COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Dynamics in the Community

• The school-community relations constitute a vital function area in the educational system. The school
is the extension of the community and vice-versa.
• Dynamics in the community should be taken into consideration considering the fact that today’s
society is beset with so many problems, such as: spiritual, economic and political.
• The community can achieve its goals if it could:
1) Develop the skills of the constituents;
2) Understand the rights and duties of a citizen in a democratic society, to be diligent and
competent in the performance of their obligations as members of the community and citizens
of the nation; and
3) Develop and maintain good health and physical fitness.

COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Assessment of the Community Needs

• It is a process of identifying the strength and resources available to meet the needs in the community,
more on children, youth and families.
• It is also a systematic process for determining and addressing needs or “gaps” between current
conditions and desired conditions or wants.
• Furthermore, community assessment is an inventory survey instrument developed to collect
information which will identify the needs of a particular community.

Why do we need to collect information about the problem of the community?

• Gathering information is the most important phase in doing a research work and the following
considerations are necessary:
1) Knowledge
2) Credibility Counts
3) Awareness Leads to Change
• Steps in Collecting Information:
1) Awareness on the importance and purpose of the information to be collected.
2) Determine when you want to use the data.
3) Determine exactly what you want to know.
4) Determine who will find the information.
5) Identify possible sources of information.
6) Set limits to how much information you want to collect.
7) Collect the data.
8) Identify the gaps in your knowledge.
9) Repeat the process to fill those gaps or collect your own data.
10) Compare the data of your community with another community.
• Criteria in Identifying Community Problems:
1) The problem occurs.
2) The duration of the problem.
3) The scope of the problem.
4) The severity of the problem.
5) The equity.
6) The perception.
• Reasons why Community Problems have to be Analyzed:
1) To better identify the problem or issue.
2) To understand the main reason of a problem.
3) To determine the barriers and resources associated with addressing the problem.
4) To develop the best remedy for addressing the problem.
• How to Analyze a Community Problem:
➢ Justify the choice of the problem.
➢ Frame the problem.
SOCIAL MOBILIZATION
• Social Mobilization is an approach wherein the community participation is very essential.
• It is also defined as a process of capability-building of a deprived community to enable its people to
plan, manage and control their own development program.
➢ It emphasizes self-decision of the concerned community, self-initiated development efforts as
well as self-capacity-building, empowerment of the powerless, organization of the
unorganized, and awareness by the unaware which are the major elements and the concerns
of the NSTP.

Components of Social Mobilization

1) To achieve GROWTH in the physical, intellectual, volitional and moral capabilities of the deprived
people as persons.
2) The complementary component is EMPOWERMENT of deprived people through strengthening of
their collective capabilities.
3) The TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS in keeping with the principles of equity and
social justice;
4) ENHANCEMENT OF THE ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE
5) DYNAMIC CULTURAL INNOVATION

NSTP STUDENTS can initiate a Self-Help Organization (SHO) which can help the deprived community to
lead in their self-development process following the self-propelled manner.

Self-Propelled Manners
1) Help in providing local mechanism for mobilizing savings in the community and provide credit to meet
their financial needs;
2) Assist institutions to initiate/support local communities and groups to identify and mobilize local
resources and properly utilize external resources;
3) Help in building confidence snd enhancing the capacity of the community promoting self-reliance; and
4) Assist in establishing a network of community financial institutions owned and democratically
operated by the people.

Role of NSTP Students a a catalyst in Social Mobilization

1) Identify the needs of the people in the community where they are assigned;
2) Assist the people in analyzing their problems;
3) Guide the group to form and manage self-help groups (SHG)
4) Help them on how they could develop their institutions;
5) Guide them on how they could increase access and control over the resources; and
6) Help them plan and implement self-reliance through small entrepreneurial activities at the community
level.

