SGRA in English

ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATIONS IN THE PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE – THE CASE OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL
Andrew D. Gasmen , Rowena DT. Baconguis and Jose R. Medina
(PhD Student, Associate Professor, College of Public Affairs and Development, and Adjunct Professor University of the Philippines Los Baños, respectively)

In recent years, the agriculture sector is faced with rapidly changing context brought about by globalization, exponential growth of information and communications technology, and climate change, among others. Development organizations serving the sector thus need to be innovative in order meet the challenges of the changing times successfully (Rajalahti, 2009).

This paper presents the organizational innovations of government agencies in Negros Occidental in their effort to promote sustainable agriculture, specifically the institutionalization of organic agriculture in the entire province. It describes the context by which the organic agriculture movement has emerged in the province and the innovative responses of government institutions/agencies as organizations to ensure that this movement is well-supported. It also examines the strengths and weaknesses of such initiatives and what further effort maybe done.
The private sector started the organic agriculture movement for several reasons – foremost is people’s knowledge on serious setbacks of conventional agriculture on the environment and on human health. In response, the Government of Negros Occidental collaborated with Negros Oriental to make Negros Island an “Organic Bowl in Asia” through a memorandum of agreement. Innovative responses of the provincial government include development of ordinances to promote organic agriculture and created an institutional mechanism primarily to develop and provide oversight of the Provincial Organic Agriculture Plan. Specifically, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist set up an organic agriculture development program, sponsored organic villages in cities/municipalities, designated an office and a focal person as provincial coordinator, and tapped a field agriculturist in each city/municipality to reach the grassroots.

The city and municipal governments and the national government agencies serving the area have likewise designated their counterpart focal persons whose main function is to coordinate all organic agriculture concerns of their agencies.
Innovative organizational responses are far from perfect. More is needed to meet the provincial goal of 10% conversion to organic agriculture in commitment to the promotion of sustainable agriculture.

Profile (Click Here)

Presentation Slides
Thank you for not plagiarizing. Support us by properly citing the title, author, and seminar (SGRA 16th Sustainable Shared Growth Seminar, "The Urban-Rural Gap and Sustainable Shared Growth", August 23, 2013, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines)

Beyond Needs Gratification: Happiness Economics as Human Flourishing

Jovi C. Dacanay
Senior Economist and Faculty Member
School of Economics
University of Asia and the Pacific

Mainstream economics, as it is known today, aims to maximize happiness through an efficient and effective choice and use of its human and natural resources in order to produce and distribute goods and services through mutually beneficial exchange. There is no certainty, though, that even if an efficient and effective choice and use of natural and human resources has been done that the economic outcomes of a market exchange have made the actors of a market economy, the human person, happy. Happiness is achieved when the human person achieved his/her human flourishing (Sen, 2000), described as self-determination, self-realization, a life of virtue, the pursuit and lived experience of values, happiness, a fullness of life, a certain development as a person and a meaningful existence (Finnis, 1980). Basic human goods and values can be achieved and cultivated only through interaction with other people, through the mutual exchange of benefits, an engagement in society. The result is over-all happiness which can be assessed, evaluated and measured using objective and subjective indicators of well-being.

This paper attempts to provide empirical evidence over such claims. Can economics provide an explanation towards the achievement of human flourishing? The conceptualization of happiness as human flourishing denotes that happiness is seen as the achievement of a life of virtue, a good life, viewed as a goal by the human person or agent. The study aims to achieve the following. First is to describe the relationship between life satisfaction and the gratification of basic needs, using income and the human development index. Second is to empirically verify the effect of the cognitive dimensions of human needs, along with the gratification of basic needs. Third is to explain happiness as human flourishing using objective and subjective indicators of well-being. All objectives would combine the affective and cognitive dimensions of a person’s life evaluation. Supporting literature has been gathered from economics and psychology, and both strands of literature provide, a quantitative assessment of the good life.

Using ordinary least squares and measurements of happiness from the World Values Survey (life satisfaction as contentment) and the Gallup World Poll (over-all happiness), economic variables and constructs of affect and cognition were used to explain happiness as human flourishing. The results show that although happiness is explained by objective measurements of needs gratification, and, subjective variables describing social comparisons, appraisals and affective experience, persons evaluate their life based on information which have an enduring effect. This means that although persons make social comparisons and evaluate life based on their relative perceptions of others, one’s evaluation of happiness is anchored on information which describes or captures life as a whole. Life satisfaction may be evaluated from the angle of contentment for one’s current income situation, one’s level of needs gratification, and later on, one’s capacity to act freely. But a more consistent, stable and enduring evaluation of happiness would persist from an integral notion of one’s income and basic needs, freedom, income inequality and income aspirations all of which can only be achieved and stabilized with time.

