NSTP – Lesson 1

Good Governance
Every citizen dream for a good government which is run by honest and good
leaders. With the advent of advance technology, globalization and decentralized
governance there is an increase need for effective accountable and transparent
administrative management and structures based on collaboration and partnership
among the essential players that is the government, business and civil society of
the state.

Definition of Governance

Governance is the management of the resource endowment of a State. It is

practiced through processes, mechanisms, and institutions through which the
citizens and other groups of society articulate their interests, exercise legal rights,
meet their obligations, and mediate their differences.

It is further defined as the manner in which the power of government authorities is

exercise through the economic and social resources of the country’s development.
However, Manasan and Gaffud (1999), state that governance is not simply about
how government conducts business in its own sphere, it is also about how
government interacts with the civil society. It tells how the government encourages
and facilitate people’s participation not only in the delivery of services but also in
the evaluation and monitoring of government performance. The manner in which
the responsibility is discharge by government officials is through governance which
can be acquired by means of election, appointment or delegation in the public
domain or in the area of commers corporate governance.

Definition of Good Governance

Good Governance pertains to the existence of an efficient and accountable

institution, be it judicial, executive, administrative, economic, corporate and
inference rules that protect human rights, respect the rule of law and ensure that
people are free to participate in and will shared on decisions that affect their lives
and most especially for the promotion of society’s development.

Characteristics of Good Governance

Good Governance should demand the following characteristics from effective and
efficient government officials.
1. Accountable – Accountability or being accountable. This means that the
government authority is a seeable to the public for the decision he has rendered.

2. Participatory – This means that the government officials practice participatory

management wherein the public is involved in decision making in all the activities
they are undertaking through their representatives.

3. Transparent – The public is entitled to information and can access documents

provided it will not be being danger to the state.

4. Based on the Rule of Law – There is fairness in decision making and the
enforcement of the law is not impartial.

5. Efficient and effective – The services rendered by the government officials to

the public meet the needs of their constituents.

Principles of Good Governance

Good governance is guided by the following principles for officials to be able to

render effective and efficient services or service to the public.

1. It focuses on the organization's purpose and on the outcomes for

citizens and service users. This means that the purpose of the organization is
clear for the user to receive a high-quality service and the tax payer receive value
for what they have paid.

2. It performs effectively in clearly defined functions and roles. The

government officials carry out the responsibilities effectively in consonance with
their defined functions and roles.

3. It promotes values for the whole organization and demonstrates these

values of good governance through behavior. All the good values expected of
the government officials are put into practice, they serve as good models to their
constituents.

4. It means that the information relative to their decisions and risk

management are transparent. The leaders see to it that there is an effective
risk management and operation for the organization and the information is
accessible to the public.

5. It develops the capacity and capability of the governing body to be

effective. The elected government officials undergo seminars and training to
enhance their skills, knowledge and experience they need to perform their tasks
well.
Safeguarding the Electoral and Political Processes
A Good Citizenship Guide to Responsible Voting

Why should I Vote?

Voting or suffrage is a privilege and right given to every Filipino citizen more than anything
else however, it is a responsibility that every Filipino is expected to fulfill in earnest. By
voting, a Filipino is given the opportunity to be directly involve in the affairs of the nation
and have a stake in national interest thus voting is a privilege. Upon having met the
prescriptions of the law, every citizen is entitled to vote and cannot be deterred from
fulfilling this function hence, voting is one the Filipinos most inannihilable rights. By
casting his vote, a Filipino make himself part of the nation’s conscience whereby his
decisions affect the history of the whole nation, the well-being of his community and the
faith of his family. Therefore, by deciding the faith and interest of the whole nation, the
whole Filipino is charged with the responsibility to promote and uphold what is beneficial
to the common good. Thus, voting is a critical responsibility of every qualified Filipino
citizen.

Cheating During Elections:

Registration

1. Registration of non-qualified voters also called "packing of voters lists"

- To ensure that the candidates will have a captive vote he will how in voters even if these voters do
not meet the citizenship, age or residence requirements. When the registration period does already
lapse, the same objective can be achieved through the manipulation of inclusion proceedings in court.

2. Disenfranchisement of qualified voters

Disenfranchise definition is - to deprive of a franchise, of a legal right, or of some privilege or immunity;

especially: to deprive of the right to vote. (Merriam-Webster, March 6 2021)

- This is resorted to when a candidate believes that a voter or a group of voters will vote for his
opponents. It can come the form of discouraging from registering at all or if they manage to register,
to exclude them from the voters list through an ostensibly legal exclusion proceeding in court.

