Poverty reduction is
one of the main goals of the Philippine government. Majority of the population
lives in the rural areas and this population depends on agriculture as the main
source of livelihood. In this scenario, Rural Life Improvement (LIP) approach
can be an innovative approach to poverty reduction. The notable case of LIP
approach in the Philippines is the Training Services Enhancement Project for
Rural Life Improvement (TSEP-RLI) in the Province of Bohol. The project was
jointly conducted by the Government of the Philippines thru Department of
Agriculture (DA) – Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The target
beneficiaries are farmers, fisher folk, women, youth and extension workers. The
ATI- DA provides training services to the target beneficiaries as way to
improve human resource development. The main components of the project are:
improvement rural living condition, environment preservation and livelihood projects. The project utilized the idea of participatory development in order
to achieve the goals for the target beneficiaries; local government units and
other stakeholders were involved from project planning to implementation.
According to Fermentira (2005) the project have positive impacts to the
community such as: community mobilization and social participation, greater
food sufficiency and stable price, increased income and employment generation,
served as a model for other municipalities, and strengthened the partnership
between the various stakeholders involved.
B. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of Life Improvement Program approach?
1) Advantages
The advantages of the
approach are that the target beneficiaries are empowered and their
self-reliance is developed. According to experts, projects using participatory
approach have higher success compared to top-down approach.
LIP approach is
holistic in tackling poverty issues. It concerns income generating activities
but also inculcate awareness of environmental protection to the people.
There is also
cost-sharing and collaboration among the stakeholders in this way the
responsibility and accountability for the success and failure of the project is
shared among the stakeholders.
2) Disadvantages
One stumbling block to
this approach is how to motivate the different stakeholders to cooperate in the
project. For the project to be successful there should be a harmonious mix of
government, aid agencies, target beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
The other main
disadvantage in my point of view is the sustainability of these projects after
the funding agency have concluded the project and it’s time to pull-out from
the project area. If the target beneficiaries is not self-motivated enough and
the trainings have not been internalize by the people to the point that it is
really beneficial to them. Examples are cases of low level of participation by
the project beneficiaries like attending meetings just to comply with the
attendance and not really deeply involved in the discussion where one’s
critical mind is opened-up.
References:
Case study of
applied LIP approach/activities in the Philippines: the training services
enhancement project for rural life improvement (TSEP-RLI) experience.
URL: http://www.eldis.org/static/DOC20320.htm
FEMENTIRA, Graciana B.
Case Study of Applied LIP Approach/Activities in the Philippines The
Training Services Enhancement Project for Rural Life Improvement (TSEP-RLI)
Experience. Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) -VII - Central Visayas
Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines.
URL:http://www.gdnet.org/pdf2/gdn_library/annual_conferences/sixth_annual_conference/fementira_paper.pdf
REYES, Celia M. and
Lani E. Valencia. Poverty Reduction Strategy and Poverty Monitoring:
Philippine Case Study.
URL:http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPAME/Resources/Country-studies/philippines_povmonitoring_casestudy.pdf
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