MIDTERM PAPER FOR BASIC COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND DEVELOPMENT

Submitted to the Social Science Department

College of Education and Liberal Arts

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For Basic Community Organizing and Development

MANCILLA, MARIANNE T.
PS301

April 2021
 1. SOCIAL JUSTICE DEFINE
The idea of justice is the concept of fairness. Social justice is the manifestation of
fairness in society. This includes equity in healthcare, jobs, and housing, among other things.
Social justice encompasses all facets of culture, including race and ethnicity, and is inextricably
linked to human rights. Social justice entails respecting and protecting everyone's civil rights. All
have fair access to opportunity. This does not ensure that society will be perfect and that
everyone would be comfortable all of the time. On the other hand, everyone would have a better
chance to live the life they want. They are not hindered by factors outside their grasp, such as
systemic barriers or discrimination. There is no consistent framework for what constitutes good
social justice in reality. Progress is inevitable as long as a country values social justice.

DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ITS APPLICATION IN PHILIPPINE SOCIETY

1. Multicultural Integration
The group shifts from an intrapsychic to an extrapsychic orientation, with participants
invited to consider each other and their perspectives in a wider context. In other words,
community facilitation is encouraged from an emic standpoint. According to Sue and Sue
(2008), the emic viewpoint is one which client issues are interpreted through looking at the
client’s cultural history and worldview. When describing the relationships and interactions that
occur in a society, social group identities such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic
background, and religion are taken into account. Group members, including the group leader,
are regarded as distinct individuals who bring to the group a variety of worldviews, beliefs,
histories, identities, perceptions, and experiences. Problems in the bullying community, for
instance, can be rationalized as the product of cultural variations or members' different
worldviews. The group leader's job is to use the shared experiences within the group to help
members understand each other's disparities and ideologies, as well as to establish alliances.
Sharing authority is also an important part of this community dimension. The Philippines is a
diverse region and home to an estimated 14- 17 million Indigenous Peoples (IPs) from different
ethno-linguistic groups. In recognition of this diversity and within the context of national unity
and progress, the Philippine Constitution requires the state to recognize, defend, promote, and
fulfill the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Furthermore, Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of
1997, recognised IPs' right to control their traditional land and has become the foundation of the
country's current IPs policy. Hundreds of IP leaders and government employees received
training in basic and advanced paralegal skills, leadership and gender awareness, community
organizing, and project creation and management through the “Capacity Building for IP
Leaders” and “Community Development, Paralegal Functions, and Project Planning and
Management” programs (Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines, n.d.). These sessions
strengthened leaders' and members' knowledge of leadership and gender problems, enhanced
traditional sustainable development and law enforcement systems, and increased skill levels for
incorporating tribal and customary laws with national legal processes.

2. Liberatory Critical Consciousness

This community dimension assists participants in understanding how their lived
experiences are linked to broader social, political, and economic factors. Clients who begin to
grasp their lives in perspective in an oppressive world experience a sort of emotional and
intellectual awakening. This phase is referred to as vital consciousness by Friere (1993). As
clients realize that their problems are caused by factors outside of control, they eventually
realize that they are not the responsible for the predicament. Racial inequities and oppression
mechanisms are blamed for problems that occur in groups and relationships between group
members. The group is used to help participants cultivate self-reflection and critical thinking
skills, which enable them to recognise inequitable power dynamics and oppressive processes.
Literacy as a means of facilitating self-awareness within a specific sense of social, political, and
economic systems. This model correlates with the "banking" idea of teaching, which entails
teacher-transmitted knowledge being invested in students' minds in the same way that money is
deposited in a bank. The point made here is that the notion of "banking" is indicative of
education's inability to address the needs of students. The goal is to shift students' perceptions
from one of internalized reactive powerlessness to one of positive self-empowerment. Activities
in the bullying program, for particular, will focus on assisting participants in recognizing how
being identified as different can lead to bullying in school. This can be achieved by
disseminating information on discrimination faced by students who identify as or considered to
be member of LGBT. Through assisting community members in communicating discrimination
they can understand that bullying is not always a direct assault on them as individuals, but
rather the product of a broader environmental issue in the school. When members of a
community gain a comprehensive understanding of their surroundings, they are motivated to
act.