Election

1. Vote Buying

a. With or without chained balloting

Some candidates will take the word of the bought voter however, if he wants to be sure that he gets
his money’s worth, the candidate will employ chain balloting or lanzadera. At the start of the day, all
the potential buyers are gathered in one place and as soon the post are opened, one of them is sent
to the polling place. After he has signed, and has given been given a ballot by the clerk. He now takes
it with him to the polling booth, what he does with the ballot becomes the heart of the illegal scheme.
Instead of filling out the ballot, he puts it in his pocket and cast something that looks like a ballot into
the ballot box. Thereafter, he presents the blank official ballot to the buyer who pays him an amount
for his effort. The buyer then fills out the ballot himself and hands the same to the second voter. The
second voters go the polling place, and obtains a blank official ballot which he turns over later to the
buyer and the cycle is repeated.

b. With or without identifying marks

Vote buying with or without identifying marks. Another way of ensuing that the bought voter will leave
up twist end of the bargain is to specify how that voter will fill out his ballot. The voter can be required
to write the candidate’s name in peculiar way, example, first name last with nickname, misspelled
names and others.

2. Negative vote-buying

This is a simplest way of buying voters, where a candidate is certain that a voter will not vote for him,
he can pay him not to vote. Efficiency can be achieved by herding the voters together and getting
them on the bus that will take them away for the rest of the day. A lot of times, the voters will be
compelled to have their index fingers smeared with an indelible ink.

3. Waylaying of voters

a. Through fraud or stealth

This has the same objectives as negative vote buying except that no financial benefit accrues to the
bought voter. With the connivance of the Board Of election and Inspectors or BOI the voters name is
deleted from the list; this results in confusion resulting to voter’s disenfranchisement.

b. Through intimidation or downright terrorism

Another way of waylaying of voters is through intimidation or downright terrorism.

4. Stuffing of ballot boxes with fake ballots

5. Ballots writing by only one person or group of persons

6. Voting by persons other than the registered voters

Another way of cheating during election is through stuffing a ballot boxes with fake ballots, ballots
writing by only one person or group of persons, and voting by persons other than the registered voters.
What happened is, toward the end of the voting period the least is scan for those who have not yet
voted, ballots are issue to persons other that the registered voters and are filled by the cooperators of
the cheating candidate. As expected, it gives name that will appear in appropriate place.

7. Misreading of ballots
8. Ballots/Ballot boxes snatching or destruction

9. Ballots/ballot boxes substitution

10. Falsification (Tampering) of election returns

11. Falsification of statement of votes or certificate of canvass in the municipal or city board of
canvassers

Another way of cheating during elections are misreading a ballots, ballots or ballot box notching or
destruction, ballots or ballots boxes substitution, falsification or tampering of election returns. Here,
what happen is after counting is completed in the precinct, the votes recorded in a document called
the election return. The intercalation of a single digit can result of in a hundred votes in favor of a
candidate, this is so easy to do because by resign the level of awareness has been relaxed. The
recording being anticlimactic to counting. The last but the least is the falsification of statement of votes
or certificate of canvass in the municipal or city board of canvassers. Falsification even becomes even
more vicious when the manipulation is done at the level of the city or municipal board of canvassers.
The results of all the precincts in city or municipality are recorded in a document called the statement
of voters prepared by the board of canvassers. The insertion or intercalation of one or two digits can
result of ten or thousands of votes undeservedly added.

Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003

Who may apply? Who are disqualified?

All citizens of the Philippines abroad at least 18 years of age on the day of the election not otherwise
disqualified by law and who are not registered as voter under RA 8189 known as the voter’s registration
act system of continuing registration.

Who are disqualified?

1. Those who have lost their citizenship in accordance with Philippine laws.

2. Those who have expressly denounced their Philippine citizenship and who have pledge allegiance
to a foreign country

3. Those who have been convicted by final judgement of a court or tribunal offense punishable by
imprisonment for not less than 1 year unless such disability has been remove by plenary pardon or
honestly.

4. An immigrant or prominent president who is recognized as such to the host country unless he or
she executes upon filling a one application for registration as oversees absentee voter, an affidavit be
clearing that a) he or she shall resume actual physical permanent residence in the Philippines not later
than 3 years from approval of his or her registration and b) he or she has not applied for citizenship in
another country.