Community Action Cycle for Community Mobilization

Explore the
Problems/Issues Plan
and set
Priorities
Together

Organize the
Start Here
Prepare to
Community
Mobilize for Action

Prepare Evaluate Act

Scale Up Together Together
Steps in Social Mobilization
1) NSTP students should visit the community in their settlements and establish rapport.
2) Determine physical boundaries of the settlement with the people.
3) Assist the community in holding a community meeting in coordination with the Barangay Officials and
encourage them to understand the need to organize for collective action.
4) Initially the groups should meet daily to discuss the most pressing issues and action to be taken.
5) For a community, the appropriate number of groups would be around 20, with coordination of the
Barangay Officials.

Benefits of Social Mobilization

1) Poverty Alliance
2) Promoting Democratic Governance
3) Environment
4) Conflict Prevention

Advantages of Community Mobilization

• A community forming together collects the harvest. Community mobilization helps to motivate the
people in the community, encourage participation and involvement of everyone, and building
community capacity to identify their common needs such as:
✓ Security ✓ Water
✓ Health, Hygiene ✓ Housing construction
✓ Livelihood ✓ Social and Culture
✓ Education ✓ Physical infrastructure
✓ Literacy ✓ Electricity
✓ Land ✓ Street lights
✓ Social infrastructure ✓ Environment

Conclusion
• Social Mobilization is an approach that empowers the community to participate actively in the
development process through the leadership of the NSTP students. It helps the community to be well-
informed, empowered/proactive and build a strong civil society that could become a valuable partner
of the government in shaping a national development that is equitable and sustainable.

COMMUNITY SERVICE
• Community service is performed by someone or a group of people like the NSTP students for the
benefit of the public or the community.
• Through community service the students can strengthen their senses of civic engagement and
nationalism, broaden their educational, developmental and social goals.
• It also allow students to contemplate on the difference they are making in society, gaining a greater
understanding of their roles in social service as well as the impact of their contributions towards those
in need of service.

Purpose of Community Service

• Volunteerism as the cornerstone of the community outreach program, volunteers must be free of
personal gain and remuneration. The school’s mission is to prepare each student to become a
responsible, active citizen.
• The program strives to instill in each student an awareness of the multiple needs of the community, a
sense of moral obligation to help those less fortunate and desire to make one’s community a better
place.

Advantages of Volunteering
• Reduces stress • Promotes personal growth and self esteem
• Makes you healthier • Strengthens your community
• Saves resources • Learns a lot
• Gains professional experience • Gets a chance to give back
• It brings people together
COMMUNITY PROGRAM OUTREACH
Course Objective: Activities
• Preparatory Activities:
1) Orientation
➢ Orientation on NSTP 2
➢ Course leveling of expectation
➢ Grouping/Team building
➢ Briefing on the community outreach programs
➢ Brainstorming on the anticipated problems
➢ Field practicum activities
2) Situational Analysis
➢ Holds a brainstorming session to decide on the activities and projects that will be
undertaken to answer the needs of the community.
➢ This analysis should lead to project identification and formulation.
3) Examination

Implementation of the Community Project

• Identification of the community structure and function such as the community leaders and other
stakeholders is very important, Moreover, the following should be looked into:
➢ Status of the local government organizations;
➢ Decision making process; and
➢ Channels of communication (formal or informal).

Social Mobilization Conducted through:

1) Formulation/mobilization of the different persons involved in the management of the community
outreach program projects.
2) Situational analysis by the NSTP students in collaboration with the community.
3) Brainstorming/Discussion of alternative solutions and the group choices.
4) Organize the community for implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
5) Implementation of planned activities.

Guidelines for NSTP Students in Community Outreach Program:

1) Appearance
2) Accountability
3) Student Behavior
4) Bringing Companions in the Community
5) Transportation
6) Use of Cellphones
7) Working with the LGU Officials
8) Problem/s Encountered
 FOREST CONSERVATION
• A forest is a community of plants consisting of trees and other woody vegetation, growing closely
together.
• Complex ecosystem that also includes soil and decaying organic matter.
• It consists either of closed forest formations where trees of various storeys and undergrowth cover
high proportion of the ground or open formations with a continuous vegetation cover in which tree
crown cover exceeds 10%.

