The Civil Service Academy of the Philippines : a vehicle for rural development participation

When the people are given decent shelter, afforded proper education and access to other social amenities, their reformed values and aspirations are preserved, enriched and transmitted to the future. All these are indispensable to the national effort for development. It is the change in economic status of the people that encourages them to be active participants in development and adjust to the changes that development generates and guarantees. A strategy for economic and social development of rural areas in the Philippines intended to reduce poverty, should take cognizance not only of expanding individual income and access to social amenities but likewise adopt a system of steadily increasing the participation of the people in the rural areas, in economic, social and political activities to mobilize their potentials. This thesis attempts to bring to focus some of the salient issues and features of rural development participation. Rural development participation denotes \the involvement of a significant number of persons in situations or actions which enhance their well-being e.g. their income security or self-esteem\". My major focus is on the crucial role that the Civil Service Academy the training arm of the Civil Service Commission and the principal mechanism for the integration and coordination of training activities and programs of the government could play in support of rural development participation by virtue of its position in the bureaucracy. In demonstrating this point attention was first drawn to' the roles of women voluntary associations and paraprofessionals illustrating them with case histories of six depressed barangays. This study has examined the role that the CSA could play in rural development by utilizing training as an intervention. As put forth in this study this is possible if the CSA adopts a working philosophy oriented towards greater support for the development and promotion of training programs designed to increase awareness of the participants on the importance of participation of women voluntary associations and paraprofessionals in rural development. It is with the hope that the training participants will consider these three sectors when they formulate policies and implement programs for rural barangays. It is further suggested that the CSA build the institutional mechanisms for a continuing supportive relationship between her and the graduates of the training programs to ensure that its training efforts will be successfully followed up. For it is a recognized fact training would be more effective and the impact on the client organizations more significant if there is a continuous and more intensive relationship or clearly defined linkages between the organizations serviced and the training institute."