3. Empowerment
 This community dimension focuses on inspiring and equipping group members with
strategies to speak for themselves. Members of a community must be motivated in order to
cultivate the ability to manage their environment and become active members of society. The
assumption is that mere understanding and knowledge of social inequities would not result in
the types of long-term improvements that group members pursue. Group activities are used to
assist participants in finding their voice, identifying and building on their strengths, and
developing self-advocacy skills. (Goodman et al., 2004). As a result of this, members will gain
the trust and skills required to become self-sufficient members of society. The Kapitbisig Laban
sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services Project
(KALAHI-CIDSS) encouraged communities to engage in local government, and their potential to
establish, execute, and execute poverty-fighting infrastructure development was strengthened.
The project assists disadvantaged communities in developing the requisite skills and resources
for selecting, implementing, and maintaining small village infrastructure sub-projects such as
local roads, overpasses, water resources, school facilities, health centers, community enterprise
activities, and others. It also empowers vulnerable people by providing specific rules for
engagement, transparency, and accountability. Communities also understand how to more
actively involve their municipal governments in mobilizing financial and technical assistance to
meet local growth goals. Furthermore, community members were more likely to devote money
to community improvement programs that would support community volunteers. Through
neighborhood meetings, community volunteers were given the authority to engage elected
officials. Meetings have also evolved from being regarded as merely venues for reporting by
municipal governments to being regarded as venues for meaningful public engagement.
According to studies, the initiative is also successful in delivering public service at a lower cost
than equivalent public-sector providers (Community Driven Development Project in the
Philippines, 2014).

4. Social Justice Advocacy

The social justice activism factor broadens conventional community boundaries. Group
members and leaders, in particular, might have to reach outside of the conventional group
setting to speak for and on behalf of a cause or problem. Advocacy with and on behalf of
community members is a strategy that corresponds to the Advocacy Competencies established
by Lewis et al., (2002). For example, members of the bullying community could collaborate with
the school authorities and staff to introduce anti-bullying curriculum to the school, such as No
Name Calling Week. The NNCW is an annual week of anti-bullying events aimed at putting an
end to name-calling and discrimination in K-12 schools (Manivong et.al, 2010). Likewise, the
group leader might lobby for group members by submitting a grant to fund the NNCW curriculum
and materials. Filipino groups have been at the forefront of this change, which was triggered by
human rights and activists. There is also an increasing global movement that calls on
corporations and governments to uphold equality, human rights, and access at times when
social justice is challenged. Taking a problem outside of the group setting and into the
environment helps group members and collaborate to alter social dynamics that are creating
stress for the client.

2. CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

Catholic social teaching (CST) is based on the Bible, shaped by Religious leaders'
wisdom, and inspired by social movement. It serves as our universal compass, pointing us in the
right direction as we carry out our faith in the world. According to Catholic Tradition, human
integrity and a stable society can only be attained if human rights and obligations are respected.
As a result, everyone has a constitutional right to life as well as the necessities of human dignity.

SEVERAL PRINCIPLES OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

a. Human dignity
The Catholic Church declares that human life is sacred and that human integrity is the basis of a
moral vision for humanity. This conviction serves as the basis for many social teaching values.
Human dignity is a Catholic social teaching philosophy that emphasizes the fact that each of us
is created in Image and likeness of god. Nobody can strip away a person's inherent human
integrity. Human integrity is voluntarily granted to everyone. Since Christ is on the cross, so that
everyone might have fullness of life, therefore a person’s life is considered sacred. Our shared
humanity necessitates that we honor and defend the dignity of every human being. This integrity
underpins all of our other rights and obligations. This concept is regarded as the cornerstone of
our CST. The concept that every life has meaning is also recognized by the International Human
Rights, which ensures that human rights are inalienable and inviolable. Human dignity is
inextricably linked to our existence it is not something we take away from other people
(Stocking, 2013). What we should do is establish relationships that value our shared human
integrity. According to Catholic tradition, human dignity can be secured in a stable society if
human rights obligations are protected and fulfilled. The application of the death penalty puts
the dignity of human life in jeopardy. Nations must safeguard the right to life by developing more
efficient methods for preventing and resolving disputes by nonviolent means. We believe that
every person is valuable, that individuals are more important than objects, and that every
organization should be judged on whether it undermines or promotes the human person's life
and dignity.

b. Subsidiarity
The term subsidiarity comes from the Latin word "subsidium," which means to support or
assist. Subsidiarity can be seen in the works of Aristotle, Aquinas, Althusius, and Mill. In 1931,
Pope Pius XI proclaimed subsidiarity as a fundamental principle of social thought in the Catholic
Church. In his encyclical letter entitled “The Reconstruction of the Social Order,” he campaigned
for social hierarchy beginning with the citizens and moving upwards to the society,
organizations, companies, and finally to the state. He advocated for action at the lower level
wherever possible, rather than action at a larger level, such as the corporate level. The
Catechism describes subsidiarity as the idea that, a higher order should not intervene or deprive
the community of its duties but rather assist in times of need and assist to align its operations
with the local community. As social beings, we accomplish this by society, beginning with the
family. We create communities, alliances, partnerships, and institutions that enable us to
achieve social growth and operate as a civil society. Subsidiarity is a CST philosophy that
emphasizes community empowerment. Subsidiarity requires ensuring that decisions are made
at the most relevant stage, allowing all those concerned to participate. The state is a tool for
promoting individual equality, safeguarding human rights, and pursuing the common good.
Subsidiarity maintains that government activities can be carried out at the lowest possible level,
as long as they can be carried out properly. When they are unable to do so, higher levels of
government must step in. Government and international agencies do not abdicate their
responsibility and accountability. Instead they should engage and collaborate with local
communities and associations while maintaining a humble mindset. Local organizations may
have valuable information into what is right for their neighborhoods. They need a platform and
the ability to manipulate the result (Dodson, 2019).

