PHILIPPINE ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM

Module 6 COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AND THE

“CAPABILITY BUILDING EXERCISE”
Competencies At the end of this module, the students shall be able to:
1. Define "people power as it was used in a socio-
psychological analysis of the 1986 EDSA
Revolution, and as it applies to communities,
where it could lead to community empowerment;
2. Explain what the "capability-building model is in
terms of its underlying conceptual framework, its
operational framework, its features, and its
components; and
3. Discuss how this model can bring the PAS and
the community together to build people-based
structures, which enable communities to
organize themselves around common needs and
to move toward common ends.
Discussion From our discussion of the nature of the PAS, its
sources of power, and its desirable characteristics, we
move on to the concept of community empowerment
and the "community capability-building exercise." This
module explains the second half of the framework that
we presented in Module 3.

In the previous discussions, we focused on the 1896

Revolution and the 1986 EDSA People Power
phenomenon to highlight significant historical events
when our people asserted their collective will, took
control of events and asserted their power. We would
link this concept of people power to the framework that
will be developed in this module. We shall do this by
examining the concept of people power from two
perspectives: as manifested in the collective mass
action that happened in EDSA in 1986 and as it is
developed and exercised in community setting.

PEOPLE POWER

Definition

People Power is "the involvement of a significant

number of persons in situations or actions that
enhance their well-being, e.g. their income, security or
self-esteem. (Licuanan, 1987: 18-21).

Elements of People Power

What propels people to get involved in a collective mass

action such as what transpired at EDSA? How does
this result in a sense of enhanced well-being? There are
five characteristics of people power that should help us
understand how it unfolds and why it leads to a sense
of empowerment.

Awareness of a problem

It is not enough, however, that there is objective

knowledge of the problem. People must feel that there
is a real threat to them, such as when one faces the
threat of being evicted from one's home or when a
relative or a
close friend becomes a victim of injustice or of military
abuses. While Filipinos had long been suffering under
martial law, it was the assassination of Ninoy Aquino
that brought home to them the extent of the repression.

Initial powerlessness among certain sectors of

society

The assertion of people power implies that it does not

start with groups who are already in power, i.e., the
economic, political and social elite. Rather, it is
associated with marginalized or powerless groups such
as farmers, the urban poor, and factory workers. These
groups deal with their initial powerlessness by banding
together to achieve power as a group.

Number

Powerless individuals band together and achieve their

strength in numbers and in groups. Numbers can
correct the imbalance between the weak and the strong
and put them on an equal footing. When you are part
of a bigger group, numbers assure you of objective
strength and give you à subjective assurance of being
protected, of being safe. While the necessary numbers
may vary, it provides both for an objective and
subjective feeling of strength. As part of a large group,
you are somehow comforted by the idea that whatever
the consequences are, there is a group that will share
the consequences with you.

Concrete involvement in the group activity

People power entails the involvement of individuals in

concrete physical activities at the micro level. Joining
rallies, marches, and boycotts help people move from a
passive to an active position. Through concrete
activities and small victories, people develop a sense of
efficacy and are prepared for the big fight that may
come. The campaign, the elections, post-election vigils
and protests, and boycotts, prepared the people for the
"battle" of EDSA.

Commitment to human and social development

People power is rooted in the interests of the common

good. Those who participated in rallies, marches and
boycotts were there not because it would benefit them
directly, but because they believed in a greater good-
the restoration of democracy. There is the belief that
genuine people power cannot be used to serve the
interests of a few or to maintain unjust structures.

Psychological transformation

An outcome of this process is the psychological

transformation of individuals in the group. A sense of
power brings with it an enhanced self-concept, self-
confidence, self-reliance and a sense of dignity.

Linking the sense of helplessness to the tactics of

martial law, psychological theory states that learned
helplessness is the consequence of a situation where a
person has little control over his life. If a person realizes
that what he/she does matters little in his/her life,
then this person becomes passive, fearful and
depressed. To offset this, people power helps a person
see that his actions have outcomes and that he has
control. Personal transformation opens new horizons.
Freedom is irreversible. Once a person or a people has
experienced freedom, there is no stopping it.
( Licuanan, 1987:21-22).

After defining elements of people power, the question

as to how people power may be developed and nurtured
if it is to be an instrument for building a new society
must be elaborated.

Developing People Power

There are three suggestions on how people power can

eventually complete the revolution it started in EDSA:
(1) building critical awareness; (2) organizing people;
and (3) developing ideologies or a vision of the society
Filipinos want. (Licuanan, 1987:27)

Developing critical awareness

Societal change has to begin with a critical assessment

of one's situation. People power begins with knowledge.
Analyses and discussions of Philippine reality must be
encouraged and done in the spirit of genuine self-
knowledge, emphasizing both positive and negative
aspects of the situation.

