the COs, it is always liberating when one is able to understand why there is a need to work
in one area, how a task is done and the processes utilized in the organizing work. Ambition can
help largely in attaining goals. In the end, as development workers, the ambition is not just limited
to the self but an aspiration to help the communities attain improvement of the quality of life. As
COs, the desire to improve the quality of life of the people should focus on poverty alleviation
and conflict transformation. This entails that one is able to know what is poverty dependency and
conflict as well as comprehend their causes.
7.2 Creating a Nurturing Environment for CO
NGOs need to work for the nurturance of community organizers in ways that they are able to
support each other in the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions.
The Physical Dimension empowers us;

we strengthen the Mind by challenging it;
the Spiritual Dimension is the Leadership of Life; and,
we practice our Emotional/ Social Dimension by being
proactive in our social contacts.”
- Stephen Covey
76
Energizing elements which the COs value are unity, the aspiration for self-determination, sense of
family in the NGO, teamwork, a shared history of involvement and one’s faith. De-energizers can
easily be addressed if NGOs are able to sustain regular feedback giving and reflection sessions

together along with the usual tactics and strategizing sessions. Aside from addressing inter-
personal dynamics within the organization, the COs identified the need for efforts to strengthen
organizational elements of strategy development, style of leadership, structure, staffing, skills,
sources, systems and the spirit or culture of the organization. In all these, the principles, strategies,
approaches and processes of CO should be integrated and mainstreamed.
77

Bibliography
CBCS Presentation on the Right to Self-Determination. 2008.
Documentation of Proceedings of Tactic Sessions from 2008-July 2009.
Documentation of Proceedings of CO Lead Training, Davao City. August 6-11, 2009.
Mediation Training Manual, Mediators’ Network for Sustainable Peace. 2005.
Mucha Shim-Quiling Arquiza. Presentation on Cultural Action and Freedom. CO Lead

Training, Davao City. August 9,2009.
Rural Community Organizing in the Philippines. Publication of CO Multiversity and PhilCOS.

2002.
78

Annex A: Tools for Social Analysis
79


Conjunctural Analysis
Conjunctural Analysis focuses on the assessment of the social forces affecting a specific issue at a
given moment. While structural analysis assesses the situation on a bigger scale by looking into
the systems and superstructures of the society, Conjunctural Analysis examines trends in a specific
area or region in a specific point in time, usually the present.
Conjunctural Analysis can be done in four phases:
1. Identification of the analysts and their position which includes: class, culture, gender,
occupation and organizational base; general analysis of society; vision of society;
development principles and perspectives
2. Naming or identifying the issues- which has three core steps
• Selection of 1-3 issues for analysis. The criteria for the identification of the issue
around which the organizing process will revolve can be used such as the number of
people affected, winnability, etc.
• General assessment of the trend of the issue

Sample of trends in ARMM (results of Lead CO Workshop, Aug. 6-11,2009)
a. Power struggle/disputes at different levels (i.e. b/w MILF and gov’t, within gov’t,
within the MNLF, among sultanates, political administrative boundaries)
b. Non-implementation of tenurial instruments/redistribution limitations
c. Increasing tendency towards violence
d. Decline in the provision of services
80 e. Lowering of food production
f. Weakening of moral fiber because of desecration of religious places

3. Assessment of the social forces that affect the movement of the issues
Kakampi
Kakampi
Conjuncture
Conjuncture Kalaban
Kalaban
Interes
Interes
Tamang
Tamang Puwersa
Puwersa
Pagkakataon
Pagkakataon
As can be seen in the illustration, the following questions can be answered:
a. Who are the major actors in each side? (persons, groups institutions in each side;
whose position and influence has the greatest impact on the movement of the issue)
b. What are their objectives? (expressed interets and target audiences; short-term and
long term goals)
c. Who are their allies? (actual and potential; interests, effect on the movement of the
issues)
d. How would you assess the correlation of forces? (relative strength of the principal
forces in each side; where they get their strength or power, who is likely to win the
struggle and at what cost?)
4. Seizing the moment of examining the opportunities and threats into action.
81
a. An assessment of opportunities and threats to people’s action
b. Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization or community