Key words: happiness, human flourishing, basic needs, income aspiration, economic freedom

Profile:

Jovi C. Dacanay graduated BS Statistics, MS Industrial Economics and MA Economics and is currently pursuing her PhD Economics. She lectures in Statistics, Social Economics and Research and Thesis Seminar in the School of Economics of the University of Asia and the Pacific. Her research includes industrial organization of health care markets, microfinance, social economics and the economics of film

Presentation Slides
Thank you for not plagiarizing. Support us by properly citing the title, author, and seminar (SGRA 16th Sustainable Shared Growth Seminar, "The Urban-Rural Gap and Sustainable Shared Growth", August 23, 2013, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines)

Policy Simulation of the Aquino Health Agenda in Expanding Access to Health Services in Selected Regions in the Philippines

Rachel Lynn Y. Belandres
Economist and Faculty Member
School of Economics
University of Asia and the Pacific

The Aquino Health Agenda was developed to address the problems of Filipinos in relation to access to health care services. Because of this, the policies under it should be simulated to determine if they are really pro-poor and cost effective. Thus, this study aims to simulate the effects of two policies under the Aquino Health Agenda, which are upgrading health facilities under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) and expanding health insurance coverage under the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), in expanding access to health care services, specifically in increasing the number of live births attended by skilled health personnel in Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Eastern Visayas and Bicol Region in terms of distribution of benefits across income deciles and in terms of cost effectiveness using Benefit Incidence Analysis and Cost Effectiveness Analysis.

When it comes to pro-poorness, expanding health insurance coverage is more pro-poor than upgrading of health facilities in ARMM, Eastern Visayas and Bicol Region. This implies that if the government aims to achieve equity in expanding access to health care services, specifically in increasing the number of live births attended by skilled health personnel in all selected regions in the Philippines, then they should concentrate on expanding health insurance coverage under NHIP.

On the other hand, when it comes to efficiency or cost-effectiveness, expanding health insurance coverage is more cost effective than upgrading of health facilities in Eastern Visayas, while upgrading of health facilities is more cost effective than expanding health insurance coverage in ARMM and Bicol Region. This implies that if the government aims to achieve efficiency in increasing the number of live births attended by skilled health personnel in the Eastern Visayas, then they should focus on expanding health insurance coverage under NHIP. On the other hand, if the government aims to attain efficiency in achieving the policy goal in ARMM and Bicol Region, then they should focus on upgrading of health facilities.

However, it is still highly recommended that both policy options should be implemented by the Aquino administration in the said regions, since they are both complementary with each other. Upgrading health facilities is beneficial in addressing the problem of low accessibility to health facilities of the poor and the physical problems of health facilities. On the other hand, expanding health insurance coverage is essential in addressing the financial problems of the poor in accessing health care services.

Presentation Slides
Thank you for not plagiarizing. Support us by properly citing the title, author, and seminar (SGRA 16th Sustainable Shared Growth Seminar, "The Urban-Rural Gap and Sustainable Shared Growth", August 23, 2013, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines)

Engaging Smallholder Upland Farmers through
Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming Enterprises (InCLiFE)
(Reynic Alo, Jose R. Medina and Rowena Baconguis)

The decline of sugar industry in the 80’s significantly affected the standard of living of the families in Negros Occidental. This is one of the major factors that increased poverty and malnutrition rate among farm families particularly in upland communities. MUAD, an NGO, has developed a sustainable integrated farming system, dubbed as Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming Enterprises (InCLiFE), to improve the quality of life of upland communities through the practice of organic farming system and social enterprise. InCLiFE is a combination of organic farming technologies guided by the concepts and principles of sustainable agriculture.

The paper presents the experiences of the selected members from two upland farmer organizations in implementing this InCLiFE model in their areas: BISFFA and KGB-AKO. Farmer members from both organizations learned new techniques in doing integrated crop-livestock farming and developed innovations in incorporating organic technologies. BISFFA has developed a profitable farming venture by producing home-based organic fertilizer and utilizing organic inputs in the production process. The introduction of organic technologies among members of KGB-AKO has improved productivity of coffee, banana and other fruits. An innovative strategy of InCliFe was the organization of self-help training groups to manage and showcase integrated organic farming among members. A major activity has been the processing of the organic farm production certification of 90% of the farms of BISFFA with the Negros Island Certification (NICERT). With the certification, farmers will be able to enjoy premium prices for their produce.

