Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

In recent decades, many environmental problems have increased as the result of

human activities. Therefore, a dispute between the importance of conservation and

preservation of ecosystems to protect environment has been arising across the world.

According to Glossary of Environment Statistics, the term "environmental protection"

can be defined as the prevention to conserve and preserve the standard healthy level of

environmental media by reducing the production of pollutants or polluting substances in

environmental media (Schweinfest, 1997). Various human activities have induced many

undesirable effects to the environment which can be threatening to human health and

natural resources. An example of which is the warm climate change that can plunder the

planet Earth. Therefore, the environment should be protected to have a better life in the

future.

In the Philippines, more than 65 million people, or two-thirds of the total

population, directly depend on natural resources for a living. The poor rely most heavily

on the natural environment to sustain basic livelihood needs. The majority of the coastal

poor depend on subsistence fishing, which accounts for 34 per cent of the value of all

fishing production. The natural environment shields most of the 81 percent of the

population that is vulnerable to natural disasters (Antonio et al., 2012).

With regards to that, the Bio-Intensive Gardening (BIG) is one such program

extension of the government. Bio-Intensive Gardening is a more extreme form of

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 companion planting gardening that is space saving and efficient. There are many methods

of intensive gardening that can include traditional rows, container planting or intensive

mound group planting (Gilkeson, 2017). The said program could be mobilized to help the

government promote environmental protection. Under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino

Program, poorest families taught Bio-Intensive Gardening. The Department of Social

Welfare and Development is encouraging one of those families who are currently

enrolled in its 4Ps to go into Bio-Intensive Gardening . 4Ps beneficiaries uses indigenous

seeds and organic fertilizer to grow vegetables, it will allow families to grow their own

food while sustaining the fertility of the soil in their respective areas. The members who

comply with the education and health conditions of the program will be given cash

grants. The country's version of the conditional cash transfer program releases cash grants

to member-families who ensure that their kids go to school and mothers have monthly

checkups in their barangay health centers. According to the DSWD, the said program

covers 41,605 barangays in all 144 cities and 1,483 municipalities in 80 provinces and 18

regions with a total of 4,385,344 households. Some 1,780,444 or 39.07 percent are from

Luzon; 891,537 or 20.33 percent from the Visayas; and 1,713,363 or 39.07 percent from

Mindanao.

Meanwhile, in order to further help the families, the DSWD require its cash dole

beneficiaries to work for the environment-related projects as an additional condition for

receiving such assistance. According to Valmocina (2014), the resolution has been

approved asking the DSWD to include as a condition in its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino

Program the beneficiaries’ participation in community greening efforts for at least four

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 hours monthly. It aims to make the 4Ps productive and empowered members of their

respective barangays and not mere indolent recipients of the government grants.

Hence, it is in this certain program extension that interests the researchers the

most, regarding its impacts to the environment. The program could provide great

opportunities to produce a much greater positive impact on the welfare of the poor as

well as in the environment. With this extension, the government can take advantage of

these opportunities to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty and infuse

environmental consciousness among Filipinos.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

According to the study custom-made by IIRR (International Institute of Rural

Reconstruction) Bio-Intensive Gardening is a simple method with big benefits, approach

development has been tested, modified and simplified over three decades. By keeping the

cost low and sustainability high, we have made significant inroads in rural construction.

Bio-Intensive Gardening therefore is: (1) environmentally friendly, (2) adaptive to local

condition, (3) low cost, (4) intensive planting and year-round harvesting, (5) contributes

to household income.”

This study is anchored from Midwest, Shelley Frost cited that Bio intensive

gardening has also a disadvantage. (1) time, in which a garden requires a commitment

from the planning stages through harvest time, (2) cost, garden comes with its own

expenses that may cost you more than buying the vegetables would. (3) vacation

coverage, in warmer climates, many plants grow most of the year. If you're gone for

long periods of time, you'll either need to ask someone to watch your garden or risk

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 unhealthy or dying plants when you return. (4) Lost space, even with efficient use of

space, a garden takes away a portion of your lawn or patio. If your property is small,

this means even less space for other activities like entertaining, playing or creating

seating areas.