Role of the Forest

• Survival and well-being of humankind.
• Major source of food, water, shelter, clothing, fuel, spices, medicine.
• Contributed a wealth of resources.
• Lung of the earth.
• The forest is a source of many products.

Important Functions of the Forest

• Cleansing the air
• Moderating climate
• Filtering water
• Cycling nutrients
• Providing habitat
• Protecting us against the enhanced greenhouse effect and providing us with clean air.
• Covers about 1/3 of land area of the earth.

PRIMARY FOREST
• Untouched, pristine forests that exists in their original condition, where there are no clearly visible
indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed.
• Known as old-growth forests or virgin forests.
• The primary forest (e.g. dipterocarp forests) support the oldest and largest trees as they support
vegetation of all ages.
• A primary (rain) forest, is also known as closed forest.
• These old-growth forests have a high level of diversity, with lots of different species of plants and
animals.

SECONDARY FOREST
• Has been disturbed in some way, naturally or unnaturally, usually by logging operations.
• Can be created in a number of ways; slash-and-burn agriculture (burning and planting).
• More light reaches the floor, supporting vigorous ground vegetation.
• Also called open forest.

FOREST STAND
• A forest stand is the basic unit of a forest – community of trees.
• Even – aged
➢ Tree ages within a stand do not vary by more than 20% (e.g. plantation forest)
➢ A stand composed if a single age class of trees ages is usually plus or minus 20% of the
rotation age.
• Uneven – aged
➢ At least 3 age classes are present; large – age difference between trees.
➢ A stand with trees if three or more distinct age classes, either intimately mixed or in small
group.
• Two – aged
➢ There are two distinct age classes of trees.
➢ A stand of trees with two distinct age classes separated in age by more than plus or minus
20% of the rotation age.
FORESTRY
• The management of forested land together with waste, wasteland, primarily for harvesting timber.
• Forest constitutes wood, water, wildlife, recreation, minerals.

Silvics
• The science of growing and developing a forest.

Silvicture
• Refers ti the art and practice of growing and cultivation trees.

TYPES OF FORESTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

1) Dipterocart Forest
➢ Dominated by trees of the dipterocarp species (red lauan, tanguile, guijo, palosapis, narig,
mangasinoro, tiaong, white lauan, amon, bagtikan, mayapis, apitong and yakal)
➢ The main source of our timber supply.
2) Molave Forest
➢ Source of extremely hard, durable and strong wood for construction (dangula, bongoog,
molave, narra, lingo-lingo).
➢ Experiences continuous destruction.
3) Pine Forest
➢ Composed of pine trees.
➢ Benguet pine in the mountain province Mindoro pine in the highlands of Zambales and
Mindoro.
4) Mangrove Forest
➢ Occurs on tidal flats.
➢ Bakauan, busain, pototan, langarai and dungon-late
➢ Protects coastal communities from strong winds and waves.
➢ Breeding place for fish and other marine life.
5) Beach Forest
➢ Found on sandy shores and in lowlands immediately above the high tide line.
➢ Used as firewood and construction material.
➢ Talisai, dapdap, dungon, palomaria ,agoho, bani and tamalia.
6) Mid-mountain and Mossy Forest
➢ Found in mountain regions especially on extremely high elevations.
➢ Trees are generally short and stunted because of exposure to strong winds.
➢ Truck and branches of trees in this forest are covered with mosses
➢ Mala-almaciga, malakauayan, makaasim, and malabayabas.