c. Identification of key interventions for the people’s collective action on the resolution
of the issue/s
Institutional Analysis
In order to understand the situation in the ARMM, it may be important to analyze the different social
and economic forces that are driving the relationships, and the possibilities that are necessary to
improve these relationships.
To undertake this, we will utilize the tool called ‘institutional analysis’ or ‘social forces analysis’ in
order to identify the different individuals and groups that are important in decision-making
The tool will provide an illustration of the relationships between the different social forces that
underlie decision-making in the region, and the necessary improvements to be undertaken in the
configuration of these forces.
Process:
a. Identify the key organizations and individuals responsible for political, economic and
social decisions in the ARMM.
b. Cut out (or draw) circles to represent each organization or individual
c. The circles to be drawn should depending on the relative influence (or the degree/ extent
that they are important in decision-making in the area) of the organization or of the
individual represented. The larger the circle, the larger the influence in formal/ informal
decision-making.
a. It may be good to identify the different levels of influence by categorizing the different
levels (very influential, influential, somewhat influential, least influential)
b. The groups should be arranged so that the groups that are closely related should be
grouped together. The circles should be drawn as follows:
82
- separate circles = no contact among the individuals/institutions
- touching circles = information is shared between them

- small overlap = some cooperation in decision-making

- large overlap = considerable cooperation
Distance between groups may mean weak and/or antagonistic relationships
c. Keep a permanent (paper) record of the diagram, including the individuals who
participated in the workshop.
Instructions: Part 2
a. Discuss in your own workshop group the answers to the following questions:
Which groups/ individuals are the most politically, economically, socially influential in
your respective areas? Why?
Which groups/ individuals are the least politically, economically, socially influential in
your respective areas? Why?
What groups relate most/ least with one another? Why?
Which constituencies or societal groups that are under-represented in the illustration?
What improvements do you wish to see in the institutional map? Which institutions should
be strengthened/ transformed? How can these be undertaken?
b. Present the map and your answers to the questions before the plenary.
Problem Tree
What it is
Problem Tree is used to identify the relationships (cause and effect) of problems in the
community and the main (root) cause of the problem [also known as ‘situational web’ or
‘sapot ng gagamba’] 83
Instructions

a. Focal problem approach: a central issue (i.e., lack of safe water) is identified and the
causes and effects of the issue or problem is reviewed
- Define the central problem

- Add the substantial and direct effects above it
- Add the substantial and direct causes below it
- Develop the causes and effects further to get a tree
- Identify linkages between causes and effects through the central problem
- Review the problem tree from the bottom for validity
b. What is a focal problem ? One that involves the interests and problems of the stakeholders
present. If agreement cannot be reached, then:
- Arrange the proposed problems in a problem tree according to the causal relationships
between them
- Try again to agree on the focal problem on the basis of the overview achieved in this
way.

If no consensus can be achieved:
- try further brainstorming;
- select the best decision, e.g. by awarding points; or
- decide temporarily on one, continue your work but return at a later stage to discuss
the other options.
- Whenever possible, avoid a formal vote by the participants to obtain a majority
decision.
Effects of the Focal Problem
84

Figure 2 Problem Tree Structure
High levels of protein

Low incomes malnutrition
Limited surplus Lack of protein

for sale available in local diet
Inadequate levels of fresh-water

fish production available for use
Fingerling Low High

production productivity post-harvest
limited of fish ponds wastage
Inadequate Inadequate
Dilapidated processing marketing
hatchery Poor pond technology facilities
centres management
practices
Lack of
Poor investment
management
and lack of
investment Lack of knowledge
and appropriate
incentives 85

Problem Tree 1a
Issue on
Ancestral Domain
Displacement of the Aetas
Can’t understand documents Land grabbing Renting land

concerning them to townsmen
Result to
credit/debt
Can’t comprehend
community structures Unfair prices
& systems Lack of basic for crops
education
Low literacy rate Easily swindled

by townsmen
Child labor Subsistence No venue for

Lack of interest in education selling crops
economy
86

Problem Tree 1b
Inefficent
High mortality rate Low/unstable Lack of livelihood program
income
Low self-esteem
Farm inefficiency
Malnutrition
Unaware of Unaware of bad

Higher consumption current events weather condition
expense for light
Inaccessible to sources at night
public services
Limited access to media
Lack of energy
No electricity source alternative
Physical inaccessibilty
Poor roads
Further discrimination Isolation of the

community by choice
Discrimination since Psychological and

Mt. Pinatubo eruption cultural inaccessibility
Objective Tree Analysis
The Objective Tree Analysis builds on the work that has been done in the Problem Tree and goes
through the following process:
a. To create an objectives tree convert the problem tree into a tree of future solutions
b. Start at the top of the problem tree and convert all the problems into positive statements
87
c. Then start from the bottom and check it for validity of the “means-end” relationship
d. Note that not all cause-effect relationships translate into a means-end relationship
e. Where necessary delete, add or reword to make sense

f. Once the negative statements from the problem tree have been re-worded to positive
statements, you should then check:
• Are the statements clear and unambiguous?