Figure 1 explains the advantages and disadvantage of 4Ps beneficiaries’ taking

part in Bio-Intensive Gardening Program. We believe that the information presented in

this paper is relevant and important both for researchers and for the people involved in

the Bio-Intensive Gardening particularly the 4Ps beneficiaries.

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 BIO-INTENSIVE
GARDENING

DISADVANTAGES ADVANTAGES OF
OF THE BIO- THE BIO-INTENSIVE
INTENSIVE GARDENING
GARDENING PROGRAM
PROGRAM  environment
friendly
 time PARTICIPANTS
 adaptive to local
 cost
 4Ps condition
 lost space  intensive planting
beneficiaries
and year-round
harvesting
 contributes to
household income

Figure 1. The Schematic Diagram of the Study

Statement of the Problem

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 This study aimed to find out the impact of Bio-Intensive Gardening led by the

DSWD along with the aid of the 4Ps in helping the government to promote

environmental protection.

Thus, the said study sought to find the answers of the following question:

1. How do the beneficiaries accept the Bio-Intensive Gardening program?

2. How does the Bio-Intensive Gardening affect the lives of the 4Ps beneficiaries?

3. What is the general consensus of the 4Ps about the said program?

Significance of the Study

This study is deemed beneficial to the following:

Community. The outcome of this study enables the community to be informed on

what they might contribute in saving the environment. There has been a step to try to use

plants to help reduce the negative impacts of global warming.

DSWD Monitoring Team. By the help of the results of the study, the monitoring

personnel would be aware of the positive impact of the Bio-Intensive Gardening not just

to the environment but also to them. Thus, they would utilize the said program

effectively.

4Ps Members. In the success of the study, they can have an idea on what they

need to do in order for the program to become successful more than what is expected,

also in a way that they can greatly contribute in the said program.

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 Scope and Delimitation

This study attempted to show the impact of Bio-Intensive Gardening with the aid

of the 4Ps. It clearly showed all the possible impacts that might be met up by the

residence and the monitoring team of the DSWD in the implementation of the Bio-

Intensive Gardening program. This study shall be conducted in barangay Sta. Isabel,

Dipolog City since this barangay suffered flood during rainy days. The study shall be

conducted to document the possible impact of Bio-Intensive Gardening program to 4Ps

beneficiaries and to promote environmental protection. And also to know the perception

of every beneficiary in joining the program of the government, giving awareness to

everyone on how to protect the environment itself. The process of gathering data is

through interviewing the 4Ps beneficiaries and an employee from the Department of

Social and Welfare Development.

More likely, there are some big environmental problems that must be solved, and

this is one small way that everyone can contribute to reducing these problems that is safe

and effective. Furthermore, initiating and preserving a healthy biodiversity and balance

ecology.

Definition of Terms

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 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program). A social program that entails

monetary and nonmonetary transfers to the families that have school-age children on the

condition that they meet certain terms that are aimed at improving their capacities.

Bio-Intensive Gardening. One such program extension of the government.

Conditional Cash Transfer. A program that aims to reduce poverty by making

welfare programs conditional upon the receivers' actions.

Environmental Protection. This term refers to the conservation and preservation

of the standard healthy level of environmental media.

General Consensus. A general or widespread agreement among all the members

of a group.

Poverty. This term refers to the state of being poor.

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 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter provides an overview of previous research on knowledge sharing and

intranets. It also deals with theories that will help future researchers. These studies were lifted

from books, journals, and articles from the internet that supports information about the present

research study.

Literature

As cited by Kay Baxter (2015), Bio-intensive Gardening is a system that has been

developed by John Jeavons after over 30 years of studying the ancient agriculture systems that

actually grew soil, and great civilizations. He has used that knowledge together with his own

extensive research to put together the Bio-Intensive system, which is about growing the most

amount of food in the smallest area for the least amount of energy used (and water), in a

sustainable way that is easy for everybody.