5. Any citizen of the Philippines abroad previously declared insane or incompetent by competent
authority in the Philippines.
Do’s and Don’ts’s in the election

Do’s

• Choose a credible candidate.

• Support a campaign for a peaceful and orderly conduct of election.
• If possible, attend and participate in the Miting De Avance of the candidates for you to be
able to know their platforms and goals.
• Encourage voters to exercise their rights.
• Adhere to the results or procedures set by the Comelec.
• Prepare a list of your chosen candidates before going to your perspective polling place.
• Go to the polling center early to avoid the rush.
• Beware of trouble makers who intent to disrupt the conduct of the election.
• Report untoward incident to the nearest police station or Comelec.

Don’ts’s

• Don’t raise fund through dances, lotteries and cat fighting in support of particulate candidates.
• Don’t carry firearms and deadly weapons.
• Don’t post, display, distribute and use of illegal campaign materials.
• Don’t sell, furnish, offer, serve or take intoxicating liquor.
• Don’t vote, do not do vote selling
• Don’t vote more than once or in a substitution of another.
• Don’t hold fares, cat fights, boxing, horse races or similar sports.
• Don’t open booths, food stalls of the sale and others of where’s merchandise or refreshments
with a 30-meters radius from falling places.
• Don’t accept free transportation, food, drinks and things of value from any candidates of their
parts.
NSTP – Lesson 2

Social Mobilization

Components of Social Mobilization

- The Social Mobilization concept is mainly based on the development approach to

empower the deprived and poor people of rural as well as urban areas for improving their
position in life and condition in a sustainable way. It is basically guided by the following
components which has an impact on the lives on the community people directly or
indirectly.

1. To achieve GROWTH in the physical, intellectual, volitional, and moral capabilities of

the deprived people as persons. This means that the people should acquire useful
knowledge, social awareness, and ability to make choices, physical security and self-
assurance.

2. The complementary component is EMPOWERMENT of deprived people through

strengthening of their collective capabilities. This implies bonafide leadership, solidarity
and participatory decision-making of the self-help groups/organization.

3. The TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS in keeping with the principles

of equity and social justice;

4. ENHANCEMENT OF THE ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE is where the deprived people

depend for their physical security and sustenance.

5. DYNAMIC CULTURAL INNOVATION in the values, beliefs and norms that constitute
the blueprint for a developed society and for the behavior of its members.

- The self-help organization which can be initiated by the students in the NSTP can help
the deprived community to be able to live their self-development process in the following
self-propelled manner.

1. help in providing local mechanism for mobilizing savings of the community and provide
credit to meet their financial needs;

2. assist in creating people's institutions to initiate/support local communities and groups

to identify and mobilize local resources and properly utilize external resources;

3. help in building confidence and enhancing the capacity of community people in

promoting self-reliance; and

4. assist in establishing a network of community financial institutions owned and

democratically operated by the community people.
- Therefore, social mobilization has expounded by (name) 2004 in his advocacy program,
states that it is also known as a process of formation and management of self-help
organization or group by the concern community people which could be led by the NSTP
students. In this context, the role of the students is as catalyst and they should do the
following.

The role of the students is as catalysts and should do the following:

1. Identification of the needs of the people in the community where they are assigned;

2. Assist the people in analyzing their problems;

3. Guide the group to form and manage self-help groups (SHG);

4. Help them on how they could develop their institutions;

5. Guide them on how they could increase access and control over the resources; and

6. Help them plan and implement self-reliance through small entrepreneurial activities at
the community level.

- Then, NSTP students should bear in mind that a sustainable and self-propelled
development of the community is impossible unless they take charge of their development
process with their own decision making and implementation mechanism. It is capacitated
in terms of conceptual understanding and management and advocacy related to
knowledge, skills and attitudes. The intervention of NSTP students in any deprived
community should provide an appropriate environment for the formation and growth of
self-help groups to achieve their common goals.

The following guidelines could be very helpful to the NSTP students for Social
Mobilization at the grass-root level:

1. We do not develop the community people. They develop themselves through our
guidance.

2. We have to use a participatory approach by involving the community people in key

decisions and acquiring the appropriate skills.

3. We work with groups and not with individuals. Hence, we should be aware of the
presence of individual differences among the groups.

4. The groups are small and functionally specific. They have commonalities.

5. Self-reliance in resource mobilization is very basic.

6. The initial objective of social mobilization should be looked into.

7. We think big, but help the community people to start small. The objective is to have
quick success so that cohesion and self-image can be developed.
8. Use a process not a "blueprint approach", be flexible. Emphasize a process "not
events" to help the community achieve a self-propelled sustainable development.