Organizing people

The product of critical awareness should be articulated

and this is best achieved if people are organized. People
need to be organized both to become a political force
and to be protected against repressive measures of
those who oppose change

Developing ideology

Organizing and acting at the micro level must not

result in inconsistency, shortsightedness or
destructiveness. It must be guided by a clear vision of
the kind of society desired. Actions at the micro level
must be linked to a view of society from which these
actions get their meaning and validity.

From Licuanan's discussion of the elements of people

power and the conditions which must prevail if people
power must serve as an instrument for social change,
we move to people power as the "empowerment of
communities." The book, Tuklas Yaman: Building
Communities with People by Soledad Hernando is a
documentation of a training methodology adapted by
the Development Academy of the Philippines in the late
1970's. This book describes in detail the CBX or
Capability-Building Exercise, through which it hopes a
"single change agent could lead an entire community to
learn problem solving skills in the most efficient and
effective way possible." (Hernando, 1985:9)

Community Empowerment

At the community level, empowerment through

participatory development is viewed as a process
whereby:

 People through organization, self-diagnosis, and

community discussion become consciously aware of
their problems and are motivated to address the key
issues.

 They prioritize action to be taken, decide what to do,

how to implement, who implements, how to work as
a group and share in this kind of self-reliant
development.

 They also learn how to draw on or demand the

services of those who control the resources,
specifically those in government bureaucracies. They
learn how to deal with these officials to extract
goods, services, resources, and decisions from
government which will make for continuity and
effectiveness of services" (Hernando, 1987:2)

The Capability Building Exercise (CBX)

The model seeks to break the vicious cycle where the

people blame government for not seeking them out and
therefore not responding to their needs. For its part,
government claims that the people are not in the
position to know what they want.

Conceptual Framework

What does the model seek to achieve? It hopes to

transform "lethargic, slow-moving, apathetic
communities into organized, politicized and productive
communities. "This shows how the various community
processes such as mobilizing of resources, setting up of
linkages, communication building and negotiating can
occur only if the community has the needed problem-
solving capacity. It is assumed that this problem-
solving capacity cannot be achieved overnight and that
it will have to be learned within the context of existing
community problems and opportunities over a certain
period of time so that the community can come up with
the following: development needs, development goals,
development programs and support system and
procedures. (Hernando, 1985-9).

The assumption is rooted in the idea that "man should

be the object and the subject of development: that no
real development can occur unless the people become
totally involved in the determination of the ends and
means to be used to achieve it. It also supports the
time-tested belief that change, in order to be lasting,
must be recognized as beneficial by the subject of
change himself and by the entire system to which he
belongs." (Hernando, 1985:12)

Only a movement geared toward the evolution of

structures or institutions through which the people's
legitimate needs and problems can be stated and
responded to, can bring about a gradual change in the
manner by which resources are generated and the
benefits equitably enjoyed."

She elaborates on the concept of capability-building

when she says: "It is this building of people-based
structures and institutions which is the real essence of
the concept of capability-building. Capability building
means enabling the people to organize themselves
around common needs and to work together toward
common ends" (Hernando, 1985:12).

Operational Framework

To achieve its objectives, the model breaks down the

capability-building process into operational learning
blocks. This is done to make what seem formidable and
overwhelming more manageable and easier to transmit.
The four learning blocks are:

1. Problem Identification - capability to identify, define,

analyze and rank community problems and needs
2. Objective Setting - capability to set realistic change
targets as far as the ranked problems are concerned

3. Program Planning - capability to plan, implement

and evaluate community programs and projects

4. Structure Building - capability to set up structures

and systems to ensure the continuity of the problem-
solving process

The operational framework of the model allows

communities to handle real problems and produce
concrete results even while still engaged in learning the
needed skills.

Features of the Model

 It is addressed to policy makers, to the program

implementor, and to the program beneficiary of
development programs. The model can serve as a
common frame of reference among those engaged in
development work, reduce the gaps between planner
and implementor, and hasten the pace of change.

 The model is an educational one. The change agent's

primary role is that of a trainer or a non-formal
educator whose main task is to equip his learners
with basic tools in change-management so that they
can readily adapt to changing needs.

 The model cannot work unless the larger system to

which the client community belongs fully endorses
and supports its implementation. Since the model is
essentially a learning-by-doing exercise, the
principle of reinforcement must be reckoned with.

The model can fit into any program scheme. Regardless

of the complexity, the budget, the duration, or the
nature of the services delivered by the program, the
CBX assures program continuity, as the beneficiaries
learn how to manage benefits generated by the
program.