c. Solidarity
Recognizing other people as our brother and sister and constantly striving for unity and
common good is crucial to the CST. We are encouraged to create connections in our related
humanity in order to consider what it is like for people who have different views from us. Being in
united entails accepting people as brothers and sisters and constantly advocating for their
benefit. We are connected to people and places all over the world by the things we consume,
the decisions we make, the information we learn, and even the websites we visit. In our
interconnected humanity, we are encouraged to form relationships to appreciate what life is all
about for other people and help us understand the most marginalized and most neglected
people around the world. As a common humanity, we pledge to collaborate with everyone's
well-being in order to guarantee that everyone has everything they deserve to flourish with
dignity. At Mass, we pay particular attention to this. To fully receive the Body and Blood of
Christ shed for us, we must recognize Christ in the least fortunate. Regardless of our national,
gender, ethnic, economic, or moral distinctions, we are one human family. We are the protectors
of our brothers and sisters, whoever they may be. In a dwindling community, loving our neighbor
has global implications. The achievement of justice and reconciliation is at the heart of the virtue
of unity. We are called to be peacemakers by the Gospel (Solidarity, n.d). Our respect for all of
our sisters and brothers requires us to foster unity in a world rife with hostility and war. Solidarity
recognizes interdependence as something good, something hopeful, something to be treasured.
Saint Paul's depiction of the Body of Christ gives us a visual way to think of how we are both
individual pieces that make up the Body of Christ. Technological advances have made it
possible to create relationships and encourage and assist people from all over the world, in
several ways making the world a lot smaller and connected. In his social encyclical, Pope
Benedict mentioned that as society progresses and more globalized everyone becomes
neighbors. Solidarity is the demand of fraternity that we regard one another as brothers and
sisters.

d. Care for God’s Creation

The first humans are assigned responsibilities for caring for life in Genesis, but this has
not always been a consistent focus in Christian thought over the last 2000 years. Care for the
environment is also a recent principle of Catholic Social Teaching. Because when world's
resources get increasingly scarce, care for creation is seen as a means to ensure human
freedom and stability rather than an end in itself. The material structure of our lives is provided
by creation, and the natural world supplies us with the things we use every day. It provides us
with food for our tables, clothing, and building materials for our homes and churches. It is also a
place where people have felt a profound closeness to God as a result of its majesty and wonder
(Care for Creation, n.d.). Creation is a gift from God who provides us with these objects, the
necessities of life, and it is too readily and always taken for granted. Modern technology has
provided humanity with many benefits that have assisted in the alleviation of poverty and the
creation of new forms of human unity. Around the same period, we can see how it has made it
possible for us to become estranged from our climate, as well as how it has provided fresh and
effective opportunities to exploit the world's natural wealth on a large scale. In the encyclical
Laudato Si', Pope Francis gathered decades of Church teaching. In this powerful message,
Pope Francis asks everyone on the planet to think about how our behaviors impact the
environment and the poorest people. All is interconnected, and everyone praises God. It is our
Christian duty to care for the environment. We humans are not only the recipients of other
creatures, but also their guardians. The Catholic faith needs environmental stewardship. We are
called to safeguard environmental resources, to live our religious doctrine in relation to all of
God's creations. This environmental crisis has profound legal and ethical implications that must
not be overlooked.

e. Call to Family, Community, and Participation

One of the values of Catholic Social Teaching articulated by the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the call to family, community, and participation.
Marriage and families are fundamental societal communities. In the Acts of the Apostles, St.
Paul explains that disciples of Christ exchanged their food and belongings to ensure the
neediest of them is cared for. These early Church members exemplify a culture in which all
members of a community look out for one another. Our families teach us how to connect to one
another, compromise for others, and, most importantly, love one another. It is also where we
cultivate our sense of participation, fairness, and other skills necessary for a functioning society.
The family is sometimes referred to as the first church. Catholic social teaching advocates for
parents' efforts to raise well-formed, educated children. A happy, safe union is at the heart of the
relationship. Humans congregate in communities (Call to family, community, and participation,
n.d.). We are One Body with Christ in our Catholic religion. We are called to provide about
everyone as One Body. To put it another way, generating the common good. Our definition of
community includes people from all over the globe, not just those in our immediate vicinity. We
can have the greatest positive effect on our communities, but we can also better our
neighborhood, region, state, country, and planet through a range of activities such as community
service or advocacy. The government has a significant role to play in ensuring that everyone
participates. Excluding great numbers of citizens from participation in our republic implicitly
silences their voice in the discussion about the betterment of society. We are called not only to
partake, but also to see that others do as well.
 f. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
The option for the poor reminds us of God's preference for the poorest and most
disadvantaged individuals. God’s affection is universal but he does not support the oppressors.
This principle is thought to have arisen in Latin America with the Liberation Theology movement.
People suffering from poverty were clutching the Bible in their hands, dreaming a world free of
inequality. CAFOD's early work in the 1960s was influenced by this progressive thought. Some
Catholic theologians have recently talked of an alternative for the world. Pope Francis
mentioned in his Laudato Si that the earth is among the most neglected and treated unfairly of
the disadvantaged. How our most needy members are faring is a simple moral measure. In a
world where the rich-poor divide is widening, our culture teaches us to prioritize the needs of the
poor and weak. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus explains the final verdict, stating that we will be
judged by how we handle society's weakest and most needy people. Jesus spends time with the
sick and outcasts, demonstrating a peculiar love for those who are most in need. The Catholic
social teaching Option for the Poor and Vulnerable urges us to emulate Christ's compassion for
the oppressed by striving to build a world in which the poor's needs are still prioritized. The
Church teaches that those who are marginalized by suffering are the target of a preferential
affection on the part of the Church, which has not perished to work for their relief, protection,
and redemption by various charitable works that remain indispensable always despite the
failings of many of her representatives. We are persuaded to participate in a long tradition of
expressing love for the needy by acts of mercy (Option for the poor and vulnerable, n.d.).