• Are the links between each statement logical and reasonable? (Will the achievement
of one help support the attainment of another that is above it in the hierarchy?)
• Is there a need to add any other positive actions and/or statements? More detail may
be required
• Do the risks to achieving the objectives and also having sustainable outcomes appear
to be manageable?
• Are the positive actions at one level sufficient to lead to the result above?
• Is the overall structure simple and clear? Simplify if possible or necessary.
d. Once these main points have been checked, the proposed objective tree structure can be
circulated for further comment and feedback.
Some Tips in Objective Tree Analysis
• In the objectives analysis, the problem tree is transformed into a tree of objectives (future
solutions of the problems) and analyzed.
• Working from the top, all problems are reworded, making them into objectives (positive
statements).
• Difficulties in rewording may be solved by clarifying the original problem statement.
• If a statement makes no sense after being reworded, write a replacement objective, or
leave the objective unchanged.
• Check that meeting objectives at one level will be sufficient to achieve the objectives at
the next level.
Problems: If cause is A, then the effect is B

Objectives: The means is X in order to achieve Y
Note: Not every cause-effect relationship becomes a means-ends relationship. This
depends upon the rewording.

88 • Working from the bottom upwards, ensure that cause- effect relationships have become
means-end relationships.
• Draw lines to indicate the means-ends relationships in the objectives tree.

Objective Tree
Preservation of Ancestral Domain
Permanent place for the Aetas
Can understand Avoid Land grabbing Land for own

documents concerning them farm use
Financial
independence
Can comprehend
community structures Fair prices
& systems for crops
Basic education
High literacy rate Smarter and wiser in

market transactions
Child Monetary Establish Aeta crop

Interest in education education economy central market
More efficient
Provide a livelihood program
Low mortality rate High/stable
income
High self-esteem
Farm efficiency
Improved nutrition
More aware of More aware of bad

Lesser consumption current events weather condition
expense for light
Access to public sources at night
services
More access to media
Implement energy
Have electricity source alternative
Physical accessibilty
Improved roads
Social acceptance Fortification of 89

community identity
Disregard discrimination Openness to other

since Mt. Pinatubo eruption non-Aeta cultures

Sustainable Livelihood Framework and Community Analysis
Sustainable Livelihood framework can be an operational framework for assessment of the

community situation, and thus analysis should be:
• People-centered: analysis of people’s livelihoods and how these change over time, and
should fully involve the people
• Holistic: the analysis should be multi-sectoral and should involve understanding the
multiple influences and actors bearing upon the community
• Dynamic: the analysis should focus on how these livelihoods have changed over time
• Building on current strengths: SLA builds on people’s perceived strengths and opportunities
rather than focusing on their problems and needs
• Encourage broad partnerships with different stakeholders in the community
• Aim for sustainability
• Linked with macro analysis
sustainable livelihood framework
90

sustainable livelihood framework
Sustainable Livelihood frameworks of

analysis presume that there are certain
sets of ‘assets’ that households and
communities can utilize in order to
improve their livelihoods and incomes
and reduce vulnerability.
91

The following matrix shows the assets that can be analyzed:

Asset Description Key Questions to Ask
Financial capital Denotes the financial resources - What are levels of incomes consumption and savings?
that people are able to access. - What are main sources of incomes or earnings?
There are two main sources: - What are the sources of supplemental income (I.e.,
available stocks (such as savings, external income from government, remittances, NGOs,
or credit) and regular inflows (the others)? Are these enough?
most common types, aside from - What are expenditures? What are the biggest expense
wage earnings, are pensions and items of households and communities?
other transfers from the state, and - What are possible sourcesof credit? What services to
remittances) Financial capital is they provide?
thought to be the most versatile of - In what form do people keep their savings? What are the
assets, since it can be turned into risks?
other types of capital, but it is also
the least available.
Human capital Are skills, knowledge and good - What are sources of information in the community?
health that allow people to work - What are the education levels of household heads and
and earn a living. other members of the different households?
- What are the formal and non-formal (technical) skills
that community members can utilize to improve
incomes?
- What formal and informal education structures are
present in the community?
- What are levels of nutrition in the community?
- What are the major health related diseases that are
present? Does this constrain sourcing of livelihoods?
Physical capital Are basic infrastructure and - What infrastructure among those listed above are the
services that help to keep most critically needed by the poor and the community?
people out of poverty; essential - Who has access to the available infrastructure listed
infrastructure and services include above?
access to roads and affordable
transportation, adequate shelter/
housing, potable water supply and
sanitation, affordable energy, and
communications.
92