The cases of farmer members highlight the positive impact of InCliFe not only to their farm lands, farm management, and farm productivity but also improvement in family relations. Improving organic marketing and upscaling of the project are major challenges that need to be addressed.

Profile:

1. NAME : REYNIC S. ALO
2. ADDRESS : #55 Justice Road, NGO Village, Handumanan, Bacolod City 6100,
Philippines Tel. 034-446-7003, cell no. 0918-936-8273
Email add: [email protected]

3. DATE OF BIRTH : October 11, 1963
4. NATIONALITY : Filipino
5. EDUCATION : Bachelor of Science in Agriculture major in Agronomy
Negros Occidental Agricultural College, Kabankalan City,
Negros Occidental - 1984

6. POST GRADUATE : Studied MS Rural Development
Negros State College of Agriculture
Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental 2003-2005

: Program for Development Managers
Asian Institute of Management -1997

7. SPECIAL TRAININGS : Value Chain Training for Facilitators and Moderators
German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) January 12-16, 2009, Cebu City

: Local and Regional Economic Development (LRED)- Training of Trainers
German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and Department of Trade
and Industry August 25 – 30, 2008, Baybay City and Hilongos, Leyte

: Fund Raising Course
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman-Center for Extension Education,
Malaysia August 2007

11. EMPLOYMENT RECORD AND JOB SUMMARY:
FROM TO POSITION ORGANIZATION
October 1996 Present Executive Director MUAD-Negros
Task: Oversees day-to-day over all operations of the organization, facilitate strategic planning, program and project designing (particularly agricultural enterprise development program), regular assessment of programs and services, prepare and submit network reports. Do resource mobilization, networking and linkage building.

CORDILLERA COFFEE INDUSTRY IN
RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANE (CC1-RCC)

ADELA DAMASO COMILA
Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer
Municipality of Buguias and Mankayan

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is the Watershed Cradle of Northern Luzon hosting 12 major river basins. Cordillera is inhabited by 90% indigenous peoples of the total regional population of 1.6M or 1.7% of the Philippine population with 13 major ethnic tribes. Land area is 1.8M hectares, a mere 6% of national land area. It is composed of 6 provinces, two cities, 75 municipalities, and 1,176 barangays. Landlocked and mountainous, it is physically constrained, 70% of land area are above 30% slope with elevation 500 MASL & above. Being a minority, it receives meagre government investments. Despite its constraints, it is known for natural resources, water, minerals, forests, leading to the development of hydropower generation, mining industry, and is food basket of highland vegetables and most sought aromatic coffee.
The Cordillera Coffee Industry is a climate change mitigation strategy in itself through the indigenous practices of production to processing. It is dubbed as “coffee jungles” being planted with mixed crops in “muyongs”, backyards and sloping ancestral lands. The Excelsa, Liberica and Robusta are grown in lower elevation areas while the aromatic Arabica abound only in highland Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province. Production is used to be traditional and for home consumption. However, farmers realized the economic contribution to their household economy. Hence, continued expansions of plantations adopting modern technology are being advocated. Stakeholders – DA, DTI, LGU, DENR, DAR, DOST, SUCs, private sectors like Nestle , Alamid & other processor support in terms of technology trainings, quality planting materials, post harvest facilities, and marketing. In this geographically challenged region, the coffee Industry contributes to triple sustainability bottom lines namely: agri -productivity, farm income improvement, and environment.

Profile:

ADELA DAMASO COMILA was born in October 7, 1963 at Pasdong, Atok, Benguet and now resides at FB 120, BSU Compound, Balili, La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines 2601. She finished her Masters in Public Administration in Baguio Central University, Baguio City, and obtained Doctoral Units in Rural Development in Benguet State University. Her Bachelors background is on Agricultural Education where she completed this in Benguet State University in 1985.
She is now the Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer of Buguias and Mankayan of Benguet Province after having been the Senior Agrarian Reform Program Officer of DAR-CAR, Baguio City. Aside from holding this position in the DAR, she alighted as one of the coffee farmers in the province after she had been trained as trainer on Coffee Technology and Development. She had also been a trainer-facilitator on community development planning using the FSD and PARCIPS approaches under the FAO-TSARRD project with the DAR, trainer-facilitator on Barangay Natural Resource Management Planning as well as Rewards/Payments of Environmental Services (RUPES) and IKSPs. All of these, she had entered into after her various in-service trainings and knowledge acquisition activities.
She can be accessed through her mobile phone number 09297059226 and email address at [email protected].

