Lessons from the Ilaw ng Buhay Program 333

In talking about lessons learned from the old Ilaw ng Buhay community development approach pilot-tested in several provinces in the Philippines during the late 70s to early 80s, it may be necessary to recall what were called during the period as "typologies of participation." These so-called typologies actually provide a convenient basis for looking at the way working with communities was viewed and practised by government agencies and NGOs.

These approaches are as follows:

• the standard community development (CD) or extension-type approach which is basically focused on linking up government services to local communities compartmentalized as to their needs, e.g. agriculture, health, social welfare, local infrastructure, etc.;  
• the community organizing (CO) approach which adopts a no-linkage-with-government policy and seeks to build people's organizations able to decide on their own and deal with government using their organization as leverage to get services delivered or to be treated as equal partner in local-level planning; 
• the combined CO-CD approach which uses the planning and implementation of service delivery to specific communities and households as entry point in having organized communities able to serve as partners of both government and NGOs in all aspects of participatory development; and 
• the insurrection approach or sometime referred to playfully as the against-all-odds (AAO) approach practised by the underground left of various shades of red which utilizes elements from the three approaches to achieve its end to overthrow the Government with armed uprising through political and community action. 

The Ilaw ng Buhay (INB) approach is actually a variant of the CO-CD approach. It provides an innovation of the first two approaches and seeks to make the third approach more effective in several aspects as it competes directly with the insurrection approach in many remote villages during the 70s and 80s.

The INB provided a vehicle for the mixed group of community development pioneers, professionals from various disciplines other than ComDev, and a few who had knowledge of the underground to share experiences together, distill lessons and set new ways to work with both local governments and target communities.

While most NGOs, including those who were not from the Left, would shy away from working with Government, the INB positioned its approach as the jawbone or "upper jaw lower jaw" approach which says for the benefits of development to be shared by all, both jaws must be able to work together.

Hence, this modified approach calls for a new type of development worker in terms of track record, age and degree of commitment; skills to deal with politicians of various persuasions; religious and NGO leaders and volunteers; and the flexibility and stamina to deal with competition from fiercely devoted community organizers and advocates from either an organized Left underground or even with leaders and followers of religious sects in the countryside.

How to make Ilaw ng Buhay approach works under the most trying circumstances, political, economic, social was the mission the Crazy Co. undertook during a critical period in the country's history characterized by restrictions of  human rights and increasing polarization at all levels of society due to divisive ideologies and the competition for resources among the elites.

More on the next blog.