Participatory Local Social DevelopmentPLSD

IntroductionText Summary
IV.Case Study

Legazpi PLSD Project, Philippines

Legazpi City in the Philippines witnessed a successful undertaking of a PLSD project. It
was implemented under the JICA Technical Cooperation for Grassroots Project.
Its general objective was to consolidate the social basis for improving the livelihood of
the poor in Legazpi City through strengthening the participatory local governance
system, utilizing PLSD as the leading framework.

Legazpi City, Albay, Republic of the Philippines

538Km from Manila

Bicol Region
Albay Province
Total Population 179,481
204.20 km

The project had three specific objectives:

1.Plan and implement a participatory project for effective, self-reliant water resource
management for improved quality of life
2.Enhance the capabilities and consciousness of the local government, development
agencies, and NGOs toward participatory collaboration in project planning and
management through PLSD training and experience-based learning
3.Build functional synergy among local government, development agencies, NGOs, and
other relevant organizations for collective decision making and collaborative
management of area-based development activities

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Participatory Local Social DevelopmentPLSD

IntroductionText Summary
IV.Case Study

Legazpi PLSD Project, Philippines

The projects target community was identified at
the sitio level, a natural village in the Philippines.
The entry point of the project was to supply
potable water to the local people because the
community identified it as their felt need. The
project dispatched one CD facilitator who lived
together with the people to begin community
organizing through PA methods.
Conscientization, organization building, capability
building, and networking were all conducted.

It took six months for a peoples organization (PO) to form in the community. The
organizing work included integration into the target community, identification of
potential leaders, core group formation, frequent consultations and meetings with the
people, and problem identification using PRA by the local people. After the PO was
established, the facilitator supported its activities by providing consultations,
leadership trainings, and skill development trainings, as needed. At the same time, the
project focused on networking with local government units such as the village and city
governments. By involving the stakeholders of the city and village governments
directly in the project, the local community could establish consultation and a
supporting mechanism between their local government unit and the community.
After these social preparations were complete, the project began construction of the
water supply system.

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Legazpi PLSD Project, Philippines-2

Participatory Local Social DevelopmentPLSD

IntroductionText Summary
IV.Case Study

Legazpi PLSD Project, Philippines

One of the unique points of the project was that the local people themselves played the
role of the main actor in project cycle management, which included research, planning,
implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
In the research phase, PRA was utilized. The local people conducted a series of PRA
workshops for data gathering, analysis, and validation with the help of the facilitator. In
the planning phase, a plan was formulated through frequent PO board meetings and
several consultations with stakeholders in the project such as the village and city
governments. The final decision was made at the general meeting of the organization.
In the implementation or construction phase, the local people supported the expert to
conduct a technical survey necessary for construction of the water supply system.
They provided free labor for part of the construction work, while some technical works
were carried out by specialists from outside the community. The monitoring and
evaluation were performed collectively by PO members and the village and city
governments.
The local peoples direct participation in all phases of the project cycle enhanced their
sense of project ownership and enabled capability building through experience-based
learning.

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Participatory Local Social DevelopmentPLSD

IntroductionText Summary
IV.Case Study

Legazpi PLSD Project, Philippines

Prior to the project implementation, research and analysis of the local community
system using the PLSD framework had been conducted to determine the experience
and capability of the local people for collective actions and resource management.
The research identified all the collective actions and organizations in the community
and analyzed their functions. In particular, it focused on the existing pattern of water
resource utilization and management to assess the experience and capability of the
local people.
Based on this research and analysis, a water supply system that the local people could
manage by themselves was designed.
What kinds of changes did the PLSD bring to the community?

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Participatory Local Social DevelopmentPLSD

IntroductionText Summary
IV.Case Study

Legazpi PLSD Project, Philippines

What kind of changes have you experienced in
daily life due to the project?
Before the project, we had to fetch water from a
mountain far from here, and we had to wait in a very long
line, especially in the summer. It was so hard just fetching
water. But now, water is just in front of us. In addition, to
pay the user fee, the people here have become
industrious to save the money.

Have any changes occurred in the awareness or

attitude of the people?
Before, we did not care what was happening around here
in the community. But now, we help each other, and true
participation is ongoing.
We were so shy, and most of us could not convey our
opinions in front of others. Now, we are familiar with
speaking in front of people.
Before, we did not cooperate. Now, we have unity.