Asset Description Key Questions to Ask

Social Assets Comprises the social resources - What are the structures available for the people to
upon which people are able to participate at the local/community level?
draw, which are developed through - Are the poor organized?
networks and connectedness, What groups are existing that can be utilized to improve
membership of groups and their participation in the community?
organizations, and relationships of - What are other organizations (both formal and informal)
trust, reciprocity, and exchanges that are present in the community that can link the
that facilitate cooperation and can members with other communities?
provide informal safety nets among
the poor.
Natural Capital Comprises a variety of resources, - What are natural resources that are available to the
from intangible public goods such community to improve their livelihoods?
as the atmosphere and biodiversity - Who has access to these natural resources?
to divisible assets used directly - Which groups have access to which types of natural
for production. Natural capital is resources?
particularly significant to those - What is the nature of access rights (e.g. private
who derive all or even part of their ownership, rental, common ownership, highly
livelihoods from resource-based contested access)?
activities, like farming, fishing, and How secure are they?
so on. Can they be defended against encroachment?
- Is there evidence of significant conflict over
resources?
- How productive is the resource (issues of soil
fertility, structure, salinity, value of different tree
species, etc.)? How has this been changing over
time (e.g. variation in yields)?
Analysis of Assets: Mediating Processes
Access can be modified by the following factors (Ellis, 2000):
- Social relations: How does gender, class, age or ethnicity impact on the poor’s/
marginalized sector’s access to the assets above? Is gender an important factor? Is age
an important factor?
- Institutions: What rules and customs exist that impact on utilization of these assets?
- Organizations: Are there any associations, NGOs, local government units or national 93
government/ state agency help so that the poor can have access to these assets?

Analysis of Assets: Context and Results
Context of the poor’s livelihoods are also important. These include the situation of the environment
in which the poor are
- What are the trends in terms of population, migration, technological change, prices,
macroeconomic policy, national and global economic trends and others that can impact
on their livelihood activities?
- What are the shocks in terms of drought, floods, pests, disease, civil war and others that
also impact livelihood activities?
Lastly, it would be important the livelihood strategies that the poor and marginalized sector
undertake. These strategies include:
- What activities does the community currently undertake to support their or their own
family’s welfare?
Conflict Mapping
Several tools have been Conflict Map

developed to enable
mediators and organizers
to assess the conflict in a
particular situation. The
following tools are commonly
used in diagnosing the conflict
in terms of its: a) antecedents,
manifestations and effects
(ABC); b) stakeholders position
and interests; c) nature of the
conflict; d) power relations
of the parties; d) factors that
can trigger conflict resolution
and escalation; e) readiness
to use empowering dispute
94 resolution mechanisms
(EDRMP) (MedNet Training
Manual, 2006)

Other tools that can be used a described in the following matrix:

Tool Description Process
Stages of Conflict This tool enables participants to 1. Facilitator presents the five stages of conflict describing
recognize the different stages of each in detail and providing examples related to local
activity, intensity, tension and and familiar contexts of conflict (refer to powerpoint on
violence which conflicts pass Conflict Analysis).
through. Used with other tools to
analyze the dynamics and events 2. Participants will be divided nto groups of 5 members
that relate to each stage of the each and instructed to map the stage of conflict in their
conflict, this tool maps out the area using the five stages.
five different stages namely: pre-
conflict, confrontation, crisis, 3. Each group will present the results of their analysis in
outcome, and post-conflict. plenary.
4. Facilitator synthesizes the reports and links them to

deeper insights on mapping the stages of conflict.
Timeline A graphic that shows events plotted 1. Participants are asked to draw a timeline and plot the
against time. It lists dates (years, significant events which they experienced that have led
months or days, depending on to the current conflict.
the scale) and depicts events in
chronological order. 2. Using an AI approach, they can also be encouraged
to recall moments in their past when they had been
The purpose is to understand the able to resolve conflict in their areas, how these were
perceptions of people involved. resolved and what strengths of the different groups
For this reason the different vents were mobilized to facilitate the resolution of conflict.
described by opposing groups
are an important element
in understanding the
conflict.
Timeline is also a way

for people to learn about
each other’s history
and perceptions of the
situation.
95