In the study of Gonsalves, Baguilat, Oro, Tacugue and Castro (2015), Bio-Intensive

Gardening is a climate & nutrition smart agriculture approach. It is an agro ecological approach

to gardening which makes the best use of available natural resources with no reliance on any

chemical inputs. It has low carbon foot print since few external resources are used that makes the

food products safe and free of pesticides residues. Bio-Intensive Gardening has a deep dug bed

that essential when there are frequent droughts or flooding (12 inches depth or more) essential to

trap water in the soil. A deep dug bed conserves rain water and in times of floods, draws the

water down to the lower part of the soil, out of reach of the plant roots. It uses green leaves as

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fertilizer, as a way of storing carbon in soil. Unlike from those chemical fertilizers that contribute

greenhouse gases that destroy the ozone that protects the earth from the ultraviolet rays. Another

feature of Bio-Intensive Gardening is that it uses mostly indigenous plant species. These are

usually hardy and climate resilient. Climate resilient varieties are being lost because they are not

popular among market-farmers.

With so many of the world’s poorest suffering environmental deprivations and with the

economy experiencing both a squeeze on natural resources and escalating environmental hazards

such as climate change, the need to include environment in major poverty reduction and

development initiatives has never been so great. In the Philippines, as in almost every country,

environmental management and poverty reduction are considered to be policy priorities (Antonio

et al., 2012).

In response to the 1984 economic crisis in the Philippines, the International Institute for

Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) developed a Bio-Intensive Gardening program in the Province of

Negros Occidental to increase food availability for Negros Islanders. Two years after Bio-

Intensive Gardening was introduced in 1986, the rate of malnutrition had dropped from 40% to

25%. Bio-Intensive Gardening aims to rebuild and maintain soil fertility through nutrient

cycling, diversified range of indigenous crops which minimizes the opportunities for pest

outbreaks and preserves indigenous seed varieties. Families with these gardens can save cash that

they would normally spend on food or non-food essentials for the family. Bio-Intensive gardens

may also produce enough food for families to sell the surplus and still meet their own nutritional

needs.

The Republic of the Philippines is a country of 7,107 islands in the western Pacific

Ocean. It is located in Southeast Asia and struggles to reduce high poverty rates. The United

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Nations (U.N.) reports that the Republic of the Philippines has one of the highest poverty rates in

Asia despite a steady decline in recent years. The country is rich in natural resources and

biodiversity because of its close proximity to the equator; however, it is prone to earthquakes and

storms, making it the third most disaster prone country in the world.

Most of the problems and difficulties of Filipinos are rooted in poverty. Many families

are left deprived of their basic needs and are therefore forced their children to stop going to

school and help them instead in their livelihood. With this as main ground, the Philippine

government initiated a program called the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, both to address

poverty and in response to the country’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals

(MDG). The program aims to provide cash assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate

needs (short term poverty alleviation) and to break the intergenerational transmission and cycle

of poverty by investing heavily in human capital development (DSWD, 2014). Beneficiaries of

this program are expected to use the assistance especially for educational and health purposes.

Fernandez and Olfindo (2011) described the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program as a

conditional cash transfer (CCT) program that transfers cash to beneficiary families if they follow

its conditionality. Just like other CCT programs, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program aims

in reducing and alleviating existing poverty by supplementing the income of the poor to address

their current consumption poverty, especially in the education and health of their family

members while making them follow certain conditionality that can boost their human

development investment and ensure its compliance so that they can have more opportunities in

breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty in the long run.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program targets the poor households in the poorest

areas of the country. Households must meet stages of criteria at the time of registration to

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become eligible for the cash grants. First, must be residents of poor areas targeted by the

program. Second, must be truly being poor. Third, there must be a pregnant woman or at least

have one child aged 0-14 years in the household. Lastly, must be dedicated in complying with

the programs conditionality.