What were the changes to organizational

activities?
Other organizations that were organized by other
agencies could not sustain activities for long. Only within
a few months, they would become inactive. But when we
organized SIPMA, the people realized that this project is
truly helpful for us.
Even the officials of the organization, we did not keep
time before. But now, we manage the time.
Our hidden talents were brought out due to the project.

What is important to you in managing the

organization?
What is really important is the commitment of the people.
So that participation of the whole community will be
sustained.
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Participatory Local Social DevelopmentPLSD

IntroductionText Summary
IV.Case Study

Legazpi PLSD Project, Philippines

One of the key points of the Legazpi PLSD Project is the collaboration mechanism with local
government units and the local community. To ensure the sustainability of the project, a
functional collaboration system and mechanisms were established, the Technical Working Group
TWG.
The steps taken for the formation of a functional collaboration mechanism were the following:
1.Formation of the TWG at the city level, composed of directors of related departments of the
city, NGOs, and academic professionals,
2.Provision of PLSD training to the LGU, NGOs, and academic professionals, including members
of TWG, and
3.Direct involvement of TWG members in the project process.
This enabled LGU and NGOs to deepen the understanding of participatory development, learn
the methodology of development planning and implementation of PLSD, and establish an
appropriate support system for the local community.
The following is an excerpt of an interview with Ms. Marlene Manaya, who is a city social worker
and chair person of the TWG of Legazpi City.

What has been the impact of PLSD training?

The big difference is that now we have knowledge of PLSD, and we
have technical working group. All of us took the same training, we went
to Japan, and all of the department heads took the PLSD training. So it
is very easy now; we have same mindset. When we implement the
project, at the village level, we know what we have to do using PLSD.

What kinds of changes were brought by the Technical

Working Group?
As the technical working group team leader, I find it very easy now to
coordinate with other members of the team because we now can have
a simplified, coordinated, project proposal which will not benefit only one institution or office,
but the entire city through the participation of technical working group members.

Have there been any changes in the policy or programs of the city
government?
Resettlement site, it is really the people themselves. In the beginning, we were not aware; we
did not know PLSD yet. But when we learned about PLSD, we started to use it, meaning that we
shifted our approach. That is really the application of PLSD. Now, the people can access the
TWG, but it is the people who manage the problem solving. For problems with water or peace
and order, the people themselves think of the solutions.
Thus, it seems that the PLSD project influenced not only the target community, but also the city
government in terms of mind setting, knowledge, and skills, and even its policy and programs.

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Participatory Local Social DevelopmentPLSD

IntroductionText Summary
IV.Case Study

Legazpi PLSD Project, Philippines

Now, let us review the project achievements in terms of resources, organization, norm,
capability, and institutional mechanism.
From the perspective of organization, we note that a PO, SIPMA, was established in the
community. It started with only seven local research partners and grew to 70 members when
the PO was formally established. Then, by the end of the project, the number of members had
increased into 120. Two years after the project ended, it increased to 155.
From the perspective of resources, we note that a water supply system with a deep well was
constructed and provided safe drinking water to the local people, under the daily management
of the PO.
As a norm, the senses of participation, cooperation, and collaboration toward self-reliance were
fostered. This was evidenced by PO membersstatements at the evaluation meeting:Unity of
the community became strong, and we started to think and discuss what we need in our
community,
I only thought about myself and my family before. But now, we think about our
community,
What we learned is that, to start by ourselves is the most important, not just to
wait for support from the outside,andNow I realize that we can do it by ourselves.
In addition to establishing the capability to maintain and manage the water supply system, the
project built organizational management capability as well as the ability to identify community
issues and take appropriate actions.
Finally, the institutional mechanism is that the PO has the status to consult with the city
government as a member of TWG. In addition, it was officially appointed as a member of the
village development council. These gave the PO access to support from the city and village
governments and also gave it sustainability.

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Participatory Local Social DevelopmentPLSD

IntroductionText Summary
IV.Case Study

Legazpi PLSD Project, Philippines

Now, the PO has accumulated experience and capability through day-to-day operation
and management of the water supply system and problem solving and has even started
to handle community issues other than water resource management.
In addition, Legazpi City has learned the principles and methods of PLSD, and has begun
to apply it to other development projects in the city on their own initiative.
It is safe to say that the Legazpi PLSD project succeeded in establishing the foundation
for self-reliant and sustainable development through capability building of the local
community, reinforcement of a participatory local governance system, and promotion of
a synergy relation between them.

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