We have just described the Capability Building Exercise

which we propose is a critical intervention mechanism
which government must understand and utilize as part
 of its programs.

Bringing the PAS and the Community Together

The CBX successfully bring the community and the

PAS to work together as it:

 Recognizes the need for communities and

beneficiaries to have an active role in programs for
them

 Presents a step-by step approach to building the

capacity and confidence of communities to identify
its problems and to set up structures and
mechanisms to sustain the acquired problem-
solving skills;

 Provides a system for teaching the people problem-

solving skills in a learning-by-doing fashion, within
the context of their everyday lives; and

 Envisions that government development programs

can prepare client groups not only to take part in
the program but to eventually assume full
responsibility for its success or failure.

Enrichment We shall describe below five hypothetical situations

Activities which show how a government agency may provide
service to a community. We shall ask you to evaluate
these situations and rate the agency on whether the
procedure they adopted or their strategies promote the
values/processes suggested by the CBX. You may mark
the appropriate spaces provided below.

Agency Promotes values Does not

processes of promote values
CBX processes of
CBX
1. DOH
2. DENR
3. DA
4. PCUP
5. BFAR
Situation 1. Department of Health (DOH)
Midwives wanted to implement a DOH project on the
immunization of the children of a certain barangay. The
mothers were busy with work in the household and in
the farm. They had no time to bring their children to
the poblacion. The midwives then coordinated with the
RHN which in turn helped the mothers organize a
mothers' club. A strategy was devised where the
immunization would be conducted in the barangay to
which the mothers had easy access and along a
schedule which was set by the mothers' organization.
The scheme devised by the RHN, the midwifes and the
mothers' organization proved to be effective and is now
used regularly for immunization projects.

Situation 2. Department of Environment and

Natural Resources (DENR)
The DENR had already identified an area to be
reforested and the manner in which said reforestation
would be conducted. The DENR then coordinated with
the local government unit in the area and left the
decision on how the reforestation project would be
carried out with the LGUs. The LGUs in turn
implemented the reforestation program on their own
terms and with minimal consultation with the people.

Situation 3. Department of Agriculture (DA)

The DA wanted farmers to pilot test a new variety of
rice. The DA consulted the farmers who said they
would refer it to their organization. The farmers
organization discussed with their members the process
of testing this new rice. The farmers' organization
suggested a particular method which they presented to
the DA. The
DA decided to adopt the farmer organization's
suggested method. The DA also informed the
organization that they would provide assistance to
individual farmers through the farmers' organization.
The DA and the farmers organization agreed to help
each other in implementing the method of testing the
new rice.

Situation 4. Presidential Committee for the Urban

Poor (PCUP)
A certain community had a problem with urban
housing. It sought the assistance of PCUP which helped
 them organize the families who wanted to have access
to land for their housing needs. They set up an Urban
Poor Housing Association. Through this association,
they were able to seek the help of the NHA and the
HLURB
to get financial assistance to acquire land through the
CMP (Community Mortgage Program).

Situation 5. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources (BFAR)
Fishermen in Brgy. Marino could not get a good price
for their catch because they had a problem keeping it
fresh. They usually caught fish at night and were able
to deliver it to the market only by the following
morning. What they needed was an ice plant or a
storage facility. So they approached the DA who asked
fishermen if they had a community or people's
organization with capacity to build and operate said ice
plant or storage facility. The fishermen explained that
they were not organized nor were they members of
cooperatives. The DA then asked interested business
establishments if they were willing to invest in an ice
plant. A wealthy owner of a big fishing vessel who lived
in the area decided to put up an ice plant to respond to
the DA's call for investments in this facility.
Reference Alfiler, Ma. Concepcion P. (1999) Philippine
Administrative System

Hernando, Soledad A. Tuklas Yaman: Building

Communities with People (DAP: 1985), Chapter 1, pp.7-
21
Licuanan, Patricia B. " People Power A Social-
Psychological Analysis" in Understanding People Power
by Emanuel V. Soriano, Patricia B. Licuanan and
Ledivina V. Carino (DAP, 1987), pp. 17-29.

Alfiler, Ma. Concepcion P. "Factors that Promote or

Deter Popular Participation in Development: the
Philippine Experience," Philippine Journal of Public
Administration January, 1983), pp.23-27 and 34-41.

Carino, Ledivina V. "People Power and Government:

Towards the Long Term Efficacy of a Revolutionary
Tool" in Understanding People Power by Emanuel V.
Soriano, Patricia B. Licuanan and Ledivina V. Carino
(DAP, 1987), pp. 31-42.