Velarde and Fernandez (2011) also added that impact of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino

Program in improving the educational and health outcomes can aid and support beneficiaries in

attaining a better and quality living in the future. Like the lessons learned from other CCT

programs, 4Ps is also intended to fill gaps in the educational and health outcomes amongst

children, aside from providing them with immediate poverty relief.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, like other Conditional Cash Transfers,

employed for varied but interrelated purposes today, has proven to have impact in education,

either directly, by means of the educational and health grants of the program, or indirectly, by

uplifting the total human condition of its recipients. Considering these aforementioned points,

this study was undertaken to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT)

of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program from the viewpoint of its beneficiaries and to

recognize the changes it brings forth to education.

According to Cecchini and Madariaga (2011), 4Ps is a social program that entails

monetary and nonmonetary transfers to the families that have school-age children on the

condition that they meet certain terms that are aimed at improving their capacities. The main

objective was to provide cash to families who were in extreme poverty in exchange for some

education and health care commitments. Since then, many countries, including the Philippines

through its 4Ps, have attempted to replicate their examples. The 4Ps is the Philippines’ version of

the CCT program. Based on the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s primer, the

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4Ps is a poverty-reduction and social development strategy of the national government. It

provides cash transfers to extremely poor households to help improve their health, nutrition, and

education. The program specifically targets poor families with children 0–14 years old. The two

main objectives of the program are social assistance and social development. The former

objective aims to alleviate the poor’s immediate needs; hence, it can be considered a short-term

poverty alleviation measure.

The latter objective aims to break the intergenerational poverty cycle by investing in

human capital. The 4Ps helps in fulfilling the country’s commitment in the Millennium

Development Goals particularly in (1) eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, (2) achieving

universal primary education, (3) promoting gender equality, (4) reducing child mortality, and (5)

improving maternal health. The 4Ps has two components: health and education. Under the health

component, the program provides Php 6,000 annually (Php 500 per month) to each family-

beneficiary for their health and nutrition expenses. Under the education component, it provides

Php 3,000 per child for one school year (i.e., 10 months) to meet his/her educational expenses.

Each family-beneficiary receives cash for up to a maximum of three children under the

educational grant.

One of the most controversial aspects of the program involves targeting. Fernandez and

Olfindo (2011) noted that this program was rolled out to the poorest households. In particular,

the DSWD and partner agencies had implemented the pilot program and established the targeting

system necessary for expansion. The authors also noted that the targeting system based on the

PMT model has produced good results since about 90 percent of the beneficiaries belong to the

bottom 40 percent of the population while 72 percent belong to the poorest 20 percent, based on

the 2009 FIES. They also presented anecdotal evidence to show that the net education enrollment

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rates of children in the targeted households have increased while the number of children who

have availed themselves of the health services had also increased.

Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs address both future poverty, by fostering

human capital accumulation among the young as a means of breaking the intergenerational

transmission of poverty and current poverty, by providing income support for consumption in the

short run (Rawlings & Rubio, 2005, p.33).

Indeed, the main objective of the 4Ps and other CCT programs is to prevent inter-

generational transference of poverty and help break the infinite cycle of poverty by providing the

children the suitable educational and health assistance so as to help them develop the facilities

for a better future. Investing in children’s human capital and ensuring that they grow into

educated and healthy adults, is the equivalent of teaching them how to fish. Healthy, educated

children ultimately have more choices in life and are able to become productive members of

society (Bloom, 2008).

Furthermore, 4Ps promotes and supports the Bio-Intensive Gardening, a program of the

Government where its advocacy is to save and protect the environment. Through this program,

they are required to plant trees and they don’t have any choice not to follow since it is one of the

conditions they must follow, or else they will never receive any cash transfer supported by the

government. They could be mobilized to help the government promote environmental protection.

Like for example, they could be asked to keep their barangay clean and orderly; plant and

nurture at least 10 trees per household: help in unclogging waterways and sewers; or work in

other community-based environmental projects. Make them “productive and empowered

members of their respective barangay and not mere indolent recipients of government grants”

(Quezon City Council).

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 Chapter 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter disserted what kind of method was used upon conducting the study. Under

this method is the research design, research environment, subjects of the study, sampling design,

research instrument, research ethics, and the procedures of data collection.