Initial compilation of verses from the Holy Qu’ran pertaining to
water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)

Zadiqueyah J. Hajihil
Vice-President, Muslim Students Association, Mindanao State University – Sulu Chapter

An initial compilation of verses from the Holy Qu’ran pertaining to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is being done to support the work of nongovernment organizations doing awareness raising campaigns, advocacy efforts and project implementation in Muslim communities in the Philippines. The implementation of sanitation and hygiene campaigns in Islamic communities becomes effective when messages are linked to verses from the Qu’ran. Water is important in the daily life of Muslims as washing is a requirement prior to praying and the performance of other rituals. The initial compilation came about in the hope of starting a groundswell of demand calling for safe sanitation and clean drinking water for everyone in the local context of the community.

Using verses from the Holy Qu’ran is an approach in enhancing the participation of people in Islamic communities affected by conflicts to set WASH targets and goals that could contribute to peace efforts. The compilation is used in focus group discussions leading to community agreements on WASH concerns. With the compilation, madrasah schools could integrated WASH into its teachings. Verses from the initial compilation are also used to push WASH concerns up the local political agenda for prioritization and action. It is hoped that other researchers will continue the compilation and that the findings are presented in an accessible way to create new learning opportunities.

Profile:

ZADIQUEYAH J. HAJIHIL is the Vice-President of the Muslim Students Association of Mindanao State University (MSU) in Sulu province. He is a fourth year college student at MSU-Sulu taking up AB English. Zadiqueyah is a student leader and has a post in the executive committee of the MSU-Sulu Student Council. He is also the president of the student organization of the MSU-Sulu College of Arts and Sciences.
Zadiqueyah is actively involved in the Sulu Ulama Council for Peace and Development (SUCPD), where he is the head of the Committee on Youth. He is also a madrasah teacher at the Lambayong Islamic School. His community involvement include volunteering in a nongovernment organization (NGO) working in Sulu province. Zadiqueyah is a member of the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) Coalition Pilipinas – Mindanao Chapter.

Presentation Slides
Thank you for not plagiarizing. Support us by properly citing the title, author, and seminar (SGRA 16th Sustainable Shared Growth Seminar, "The Urban-Rural Gap and Sustainable Shared Growth", August 23, 2013, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines)

Participatory Water and Sanitation Resources Inventory and Assessment in a Rural Community

Apolonio T. Jimenez, Pedrito Guevarra and Lyn N. Capistrano
Philippine Center for Water and Sanitation – ITN Foundation

Philippine Center for Water and Sanitation – ITN Foundation (www.itnphil.org.ph) engages communities in participatory water and sanitation resources inventory and assessment (PWSRIA). The process involves making a map of the locality, doing a transect walk, engaging in focus group discussions and practical analysis with the community. Data obtained from the PWSRIA are used as bases for intervention planning, technology selection and design, and longer-term considerations and recommendations. Findings and other relevant information gathered with the local people are presented in a community assembly, validated and processed in a discussion session. In view of the findings from the PWSRIA, the PCWS-ITNF engineers then present and explain to the community the various feasible water supply and sanitation technology options in the local context to enable the community to make informed choices, undertake collective agreements and make decisions.

The PWSRIA process allows the community to select the most appropriate low-cost water supply and sanitation technology options they would like to implement as their demonstration projects. It leads to action planning and other related activities that will follow. Aside from water supply and sanitation, the PWSRIA is able to tackle with the community deeper issues of change, empowerment and power relations. PWSRIA is part of interrelated activities of a bigger effort combining policy recommendation, awareness raising, capacity building, hygiene promotion, and strengthening partnerships to ensure access to potable water and improved sanitation in a community.

Profile:

APOLONIO T. JIMENEZ is the Deputy Executive Director of the Philippine Center for Water and Sanitation – ITN Foundation (PCWS-ITNF). He is a licensed civil engineer. Apol has been with PCWS-ITNF since 2002. Prior to joining PCWS-ITNF, he has worked as Municipal Engineer in South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi and as an Engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. He has also worked as Appraiser, and later as Development Management Officer III at the Bases Conversion Development Authority.

Apol is a skilled trainer and resource person on designing, building, operating and maintaining low-cost water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) technologies such as rainwater harvesting, spring water development, ram pump water supply system, wastewater treatment, biogas digester septic tanks, filtration and disinfection systems such as roughing filters, sand filters, iron removal filters. He has done water supply technical feasibility studies for various communities and non-government organizations in the Philippines.