9. Work with two or more groups in the community in case conflict arises in their line of
interest/problems.

10. Education and training should be an on-going process that are reflected on the needs
of the organization, its purpose, etc., and required knowledge, skills, and attitude for its
effective functioning.

11. Regular meetings should be conducted in order to keep group cohesion and prevent
the emergence of "we" (members) and "they" (leaders) syndrome.

12. The NSTP students must not impose on the group; and

13. Just provide moral support and legitimacy to grassroots action for social change.

Prepare to Mobilize

1. Select/identify issues and problems and define the community;

2. Put together a community mobilization;

3. Gather information about the issues/problems;

4. Identify resources and constraints;

5. Develop a community mobilization plan; and

6. Organize your team.

Organize the Community for Action

1. Orient the community;

2. Build harmonious relationship;

3. Invite community participation; and

4. Develop a "core group" from the community.

Explore the Problems/issues and set priorities

1. Decide the objectives;

2. Explore the problems/issues;

3. Analyze the problem; and

4. Set priorities for action.

Plan Together

1. Decide the objectives of the planning preparation;

2. Determine who will be involved in planning and their roles;

3. Conduct and facilitate the planning session; and

4. Create a community action plan.

Act Together

1. Define your team's role in accompanying community action;

2. Strengthen the community's capacity to carry out the action plan;

3. Monitor community programs; and

4. Problems - solve, troubleshoot, advise and mediate.

Evaluate Together

1. Conduct participatory evaluation;

2. Provide feedback to the community;

3. Document and share lessons learned and recommendation for future use; and

4. Prepare to reorganize.
Prepare to Scale Up

1. Establish and maintain a monitoring and evaluation system.

Benefits of Social Mobilization

Social Mobilization is very essential in the development of the community through

people's own concerted efforts. The benefits are the following:

1. Poverty Alleviation. It alleviates poverty. The people are trained for self-sufficiency
through the guidance of the NSTP students.

2. Promoting Democratic Governance. Social Mobilization encourages participation in

decision-making, builds capacity for participatory planning in the community.

3. Environment. It helps people to manage better their natural resources and fight
against practices and organizations that degrade the environment.

4. Conflict Prevention. It organizes people to address common problems and to

collectively improve their socio-economic condition in an equitable, democratic, and
transparent manner.

Conclusion

- In conclusion, social mobilization is an approach that empowers the community people

to participate actively in the development process through the leadership of NSTP
students. It helps the community people to be well-informed, empowered or pro-active
and build a strong seal society that could become valuable partner of the government in
shaping a national development that is equitable and sustainable.
NSTP – LESSON 4

DYNAMICS IN THE COMMUNITY

- The school community relations constitute of vital function area in the educational
system. The school administrators concern should not only be within the four corners of
the school campus but should extend to the community. Close co-community relations
must be established and maintained in order to make the school more serviceable and
responsive to the needs of the community and to jaw the community to the school. The
school is the extension of the community and vise versa. Dynamics in the community
should be taken into the consideration considering the fact that today’s society is dissent
with so many problems. They maybe spiritual, economic and political problems, all of
which is are but symptoms of much deeper problem. A problem anchored in the mind and
in the hearts of the Filipino people.
- The community can achieve its goals if it could:

1. develop the skills of the constituents;

2. understand the rights and duties of a citizen in a democratic society, to be diligent and
competent in the performance of their obligation as members of the community and
citizens of the nation; and

3. develop and maintain good health and physical fitness.

Community Needs Assessment

- A needs assessment is an inventory survey instruments that is develop to collect
information which will identify the names of a particular community. It serves as a means
of establishing a base line and that so, through a systematic date gathering process.
Needs assessment must be developed, administered and analyzed to establish a positive
and supportive atmosphere among the people. It can be employed to accomplish a variety
of purposes such as finding out the needs, wants, concerns or goals of the community.
How are we going to assess the country’s need?
- The most important thing that we can, is to find out the most pressing problems that
greatly affect the lives of the people. With the political issues that our country is suffering
nowadays everybody can feel the dwindling economy. The country’s economy greatly
contributes to the poverty problem.

Social Problems in the Community

- There are some conditions that exists in the community which are threatening the lives
of the people such as poverty, unemployment, drug addiction, prostitution, cybersex, child
abuse, street children, squatting, pollution and others.
1. Poverty

• defined as lack of sufficient wealth (usually understood as capital, money,

material goods or resources, especially natural resources) to live what is
understood in society as a "normal life".