g. Rights and Responsibilities

Each individual has fundamental rights and obligations that flow from our God-given
dignity. They include the freedom of faith and religious liberties, the right to start a family, the
right to obtain citizenship, the right to live safe from unfair prejudice, and the right to a share of
worldly goods adequate for oneself and one's family. People have a basic right to life and the
necessities of life, such as food, clothes, accommodation, health care, schooling, welfare, social
services, and jobs. These rights are accompanied by obligations to one another such as
respecting the interests of others and working for the common good. Human integrity can only
be secured and a stable society achieved if human rights are protected and obligations are
fulfilled. As a result, every citizen has a constitutional right to life and right to the necessities of
human decency. These privileges are accompanied by obligations and commitments to one
another, to our friends, and to society as a whole (Rights and Responsibilities, n.d). As
Catholics, we must be mindful of each human being's fundamental rights. St. John Paul XXIII
put it succinctly in Peace on Earth as he mentioned that it is essential to talk about the
fundamental rights of human beings. He has the right to human dignity as well as the
necessities of life, such as food, clothes, housing, medical treatment, rest, and, ultimately, the
requisite social services. As a result, he has the right to be cared for in the case of illness, injury,
widowhood, old age, or involuntary unemployment. Everyone has a Catholic duty to go beyond
recognition and into motion in order to achieve justice for all, which means keeping the state
responsible for upholding all people's rights.

h. Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers

Work is not a retribution or a necessary evil, nor is it a way for man to gain authority,
influence, or money. All of these concepts stand in direct opposition to the religious
understanding of job. We see work as morally good because we are co-creators of God's
universe, and work is a part of that. It must be done responsibly, and labor must be handled
fairly. This covers how we handle our jobs, what we do with our jobs, and how employers treat
their employees. Support for labour unions and state measures to ensure concrete protections
in place, such as minimum salaries and holiday leave, is a powerful trend in Catholic Social
Thought (The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers, n.d.). While much of what Jesus says
about work is in parables, we shouldn't limit our readings of these parables to metaphysical
ones. When we hear Jesus complain about the servant who hides his talent in the dirt, we can
remember that he spent much of his time studying the trade of carpentry. Workplace dignity also
refers to work-life balance, which is essential in certain societies where people are forced to
give more and more to their bosses at the expense of other aspects of their lives. The value of
the Sabbath is at the heart of this, but the concept applies to other aspects of our lives and has
consequences for how we manage our own time and the work of others in our workplace. From
the early stage, the dignity of labor has become a central theme of Catholic social teaching.
Pope Leo XIII published Rerum Novarum in 1891, in which he exposed the oppression and
abuse of laborers by the wealthy during the Industrial Revolution. He argued that employers
should band together to combat inhumane working conditions. Since then, Church preaching
has emphasized the importance of service and inclusion in society. The pursuit of profit can
never take precedence over the individual being. Workers have the freedom to form unions, to
receive a fair salary, to spend time with their family, and to relax. Work is an important aspect of
our human dignity, and everyone has the right to take part. The economy must represent
people, not the other way around. Work is more than just a means of subsisting, it is a kind of
ongoing involvement in God's creation. If the integrity of labor is to be preserved, workers'
human rights must be upheld, including the right to meaningful work, reasonable and equal pay,
the freedom to organize and form unions, the right to private property, and the right to economic
initiative.