Flora
• Plant life found in the forest consists of trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, orchids, vines, ferns, and
mosses.
• Included are lichens, fungi, and algae.
• Important Flora (plant life)
➢ Trees - tallest, up to 80 meters
➢ Shrubs - low growing woody plants
➢ Herbs - seed plants, soft and juicy stems; lives only for one season
➢ Grasses - long, narrow leaves, hallow stem
➢ Orchids - aristocrats of the woodland
➢ Vines - has tendrils, climbs trees or crawls in the ground
➢ Ferns - reproduce by means of spores, green, feathery and found in damp places
➢ Mosses - small carpet-like plants, found in moist places, sometimes on barks of trees
➢ Algae - grows on rocks, on surfaces of pools, and on riverbanks; they manufacture their own
food; used as fertilizers, dyes; for food
➢ Fungi - neither plant, nor animals, parasitic *Lichens-symbiotic associations of an algae and
a fungus. The fungus obtains its food from the algae, while the algae in turn gets moisture
from the fungus, can be a source of natural dye.
Fauna
• Various kinds of animals living in the forest: mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles insects, worms.
• Benefits from forest:
➢ Gross National Products (GNP)
➢ Aesthetic, research recreational purposes, communion with nature
➢ Climate regulation
➢ Conserve water in the soil
➢ Protection from soil erosion
➢ Control stream flows
➢ Filter air pollutants
➢ Provide renewable raw materials and energy

The Policy on Forests and Watershed

• Executive Order No. 318
➢ Promote Sustainable Forest Management in the Philippines; signed by president Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo; to pursue the sustainable management of forests and wetlands.
 CLEAN AIR ACT
• Tobacco Regulation Act
• Healthful Environment
➢ RA 9211- Act regulating the packaging, use, sale, distribution and advertisement of tobacco
products

RULE 1 – Smoking ban and designation of smoking areas

• Section 1
1) Smoking ban in public places such as play schools, elem. School, high school, colleges and
universities, youth hostels and recreational facilities for persons under 18.
2) Elevators and stairways
3) Locations with fire hazards
4) Within the buildings and premises of public and private hospitals, medical dental, health
centers, dispensaries, and laboratories.
5) Public conveyances- airport, ship terminals, train and bus stations, restaurants, conference
halls, except foe separate smoking areas.
6) Food preparation areas.
• Section 2 – Smoking ban in public conveyances; exemption.
➢ In designated areas in inter-island vessels
• Section 3 – Designation of smoking and non- smoking areas
➢ Open space and separate area with proper ventilation.
• Section 4 – Standards for designated smoking area
➢ Comply with PD 1096- equipped with adequate ventilation (National Building code)
• Section 5 – Signage for designated smoking and non- smoking
➢ Ex. Government warning: Cigarettes are addictive

RULE 2 – Minimum age for access to tobacco products

• Section 1
➢ Absolutely prohibited
• Section 2
➢ Ignorance of real age of minors shall not be a defense.
• Section 3
➢ Avoid selling within 100 meters.
• Section 4
➢ Proof of verification

CLEAN AIR ACT

• RA 8749- Phil Clean Air Act
➢ Healthful ecology
➢ Protect Global environment
➢ Clean habitat
➢ Polluters must pay
➢ For the good of all
• Coverage of Clean Air Act
➢ Mobile and area sources – must be within air quality standards
➢ All new motor vehicles under the Philippine National Standards 1891 of the Bureau of product
Standards of the DTI are to be covered by Certificate of Conformity
• Who should implement the clean air act?
➢ DENR, DOTC, LTO, DTI, DOST, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Import Services
• Help clean the air:
1) Maintain your vehicle- change oil every 5000 km
2) Follow the manual- keep engine well- tuned
3) Tires properly inflated
4) Plan trips, proper driving habits
5) Don’t overload
Commuters
➢ Talk to the jeepney driver; patronize mass railways.

Offices
➢ Reduce aircon use, light must be energy – efficient, use company vehicles, natural light.

At Home
➢ Do not burn garbage; energy saving lights, avoid using aerosols, properly dispose equipment.

For Everyone
➢ Plant trees, spread the word about ban on smoking, report belchers, take the bus or mass
transit, stop burning garbage