- an example of a normal life is when we are capable of raising a healthy family

by providing all the basic needs and especially educating children and participating in
the society.

• another definition, poverty starts that it is an outcome of longstanding conflicts

between haves and have-nots.

- it has an effect of limiting opportunities and just define social inequality that
poverty is perpetuated through class discrimination and an equal opportunity for
upward mobility. Hence, it is often strongly correlated in social problems such as
crimes, disease, squatting, unemployment, homelessness, terrorism, malnutrition
and illiteracy. As a result, many societies employ social workers from the
department of social welfare and development or DSWD and the national anti-
poverty commission or NAPC to fight poverty by variety of methods which ranges
from moral persuasion to financial subsidy to physical coercion.

The social, scientific and cultural disciplines about poverty are the following:

1. In economics - there are 2 kinds of poverty being considered, the relative and
absolute

ABSOLUTE POVERTY - is defined by Ronquillo, et al (no date) in terms of

cash income or expenditures in food, clothing and shelter.

The following are the situations of a family under absolute poverty:

1. The family cannot afford to buy adequate and balanced diet food;

2. They cannot afford to buy at least 3 sets of clothings;

3. They cannot send their children even up to Grade VI;

4. They cannot attend to their medical needs, such as buying vitamins,

medicine for their illness;

5. They don't pay attention to the sanitation of their families, home and
surroundings; and

6. They cannot pay their house rentals.

RELATIVE POVERTY - according to Ronquillo, et al (no date) is defined in terms

of median family income. According to the National Economic Development Authority
(NEDA), the median family income can be determined by arranging the difference
income ranges by increasing or decreasing order, then determine the middle-income
level. People earning lower than the median family income are considered poor.

2. In politics
- In politics, the fight against poverty is usually regarded as a social goal and most
government have done so through active intervention in the form of housing plans,
social tension, special job opportunities or acquirements.

3. In Law

It is recognizing as a mitigating factor for the determination of punishment. Poverty is

considered as one of the causes of increasing crime rates amongst the court by
increasing this stress.

4. In education

The Mathew Effect - " the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer"

- Poverty affects the learning ability of the pupils to effectively profit from the contusive
learning environment. No mater how much the teacher motivates if the children are
hungry no learning will take place. Pupils coming from poor families whose primary
needs have not met as describe in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The need for a stable
home to live in close to keep them warm and protect them from the heat of the sun and
regular meals are hampered in their ability to learn.

Causes of Poverty

Poverty is a political issue. People with right-wing views often consider it as related to
laziness and population explosion.

Those who are leftists view poverty as graft and corruption and unequal distribution of
wealth.

Types of Causes of Poverty

A. Individual

Poverty is explained by individual circumstances and/or characteristics of poor people.

Some examples are:

· Status education, skills, experience and intelligence;

· Health, handicap and age;

· Work orientation, time horizon and culture of poverty; and

· Discrimination, together with race and sex, etc.

B. Aggregate

There are two types of the aggregate poverty theory and these are: case and generic
1. Case – according to this theory, aggregate poverty is just the sum of individual
poverty.

2. Generic – this is explained by general economy-wide problem, such as:

· Inadequate non-poverty employment opportunities;

· Inadequate overall demand (macro problems, macro policy)

· Low national income (Less Developed Country)

Eliminating Poverty

The following are the different measures that should be considered in

addressing the underlying causes of poverty:

1. Broaden access to education and technology among the marginalized

groups, and especially among girls and women.

- If all the citizens are educated and have developed the inherent potentials and God-
given talent especially the women who have strong bearing on the well-being of their
families no one will become poor.

2. Share the benefit of economic growth through an emphasis on more

widespread employment.

- The government policy should consider not only navigate dynamic impact but also the
equal distribution of employment, socially responsive venture, capital and micro
initiatives can foster employment generating businesses that complement the local
culture environment.

3. Rout out corruption, which harms society as a whole.

- What places a heavy cost on society is the effect of graft and corruption not only in the
government but in the businesses as well.

4. Improve government capacity to provide universal access to essential goods

and services, including potable water, affordable food, primary health care,
education, housing and other social services.

- Government should make a commitment to the social welfare programs. It is often

politically difficult to waste adequate resources through effective taxation and other
mechanism. Non-government organizations or NGOs play also a vital role in the actual
provision of services by providing essential assistance and help articulate a vision of a
healthy society.