3. “PAGSAMBA AT PAKIKIBAKA” IN RELATION TO THE PURSUING COMMUNITY

ORGANIZING WORK
Granada makes his music particularly suitable for a genuine revolutionary ethos in
Pagsamba at Pakikibaka, putting his folk music-inspired Christian socialist Marxist.Historians
such as Agoncillo and Constantino were among the first to contend that the masses triggered
the most important revolution in Philippine history from below. However, it wasn't until Sturvetant
and Ileto that the history from below education system was described as a progression from
popular to political religion. They represented how religion and politics fueled the conflagration,
resulting in a full-fledged nationalist and democratic revolution. Popular Christianity was
surfaced or re-presented as having played a key role in the mobilization of the anti-colonial
struggle. To this day, mass mobilizations continue to parade symbols and photographs that
represent the movement's re-location within the myths of this Filipino revolutionary tradition
within the majority of its adherents. Disadvantaged people's deprivation, for example, is now
viewed as a mass experience of kalbaryo, or Christ's Calvary, of which the cross and crucifixion
are popular representations. People's increasing association with the cross, as shown by
surveys on Filipino popular Christology, reflects the masa's willingness to interpret one of
Christianity's central icons into words that are important and sensitive to their ongoing quest for
social justice and better living conditions (Anno, n.d.). The Religious tradition and indigenous
religiosity were brought together in the light of the community's emerging sociopolitical
consciousness, self-assertion, and public insertion. As a result, there was a progressive
spirituality of struggle that often creatively expressed the people's hopes and aspirations further
through symbolic and religious mass media. These articulations successfully restore the
people's sense of belonging and self-determination. They are assertions of the ability of the
economically disadvantaged and marginalized to appropriate and construct new icons that
challenge the ruling class's hegemonic arguments over cultural development and
understanding. The presence of pakikibaka acknowledges the fact of an oncoming counter-tide
to the process of marginalization that is the growing consciousness of the majority in the politics
of nation and empire building. Makibaka, Huwag matakot! The struggle's motto, “Makibaka,
Huwag matakot!” proceeds to articulate a rising and surging political and nationalist
consciousness among the silenced and subjugated. Using a Filipino word, pakikibaka,
pakigbisog, dangadang is an effort to reconcile the ethos of our reflections with this specific
politico-cultural present.

4. THE STRUGGLES OF SISTER STELLA AND ITS RELATION TO POWER RELATIONS IN

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
In Sister Stella L., the problems of labor, politics, and faith come into conflict. In reaction
to the discrimination being inflicted on a group of factory workers in Barrio Aguho, Sister Stella
Legaspi, a nonpartisan religious, has her pacifist stand opposed by an older conservative
classmate, her namesake, and Nick Fajardo, a concerned writer, her ex-boyfriend. When a
strike at the nearby oil refinery is initiated, the young nun is thrust into the middle of the action,
leaving her convent job to assist the staff in their fight against unjust labour practices. Although
she sees the situation as a chance to bring Christ's values into motion, the strikers are able to
see the logistical value of putting nuns on the picket line. This utilitarian stage evolves into a
deep commitment relationship over time. Stella starts thinking in terms of a worker. She fully
understands and sympathizes with their cause. The demonstrators and nuns come together to
combat violence from management and militia agents, who have been denounced by corporate
authorities. Ka Dencio, the group's labor boss, is kidnapped, tortured, and executed on orders
from above. However, his death has little impact on the protest's spirit. The workers, Sister
Stella L, and the journalist have made up their minds to keep fighting.
Sister Stella L. encapsulates a lot of what is going on in the Philippines. It's an 80s film,
and there are several clashes between the wealthy and the poor, either between employees and
the current government. Sister Stella L. demonstrates how society treats people differently
depending on their social class. According to Marxism ideology, there is a struggle in culture
between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. When there was opposition to the notion of
capitalism, the Marxist philosophy was born. It's a political and economic theory that looks at
how things are right now and where they're going. It is thought to be a conflict theory and it
claims that culture is in conflict. In the case of the film, it is the factory workers and the
proprietor. Marx proposed that there comes a time where the working class realizes that they
have the ability to recognize and reform the society's culture through education and personal
growth, leading them to revolutionize and create a new structure in which all factories,
territories, and industries are communally controlled, which Marx called communism. When Nick
inquired about Sister Stella's contributions to the area, she said that she made every effort to
improve the lives of those who resided there. “Ang mga problema ng tao dio ay nakaugat sa
pabrika, sa madaling salita problema sa labor,” she said in the movie. In this case, people are
opposing labor to management because there are institutions that are being constructed, but
their lives are so miserable. There is no balance in life, with the wealthy getting wealthier and
the poor getting poorer, which is not good for everyone. A Marxist critic would seek to associate
characters and incidents in a film as symbolic of class struggle, labour versus management,
poor versus wealthy and patriarchal regimes. Jobs have begun to campaign for what the
workers want now that they are aware of their interests and that they are being mistreated. The
employees, guided by Ka Dencio, coordinated a rally against the owner's unfair treatment of
them because they are not granted equal rights as workers. And though they objected, the
landlord refused to give the staff what they were requesting for. The film depicts the proletariat's
inability to obtain everything they want due to a lack of power.

HOW COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKER VIEWED THE ROLE OF CHURCH IN

WORKER’S STRIKE
Strikes as a means of settling conflicts between workers and employers are accepted as
valid by Catholic social teaching under the right circumstances and within just limits. The
Catholic Church has long been a supporter of labor and trade unions. Staff have the freedom to
join unions based on the universal right to form alliances with other citizens. It has historically
been difficult to ensure that workers' interests are protected due to diverse historical and
bureaucratic structures. Unions play an important part in the defense of workers' rights and are
therefore an indispensable component of social life. Unions are not organized to struggle
against the other party, but to serve for the just good and to be cooperative. Furthermore, as
agents of peace and equality, unions must avoid abusing the mechanisms of contention,
regardless of what they are supposed to do, they must resist the urge to believe that all
employers should be union members. they must be capable of self-regulation and be able to
evaluate the consequences that their decisions will have on the common good. Finally, trade
unions should not have the appearance of private parties competing for dominance, and they
should not be compelled to adhere to the decisions of political parties or be too closely
associated with them. Disputes between employees and employers can be settled by arbitration
as far as possible (Millegan, 2013). However, under the right circumstances, striking may be
legal. As a result, employers should be guaranteed the freedom to strike without facing personal
penalties for participating in a strike. If any of the preceding provisions are met, a strike is legal.
If any other means of resolving conflicts has been ineffective and it is needed to achieve a
proportionate benefit. The aim is closely linked to working conditions that are in accordance with
the public interest. Furthermore, it can never be ignored that when it comes to vital municipal
services, they must still be ensured, if possible by suitable legislation. Nonetheless, hitting is a
drastic measure that cannot be taken excessively. The justified need for a strike in a certain
case indicates that workers' interests are not being upheld. To avoid those cases from occurring
in the first place, the government should pass effective laws. The laws should foresee and
discourage such problems from arising; they should use their power and jurisdiction to remove
the factors that lead to disputes between employers and employees as soon as possible.

TWO PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND DEVELOPMENT PRESENT IN THE

MOVIE SISTER STELLA
1. The Principle of People’s Participation
People's involvement is the most important aspect of any community cooperative enterprise.
Ambitious urban planning plans in India have failed in part due to a lack of successful
involvement by citizens. Identification of needs of the people, thorough analysis of feasibility
study, development of a practical strategy to include people, assumption of a pace of work
consistent with the community's progress and ability, adherence to the community's right to
self-determination, and provides greater consideration to all individuals. It is preferable to assist
citizens in participating in compliance with their capability rather than requiring them to engage
in all problems. However, such communities are remarkable in today's world. The majority of
communities are made up of people from various classes, professions, ethnic groups,
ideologies, and political affiliations. As a result, the community worker is required to first
recognise the smaller communities for which he will begin, and then establish inter-group
linkages in order to achieve goals that include the participation of individuals on a larger scale.
These communities can operate individually to some degree, but they can also join together to
form a larger network of community members to address shared issues. People's participation
refers to the constructive response-participation and active engagement of the average man in
government programs through representation. Participation as a development input and a way
of encouraging rural poor people to take a more active role in rural development (People’s
Participation in Development Process, n.d.). As a result, rather than being seen as simply a
facilitator, involvement is now seen as an integral part of the planning process. Participation is
essential because it increases the acceptability and usage of the programs. It adds to a sector
that is constantly short on funding, as society is seen as an untapped resource base from which
programs can be expanded, particularly to address the needs of the underprivileged. People's
involvement is critical for change since it aids in the dismantling and replacement of social,
legal, and political institutions that are incompatible with progress.

0. The Principle of Democratic Functioning

This principle is founded on the premise that ordinary citizens have a propensity to stay
passive and encourage others to make choices for them. During this process, a few individuals
begin to conquer and seize ownership of all wealth and benefits. As a result, the primary
responsibility of the community worker is to educate people and to develop appropriate
structures to promote greater engagement and to counteract the ability of a privileged minority
to dominate. The revolving leadership principle is also a move in the right direction. People in
general are not used to obeying laws and procedures. As a result, it is preferable for service
workers to take a more versatile approach to organization in order to meet individuals of varying
abilities to perform efficiently. Informal arrangements perform best in the beginning (Gaspar,
2017). Rules and procedures are important, but they should be designed to encourage rather
than impede involvement. The formation of different committees can also be beneficial because
more participants can gain useful expertise by taking the lead in contributing and making
decisions. The concept of modern growth is an intentional attempt to uphold the positive while
correcting the negative consequences of human success. The rationale behind this principle is
that change, which is perceived as an infinite development of human effort, often has
unintended consequences for cultures. These negative consequences manifest themselves as
unproductive and disorderly environments such as unemployment, slums, and civil unrest.
Another modern development is that development should keep economies in order. A basic but
powerful case for democracy is that it offers a channel for any voter to political authority,
allowing the lower and middle classes to vote on more redistributive public services. Since
democratic administrations want to gain patronage from these groups, they are more likely to
implement redistributive policies such as insurance benefits, subsidies, a progressive income
tax, and public services such as education and health.

BASIC ECCLESIASTES COMMUNITIES IN MINDANAO

The Philippines was instituted in 1991 with the Plenary Council II of the Philippines. PCP
was convened by Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi OP on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of the
Philippines (CBCP) more than two decades after Vatican Council II, with the primary ecclesial
goal of promoting and renewing Filipino Christian life. Christ is the source of life. PCP II resulted
in the complete promotion of the continuation of the BEC in the Philippines; from then on, most
dioceses in the country were persuaded to step in this pastoral direction. However, the original
BEC activities started in Mindanao in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Since then, a motif has
been suggested to assist the faithful in focusing their thoughts in preparation for this Jubilee.
The first BEC in the country was established by the local Church of Mindanao-Sulu, specifically
the Prelature of Tagum. In some areas of the Prelature, Maryknoll missionaries pioneered the
construction of BEC. Later, a few diocesan clergy took up this pastoral style in the Nabunturan
Deanery of the Prelature. There is little denying that the BECs could only exist because of the
events of the Second Vatican Council II in the early 1960s. The spirit of Vatican II invigorates
missionaries and pastoral officials, especially in Third World churches, leading to the agreement
of ecclesial comunidades de base in Latin America and the gagmay'ng Kristohanong katilingban
in Mindanao. Archbishop Gonzaga of Zamboanga was in the Philippines for an All India
Pastoral Assembly. He allegedly proposed it to the CBCP, who were not thrilled with the
proposal. The Mindanao bishops hold a Pastoral Conference exclusively for the Dioceses and
Prelatures of Mindanao Sulu.
A variety of theories have emerged to explain why the BECs first appeared in
Mindanao-Sulu. The majority of the bishops were younger than the rest of the world, and they
would have gone through priestly training at a time when the church was changing. Since there
were several diocesan clergy in Mindanao in the 1960s, the majority of priests were still
representatives of religious congregations. Because of their international nature, they would
have been sensitive to new pastoral interventions, especially in Latin America. A selection of
women's religious congregations were also subject to new pastoral programs. The majority of
Catholics in Mindanao were descended from migrant settlers from all over the region. When the
migrants arrived, they built a church, chose a patron saint, and organized a fiesta Mass. The
Maryknoll missionaries pioneered the first concept of BEC, which started with a network of
chapel-based organizations. As representatives, all catholic households residing within a town
or town district were listed. Following the collapse of the Marcos dictatorship and the
re-establishment of democracy, it became easier to create BECs and participate in social
action. There were BECs in San Fernando, Bukidnon that effectively campaigned against
logging, resulting in President Corazon Aquino imposing a complete log ban in the province in
1989. In Zamboanga, other BECs were active in anti-logging, anti-mining, and anti-dam
campaigns. About this time, BECs in North Cotabato and Negros were proclaimed areas of
stability due to the violent struggle between government forces and New People's Army (NPA)
guerillas. Some BECs have resurrected or launched livelihood programs, cooperatives, and
organic agriculture. The second Plenary Council was held in 1991, and the robust promotion
and establishment of BECs in the Philippines was designated as a pastoral priority (Picardal,
2011).

PRINCIPLES OF BEC IN MINDANAO

1. Living in Communion
Ecclesial Communion refers to the fellowship and sharing of Church members that is founded
on a shared religion, is represented in the breaking of bread, and is concretely reflected in the
sharing of material goods. Not only the Word of God or the Eucharistic Bread are exchanged,
but also worldly objects and resources. The BECs' ecclesiology of communion therefore
prevents them from being separate, independent, and inward-looking groups. It encourages
collaboration and cooperation with other BECs. The parish becomes a platform or congregation
of BECs. The BECs must be joined to their pastors and preserve their connection to the local
and universal Church, based on the current ecclesiology of communion. The BECs cannot be
called ecclesial communities or ways of becoming a Church without this connection. Both the
New Testament and the conciliar texts emphasize the importance of exchanging material wealth
as an act of communion. Many BECs are attempting to bring this ideal into motion. As a result,
there are several mutual assistance programs and income-generating initiatives in place to
assist participants in need. In rural areas, some BECs have developed cooperative farms. Many
people have formed cooperatives. This joint ventures are focused around the idea of pooling
material capital and participating in economic activities as a community. They have alternate
principles and behavioral practices for socioeconomic change. These programs are focused on
Gospel ideals such as sharing, friendship, and communal duty, rather than values associated
with capitalism such as individualism, selfishness, and greed.