Apol currently manages a project in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi among water stressed communities. Previously, Apol served as project manager in the Community-Managed Potable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Project (CP-WASH) with the Department of Agrarian Reform in 29 communities from 2008 to 2012. He also served as project manager in the Rainwater Harvesting for Drinking Water Supply of 10 Municipalities and 10 Water Scarce Small Island Communities in Tawi-Tawi Province from 2006 to 2008.

Apol is active in the following professional organizations: Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands, Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) Coalition Pilipinas.

Some of the trainings, conferences and workshops that Apol attended include the following:

1. 2nd International Conferences on Ecological Sanitation held on April 7 – 11, 2003 in Lubeck, Germany

2. Specialized Training Course on Water Safety Plan held at ITN Centre, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh on November 12 – 14, 2007

3. Regional Workshop on Cost Analysis of Drinking Water Supply Options for Low Income Communities, held in Khon Kaen, Thailand, 3 – 6 March 2008

4. Second Inter-regional Workshop on Costing Methods of Improved Drinking Water Systems for Low-income Communities, held in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, 29 – 31 October 2008

5. 2nd International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Conference, held at the Seagull Hotel, Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, 11 – 18 November 2008.

Lyn Capistrano (Click Here)

Presentation Slides
Thank you for not plagiarizing. Support us by properly citing the title, author, and seminar (SGRA 16th Sustainable Shared Growth Seminar, "The Urban-Rural Gap and Sustainable Shared Growth", August 23, 2013, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines)

From Rural to Urban: The Plight of Waste-Pickers

Grace P. Sapuay
Environmental Planner/Consultant
President, Solid Waste Management Association of the Philippines (SWAPP)
7A South J Street, Sacred Heart, Quezon City
Email: [email protected]

Solid waste is an urban phenomenon which has created a new type of employment opportunities that has attracted the rural migrants who come to the city seeking other means of livelihood. Dumping grounds in the cities have such opportunities in waste-picking since this activity requires practically no skill – a job which can easily be done by migrants. Waste-picking offers income opportunities that can be easily done without the need for documents and employers. Unknown to many, this group of workers have become vital to the recovery of recyclables. Yet, they are the least recognized of all workers in the urban setting. All over the world, the waste-pickers survive dealing with waste yet expose their very lives to toxics and diseases which are threats to their health.
In the Philippines, they are responsible for removing tons of recyclables from dumpsites. But there is not much study about who they are, how they live, and what the government does to help uplift their lives. The way they live and survive puts a question on humane treatment to this group of people whose activities are contributory to solving the urban problems in solid waste management.
This study presents the profile of waste-pickers, local situations and conditions of the dumpsites in some selected municipalities in the Philippines. The study aims to present some aspects in the lives of waste-pickers and the issues they face such threat of losing their jobs in the event of dumpsite closures, as well as the opportunities that they can avail if they are given the proper training. The challenge right now is how to upgrade the status of these waste-pickers to certain level of recognition, further improve their livelihood through allied enterprising activities, and provide them the dignity they deserve as agents of solid waste management. This paper endeavours to present these scenarios.

Keywords: Wastepickers, Solid waste management, Rural to urban migration

Profile

Mrs. Grace P. Sapuay holds a Bachelor of Science degree (major in Marine Science) from the University of the Philippines, Diliman in 1983. She finished her Master of Science degree in Fisheries major in Fishery Biology at the University of the Philippine in the Visayas in 1987. In 1988 she was granted a Monbusho Scholarship by the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Education (Monbusho) and pursued a Master’s Degree in Fisheries specializing in fishery resources from Kagoshima University, Kagoshima City, Japan. Last April, 2013, she graduated with a Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning degree and has recently passed the licensure exam in Environmental Planning.
Ms. Sapuay has been working as a freelance consultant in various fields such as environmental management, solid waste management, coastal resources management, coastal planning and other projects requiring her expertise as a fishery and marine biologist, solid waste management specialist, environment specialist and environmental planner.
She is the founder of the Kalipunan ng mga Kabataan para sa Kalikasan Kalikasan), an organization which helps to raise the awareness of children and youth in various environmental issues affecting the country and the world.
At present, she is the president of the Philippine Association of Japanese Ministry of Education Scholars (PHILAJAMES), the President of the Solid Waste Management Association of the Philippines (SWAPP); a member of the UP Planning and Development Foundation (UP PLANADES) and the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP). She continues to do her work on environmental advocacy.

Presentation Slides
Thank you for not plagiarizing. Support us by properly citing the title, author, and seminar (SGRA 16th Sustainable Shared Growth Seminar, "The Urban-Rural Gap and Sustainable Shared Growth", August 23, 2013, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines)