Daily Archives: January 15, 2021

On Monday, January 11, 2020, the webinar series UNLAD: Para kanino? Talakayan ukol sa pagbubuo ng mga proyektong pang-kaunlaran ng komunidad was officially launched. It was spearheaded by the first webinar of the series, Principles of a People-Centred Development. The webinar was attended by more than a hundred participants. It was welcomed by the NSTP Director Sir Dennis Quilala. He reminded everyone to uphold the query asking for whom the development is. He emphasized the importance of maintaining critical lenses and programs to implement. Moderated by Sir Giovanni Francis Legaspi, the webinar revolved around social issues and stressed the importance of people-centred development in addressing these issues.  The first speaker, Professor Venarica Papa, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Social Work and Community Development. Professor Vena’s research interests include human and people’s rights, community governance, and alternative development. She started by defining what poverty and development means. Poverty was perceived by some as a product of destiny or luck. Some say that poverty was a result of idleness or just because one is a failure. The participants were reoriented that this way of thinking disregards the existence of structural barriers that hinders one to attain development, regardless of their determination, skills, and perseverance. This also forces the poor to accept their condition because it is what it is. Development was defined as a desirable state that was intentionally strived for. It is not something that one passively waits for. It was also emphasized that in development, questions as “What [is it]”, “Why [it was done]”, “How [it was done]”, “[it was done] By whom]” and “For whom [it was done]” are crucial questions to consider in formulating development projects. Professor Vena then proceeded to discuss what people-centred development means. People-centred development is the development “of the people, for the people, and by the people”. It highlights that development happens when people realize their condition and their capability to take part in making decisions that concern them. It is when groups of people who recognize and accept their right and responsibility to make decisions and act upon their own […]