The Onion Ring This is a technique used to show 1. Participants are instructed to focus on a specific
graphically the possibility of conflict which involves different stakeholders, list those
peeling away as many possible stakeholders and identify their position, interest and
layers that build up as a result of needs in relation to the issue of conflict.
conflict, instability and mistrust, in
order to meet the underlying needs 2. These are illustrated in a matrix and reported back to
that form the basis of people’s the big group. Facilitator deepens the sharing from each
individual and group actions. group by asking them to assess the positions, vis a vis
interests and needs of each stakeholder and identify
This is useful for parties who are areas for possible negotiation.
involved in negotiation, to clarify
for themselves their own needs,
interests and positions. Then as
they plan their strategies for the
negotiation, they can decide how
much of the interior ‘layers’—
interests and needs—they want
to reveal to the other parties
involved.
The ABC Triangle This analysis is base on the 1. Draw up a separate ABC Triangle for each of the major
premise that conflicts have three parties in the conflict situation.
major components: the context
or situation, the behavior of those 2. On each triangle, list the key issues related to attitude,
involved and their attitudes. behavior and context from the viewpoint of that party.
3. Indicate for each party what you think are their most
important needs and/or fears in the middle of their own
triangle. This will be your perception.
4. Compare triangles, noting similarities and differences

between the perceptions of the parties.
96


The Conflict Tree This tool is best used within 1. Draw a picture of a tree, including its roots, trunk and
groups—i.e. collectively rather than branches—on a large sheet of paper, a chalk-board, a
as an individual exercise. Similar to flipchart, on the side of a building or on the ground.
the problem tree, the focus are the
following questions: 2. Give each person several index cards, or similar paper,
 on which to write a word or two, or draw a symbol or
 What is the core problem? picture, indicating a key issue in the conflict as they
can see it.

What are the root causes?
3. Invite people to attach their cards to the tree:


What are the effects that have 
resulted from this problem?  on the trunk, if they think it is the core problem
 on the root, if they think it is the root cause

What is the most important  on the branches, if they see it as an effect
issue for the group to address?
4. After all the cards have been placed on the tree,
someone will need to facilitate a discussion so that
the group can come to some agreement about the
placement of issues, particularly the core problem.
5. If an agreement has been reached, the people may

want to decide which issues they wish to address first
in dealing with the conflict.
6. This process may take a long time and need to be

continued in further group meetings.
97

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Copyright © 2009 Local Governance Support Program in

This project was undertaken with the financial support of

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Social transformation is about empowering communities. This is the challenge to any

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Bangsamoro is the collective identity of the Islamized people in Mindanao, in the

INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITY

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Refers to a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and

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LAND TENURE SYSTEM

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1.1 Aspirations for Self-Determination

• Common historical tradition

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1. Decolonization which is associated primarily with the process of decolonization where

1.2 Indigenous Peoples’ Assertion of their Right to Self-Determination

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Brief Sketch of IP Assertion to Self-Determination

1.3 The Bangsamoro Struggle for Self-Determination

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Table 1: Public Land Laws and Resettlement

Table 2: Population shifts in Cotabato

Issues surrounding the Right to Self-Determination

• Injustice to the Moro Identity

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• Injustice to Moro ancestral territory

• Injustice to Moro integral development

Status of the Moro Struggle for Self-Determination

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Table 3: Selected Human Development Indicators

Government responses to the right to self-determination of the Bangsamoro are perceived to be 9

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10 1.4 The Role of Civil Society Organizations

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5. Lobby for solidarity support to the peace processes.

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Analyzing the Specific

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2 Analyzing the Specific Context of ARMM

2.1 Trends in ARMM

• Low economic output and investments

Table 4: Regional GDP Growth

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Table 5: Average Male and Female Incomes

Source: United Nations Development Program (2009).

• The Human Cost of War: Loss of Lives

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• Physical insecurity and high levels of internal displacement

Table 6: Rate of Displacement