Research Design

The kind of qualitative study used a case study to know the impact of Bio-Intensive

Gardening with the aid of the 4Ps specifically in the barangay of Sta. Isabel, Dipolog City. The

researchers decided to use case study as a way to get deeper investigation if the said program is

effective in accomplishing its goal. As a case study, it is an in depth study of a particular

situation used by the researchers rather than sweeping statistical survey.

Research Environment

The research study was conducted in the residence of barangay Sta. Isabel, Dipolog City.

The researchers have selected the said barangay since there are a lot of 4Ps beneficiaries living

on that certain area. Also, the residents have most likely experienced in joining the said program

that is relevant in helping to protect the environment.

Subjects of the Study

The researchers asked some questions to the respondents which are related to the said

study entitled, Impact of Bio-Intensive Gardening to the 4Ps beneficiaries. The subjects of this

certain study are the (1) 4Ps beneficiaries and (2) DSWD monitoring team.

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Research Instrument

The researchers designed an outline of questions for the data gathering process to have

qualitative data. Mostly the questions are open-ended questions for the gathered data to be more

explicit. The aim of the question is simply to discern the impacts of Bio-Intensive Gardening in

helping environmental issues and also how it will affect the life of every participant in the said

program. An unstructured interview was conducted using the outline of questions. The

researchers personally asked the respondents in a spontaneous and friendly-like manner. The

researchers translated every question into simple form, thus the researchers could also ask the

questions in vernacular manner, so that the respondents can answer without hesitation.

Furthermore, it also encourages that the interviewee needs to speak clearly, direct to the point,

and they must answer honestly. Aside from the interview script, pen and paper was a big help

alongside with a recorder, photographs, and other helpful devices in order for the researchers to

interpret every answer that the respondents gave.

Data Collection Procedure

Data gathering activities was conducted from the last week of September 2017 to the 1st

week of October in the same year through one on one unstructured interview with 7 to 10 open-

ended questions. For the purposes of this research, in depth interviews were used. In depth

interviews are personal and unstructured interviews, whose aim is to identify participant’s

emotions, feelings, and opinions regarding a particular research subject (Fisher, 2005, Wilson,

2003).

First, researchers formulated their questions and prepare an outline of topics. Then they

will prepare an approval from the principal, adviser and the respondents themselves.

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 The following timeline shows the set of schedule observed by the researchers.

Researchers will pass the letter for approval to the principal, and adviser to have a permission to

conduct interviews in their locale of their study on September 22, 2017. While on October 1-7, in

the same year, the researchers will then personally ask questions from the interviewees at the

locale of their study. Also, researchers must have a consent form showing the signature of the

interviewee.

Research Ethics

As per all ethical considerations, the interviewees are respected and seen not merely as

passive sources of data but as people whose rights and welfare must be protected. The

researchers assured the interviewees that their answers were treated with full confidentiality and

used for the sole purpose of academic compliance.

Data Analysis

Data analysis was done after gathering the necessary data. The researchers compiled all

the data that were collected during the interview via pen and paper to jot down notes and a

cellular phone as a device used to store recorded audio files. Through this, the researchers had

the time to review all the data.

Once the necessary data have been collected, the researchers instantly wrote all the

essential responses from the audio files which were needed to formulate solutions for the given

problem. After this, reduction of all the information gathered was tackled. This is for the

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researchers to obtain the crucial information from the data gathered to arrive at a certain point of

the study.

The responses of each respondent were coded and transcribed in order for the researchers

to further understand the impact of Bio-Intensive Gardening to 4Ps beneficiaries. After

transcribing, their statements were interpreted. Their responses were extracted into themes since

the study used the thematic presentation. Themes were derived from the pattern of responses

from the all the respondents in the study.

Finally, the researchers organized the interpreted data and formulated findings to arrive

into conclusions. Doing this, they were able to make recommendations as the study progresses.

The researchers were able to know the impact of Bio-Intensive Gardening to 4Ps beneficiaries.

Further discussions and explanations would be presented in the proceeding chapter.

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