2. Communities of the Poor

The BECs articulate evangelical suffering, the poor's choice, and their involvement in the
Church's life and mission in tangible ways. The majority of BECs can be found in rural villages
and urban slums. The majority of the participants are financially disadvantaged. They are those
who have a strong belief and confidence in God's loving providence. They are looking forward to
God's liberating grace. They are preconditioned to the Gospel word, the word of the church. As
a result, the Christian institutions that arise among the poor are appropriately referred to as
communities of the poor or churches of the poor. The poor will experience communion among
themselves in these cultures. They get a taste of what it's like to be a community of disciples, a
group of friends. The needy in the BECs are not simply beneficiaries of relief or charity from the
clergy, religious, or more affluent members of the Church. The deprived take an active role in
the fight for social reform. They are capable of organizing socioeconomic programs that address
their fundamental needs. They should stand up for their dignity and work for peace and
liberation. They should be mobilized to campaign for peace and to bring an end to the conflict
trend. They uphold creation's dignity by nurturing for the earth and preserving the environment.
As a result, they are equipped to adapt to situations of hardship, inequality, oppression, crime,
and environmental degradation.

3. People of God Participating in Christ's Mission

The threefold mission is linked with the depiction of the Church as a body of Christ in Vatican II,
especially in the dogmatic constitution of the Church Lumen Gentium. As a result, the Church,
as God's people, is by nature a priestly, prophetic, and kingly people. The entire Church shares
in Christ's prophetic, priestly, and kingly mission. By virtue of their baptism and participation in
the Church, lay people regularly engage in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission.
According to the Vatican II text on the Church's missionary work, the societies of the faithful that
are to be set up in the mission sector are to carry out Christ's priestly, prophetic, and kingly
mission. The BECs in the Philippines have appropriated the three-fold essence and purpose of
the citizens of God. This is the ecclesiological viewpoint shared by many dioceses, institutions,
and services supporting BECs.

PROGRAM / PROJECTS / ACTIVITIES

1. BEC as Prophetic Missionaries

The BECs play an active role in Christ's prophetic work. They are prophetic
congregations. They hear, proclaim, and bear witness to God's Word. There are groups that
have been evangelized and are evangelizing others, communities that are practicing and
educating, and communities that are watching. There are services and events that communicate
the prophetic nature of the BECs in specific ways: evangelization workshops, bible-reflection
courses, conscientization or social awareness programs, curriculum for justice, catechetical
programs for girls, teens, and adolescents, and so on. The most common practice is a
bible-reflection session, in which members of the BECs meet in their homes or chapels to focus
on God's word and their own position. They determine their definitive answer and plan of action
in light of their religion.

2. BEC as Priestly Missionaries

The BECs play an active role in Christ's priestly work. As a result, they are a priestly
community. They are gathering to pray and celebrate their neighborhoods. This priesthood is
manifested in their complete and active involvement in liturgical-sacramental celebrations,
prayer and thanksgiving, active charity, the offering of sacred offerings, and self-sacrifice, which
can require martyrdom if possible. The weekly bible service held in the chapel such as
Kasaulogan sa Pulong, Katilingbanong Pag-ampo, prayer meetings in the houses, the monthly,
the celebration of the other sacraments like baptism, matrimony, penance, the fiesta celebration,
popular devotions like novena and rosary, the services for planting and harvesting, and so on
express the priestly aspect of the BECs.

3. BEC as Kingly Missionaries

The BECs play an active role in Christ's kingly work. The BECs serve communities and
this kingly role is embodied in service. They contribute to the realization of God's kingdom in the
world by fostering peace and justice, integral growth and emancipation, and the dignity of life.
There are events and services that express the BECs' kingly/servant nature: (a) socioeconomic
schemes that address people's needs – subsistence initiatives, cooperatives, collective farming,
organic farming, community-based health programs, appropriate infrastructure, and so on. (b)
anti-logging, anti-dam, anti-mining, reforestation drives, and so forth. (c) human rights advocacy
and security (d) political engagement and working for clean and honest elections (e)
peace-building, creation of peace zones, Muslim-Christian dialogue, and so on. The types of
tasks undertaken by BECs are determined by the specific situation and needs of the citizens.
The BECs will become instruments of social change through these practices.

RESULTS
The BECs are a way of life in the Church. They are the manifestation of the Church at
the community level. The BECs' prophetic-priestly-kingly essence should be known as a triad.
Using this triadic system offers a comprehensive view of BECs. The three basic aspects of the
BECs are priestly, prophetic, and kingly. BECs are more than mere bible study clubs. They
aren't all liturgical gatherings, either. They aren't all socioeconomic or governmental groups,
either. The BECs are not one-dimensional neighborhoods. BECs' ongoing mission is to build
and incorporate these three dimensions so that they can flourish as priestly-prophetic-servant
groups. Although these programs have been labeled as non-religious, they are in fact specific
manifestations of communion (Picardal, 2017). The BECs are able to discuss the issues of
injustice and abuse through these programs. BECs will contribute to the creation of a world in
which no one is in need by following the concept of shared ownership of means of production
and resource sharing. It would be a close approximation of the Kingdom of God and the
fulfillment of the Christian community's ideal as defined in the Acts summaries.

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