Country: Philippines

Organization: SALUD san Diwata, a community-based network in Tic

3) Strategy Summary:
Integrated watershed mgmt - involving all stakeholders within a watershed in addressing their own problems in a socially acceptable and economically and environmentally sustainable waywas a concept alien to the predominantly poor, malnourished communities along the Diwata watershed. Today, it is the blueprint that guides 7 of the 19 communities around the watershed. SALUD san Diwata, a community-based network formed after a series of participatory rural appraisal workshops facilitated by an international NGO, leads in its implementation. A 10-year plan to implement it, drawn by the communities themselves through SALUD fleshes out the plan, strengthening community ties and capacities in the process and tapping donor & local resources.

4) How the Strategy Works:

1. Problem and stakeholder identification. A participatory rapid appraisal (PRA) exercise and succeeding PRA exercises such as problem tree identification, community transect walk along the watershed communities, made the participants from the communities, mostly community leaders and various sectors in Ticao island, realize common issues and problems (such as poverty, malnutrition and health), how the problems (especially on deforestation of the watershed and other environmental problems, including flooding) are inextricably linked from one community to another and the need therefore for the communities to cooperate towards finding solutions beneficial to all.

2. Community-based alliance formation. The Salud san Diwata, a community-based network composed of community leaders from 7 of the 19 barangays (villages) surrounding the Diwata Watershed was formed through the initiative of leaders of various communities after the PRA exercises.

3. Community capacity building, with Salud leading the effort. Salud San Diwata has since become the community leader and voice, linking up with partners such as IIRR, other donor agencies, the local governments, local business and other sectors, to gain capacities to do their own problem identification and planning and determine how they should move forward.

4. Drafting a Plan. A 10-year watershed management plan was drafted by Salud. Over the short term, the plan addresses the communities most urgent problems: poverty, hunger and lack of education through plan activities and projects that address poverty (alternative community livelihood, bio-intensive gardens to address food security and malnutrition, and community-managed health services, initially). Over the long-term, the plan addresses the deforestation of the watershed with a 10-year reforestation plan.

5. Resource mobilization to implement plan. With technical assistance from partners, Salud san Diwata is now in the process of mobilizing resources to move the plan forward. A project proposal was drafted by the community with technical assistance from IIRR (a partner NGO) and funding for first phase activities such as bio-intensive garden nurseries.

6. Enhancing capacities further. The network and the various community members continue to gain capacities for development work through various training programs provided by partners. A bio-intensive gardening workshop was conducted for the first batch of bio-intensive garden promoters. Volunteer health workers, some of which are Salud members, have gone through various training in community-managed health. A participatory Information, Education and Communication workshop has opened the eyes of the communities to the power of communications to mobilize advocacy and support for the various activities. A disaster preparedness workshop has also equipped the communities with ways in which to cope with calamities and disasters (this island being in a typhoon prone region of the Philippines.)

7. Impacts and outcomes. In all the above activities the communities have gained knowledge and skills and awareness that now empower them to achieve more than they used to. The communities now know how to cultivate and tap external (donors)and local partners (local governments, community volunteers), mobilize resources in support of their plans. Regular meetings of Salud and project activities in implementation of the plan have, in the process fostered community solidarity. Salud's efforts complement and, in some cases, fill in the gaps in local and national government assistance. Partner organizations such as IIRR, local government agencies of the Departments of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources help the community members gain skills and resources to implement their plans. Planned cross-visits with other farmers groups have underscored the need also to learn from indigenous knowledge of fellow farmers and local innovation. The communities have gained confidence that together they can effect meaningful improvements in their lives, a leap forward from their former helplessness and hopelessness to change their conditions.

8. Many of the phases of the plan are slowly gaining support and being implemented. The communities are a long way to go from achieving their plans, poverty still prevails, but some of the immediate problems such as malnutrition, livelihoods are being partly addressed and some improvement in their lives are gradually being felt.

9. With a little assistance or help from "outsiders," such as IIRR, the community has come to an awakening of what together, in collective action, they can achieve to improve their condition.