CES Conceptual Framework

Community and behavioral changes should start from the people. The challenge now is how to make people realize that it is them, and not the cooperating agency like MSEUF, that will help themselves in their development but themselves with a little help from friends.

The University with its CESP plays the role of a catalyst of positive change. As a catalyst, the task of the community extension workers is to help build the capacity of the people to work for their own development. MSEUF community extension workers educate the adopted barangay or purok residents to be empowered. Empowerment leads to transforming people to develop the capabilities for their own development. Greater community involvement, as a process to facilitate behavioral changes, should initiate the mechanism such as support services and delivery system, human and institutional development, and resource management. These mechanisms are made possible by concretizing them through programs and projects to be initiated and supported by the University.

These programs and projects are the components (cooperatives and communication, education and training, health and nutrition, and environmental management and solid waste management) that will attain the expected outcomes of the framework, namely, livelihood opportunity and improved standard of living, better environment condition and better family life.

Finally, if all the outcomes are attained, the impact and the expected output will eventually be felt manifest in the adopted community.

On top of all these projects is value re-direction whose main objective is greater community involvement and participation of people in the barangay level. Value re-direction is a way of revitalizing the community spirit necessary in building partnerships for development, facilitating team and organizational performance, and instilling trust and confidence among themselves and with others. Through values re-direction, the barangay is molded in an atmosphere that can draw support for community activities with high regard for the dignity of man, leadership sincerity, commitment to purpose, openness and transparency, and willingness to embrace change and development, backstopped by the value of service.

Social services such as improving the state of health of the barangay residents, spiritual guidance, etc. will complement values re-direction. All of these will contribute to the quality of life for a progressive society.

Projects related to providing better environmental conditions complement the attainment of improved quality of life. Through different CES projects, the barangay is transformed as an environment conducive for healthy living, where people can draw economic, social, spiritual, political, and family sustenance through positive interactions and the spirit of cooperation for community building. Thus, CES projects must conform to managing material structures in consonance with maintaining harmony of human and ecological structures.

For a more realistic improved quality of life, barangay residents are assisted in identifying livelihood opportunities eventually motivating them to engage in projects that can provide additional or augment family income. In this particular phase, the sense of self-reliance, determination, and industry come to the fore.