NGOS: The New Faces of Societal Development

As gun shots were fired and the shouts of armed men spilled the halls of a Lumad school in Barangay Diatagon, Surigao del Sur, the schoolrooms that was once filled with children’s voices and laughter were all replaced by screams and mournful cries. Along with the humanitarian workers, they were forcefully dragged towards the community basketball court by the group of armed men only to witness two Lumad leaders shot and killed right before their eyes.

Maricres Pagaran of Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV) recounted in tears the Lumad attacks in front of the assembled listeners at a media forum hosted by the Assert Socio-Economic Initiatives Network (ASCENT) in Balay Kalinaw at University of the Philippines-Diliman. The ASCENT media forum with its theme, “Development and Humanitarian Workers: “What’s in Store for us?” focused on its “campaign in defense of socio-economic initiatives and its workers”. Together with other non-government organizations (NGO), they shared experiences and exhibited programs and agriculture-related services they organized in rural communities.

Dedication to Service

As a student from a state university, I have been well-informed regarding the challenges faced by the Lumad community. The familiar shouts of student rallies reverberate around the campus as they raise their placards and shout the words, “Stop Lumad Killings”. Similarly, images of Lumad victims spread throughout the social media as internet users expressed their feel-good support about the issue. Armed with their electronic gadgets, they can easily express their involvement by simply clicking the “Share” button. However, these efforts are not enough. The failure to educate the young generation in the current state affairs left them unaware especially in regards to the plight of the Lumads.

However, when it comes to the humanitarian workers, the extent of their influence does not revolve in the digital community rather, on the whole society. Volunteer workers from NGOs dedicated themselves in providing programs and services directed on serving the people and not for profit. Their developmental efforts cater to the disadvantaged: peasant farmers, indigenous people, disaster-stricken homes and the marginalized sectors. The inefficiency of the government to provide long-term solutions to the pressing social issues led NGOs to provide projects that will sufficiently address the needs of the people.

On Harassment and Killings

According to the House Committee Secretary on Agrarian Reform Rita Macabucos, she identified the role of NGO workers as “essential factors in the interplay in the upliftment of farmers” and “the crusaders for a better society.” Indigenous people like the Lumad and small agricultural farmers are known as one of the oppressed sectors that are often neglected by the government. Through NGO groups, they conduct collective empowerment to farmers and indigenous people towards their struggle in asserting their land rights and restoring livelihoods in rural communities.

The government’s negligence to address the increasing needs of its people is filled in by the development workers who continuously form pro-people programs to help the marginalized members of the society. However, the goodwill offered by these people subjected them as targets of the military groups by imposing threats, harassments and killings. Much worse, their humanitarian efforts are construed by these men as an act of rebellion against the government. However, the lack of government cooperation and protection from military operations does not keep these people in taking development initiatives in their own hands.

At the ASCENT forum, members of the cabinet and civil society organizations present their response to the socio-economic development programs by proposing their plans on expressing their commitment to support the NGO workers on its socio-economic advocacies and the eradication of military operations in rural areas.

Development and humanitarian workers are indeed the new models of societal development. As they promote the rights of the peasant sector, NGOs and development workers will remain hopeful for the incoming Duterte administration to stand by them and elevate their roles in taking part to the country’s development.

With all these socioeconomic concerns, this is a wakeup call to all the nation’s future movers by being aware of the task that we must do for our country in order to prove our worth. As Bishop Dindo Ranojo of Iglesia Filipina Independiente once quoted, “Work hard not only for ourselves but for our country”.