Development Studies: An Academic Approach (DSAAP)

Development Studies (DS)
in the Philippines
VirGILio G. Gundayao, MBA/MPA

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
PUP-GRADUATE SCHOOL
RHA 720 Dissertation Seminar I
Development Studies
in the Philippines
By:
VirGILio G. Gundayao, MBA/MPA
To Fellow Classmates and for:
Prof. Juan C. Birion, DPA
PUP Vice-President, Student Services
20 August 2011

I. Prologue
One of the few specialized educational curricula
and/or professional field of endeavours that utilizes multi-
disciplinary approach is the Development Studies (DS).
As such, DS borrows largely from social and behavioural
sciences, such as Economics, History, Political Science,
Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, further extending
to the spheres and realms of the arts and science of
research, development, and communication, etc. The
DS is being utilized in order to come out with plans,
programs, projects, and models of practical solutions,
policies and practices in developing countries/nations
with or without the assistance of highly developed
countries (HDCs).

The DS as a curricular offering prepares
students to become seasoned professionals
who are adept in the intricate processes of
nation-building. From among the professional
endeavours that it generates are those in
foreign and/or international relations;
community development; project and
program management; cooperative
development; development management;
international studies; teaching profession,
consulting, and other emerging DS job-
related functions.

II. Development Studies as Educational
Curricular Offering
As a relatively young discipline or field of
study, DS, is being offered by both the Philippine
and foreign colleges, and universities in either,
the undergraduate and graduate schools.
A. De La Salle University (DLSU)
http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/academics/programs/undergraduate/cla/ab-
dsm.asp

DLSU - Bachelor of Arts (AB) in Development Studies (AB-DSM)
Program Orientation
The Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies was instituted
in 1995 as the DLSU's response to the need to help the
Philippines achieve total human development. The program is
oriented towards a systematic study of development theories,
models and strategies based on the experiences of developed
and developing countries. It is envisioned that by providing the
students with adequate knowledge, skills and appropriate values,
the students' ability to formulate and implement people-centered
development programs in the country will be enhanced.
The program consists of five areas: development theories,
development models, development administration techniques,
development research, and social mobilization strategies.
Development studies will draw on perspectives from the fields of
political science, economics, public administration, sociology,
anthropology, history, management and community development.

The curriculum includes general education
courses, major courses and elective units. With
the program's integral approach to development
studies, the students are given the opportunity to
harness their potentials in preparation for a
development work career in the government,
non-government organizations, research
institutions, and academe.
Program Design
The AB Development Studies Program is
designed to equip students with knowledge,
skills and appropriate values necessary for
development work. It is focused on developing
the students' abilities in the following areas:

1. Theory-development and Model-building: research, analysis and
conceptualization of theories that promote understanding of
development trends and issues; analysis of current models to
develop new strategies, policies and concepts according to the
country's needs at the national and local levels;
2. Action-Oriented Research: assessment of development needs,
constraints, resources, and policies through situation analysis,
socio-economic and environmental impact assessment, profiling
methods, process documentation, and other action-oriented
methodologies;
3. Administration and Management Techniques: development
planning (including demography), project management, human
resource management, conflict management, organization
development, monitoring and evaluation, and financial
management.
4. Social Mobilization: development of communication and
advocacy strategies, political negotiation skills, community
organizing and development approaches, education and training.

Major Courses Major Year 1, Second Term
* Social Development (SOCDEVT) 3 units
Comparative analysis of social development
theories, with emphasis on their evolution and growth in
the Philippine context.
* Development Economics (DEVECON) 3 units
Comparative analysis of micro and macro theories
and models of economic development and their
implications to Philippine development.
* Philippine Development (PHILDEV) 3 units
A study of political, economic and socio-cultural
factors and forces that influence Philippine development
or underdevelopment.

Major Year 1, Third Term
* Development Management (DEVTMAN) 3 units
A course on the different processes and strategies in
implementing public and non-governmental development programs
and projects. This includes discussion on organization development,
conflict management and human resource management.
* Development Finance (DEVEFIN) 3 units
A study of the fund-sourcing mobilization strategies and
administration of government, NGOs and non-profit sector.
* Development Planning (PLANDEV) 3 units
A course on the different models, processes and strategies of
development planning (national, regional, provincial, municipal,
barangay, urban and rural development planning). This includes
discussion of demographical considerations such as the size,
distribution and composition of population, and the implications of
population problems to development planning.

Major Year 2, First Term
* Development Communication (DEVCOMM) 3 units
Discusses the role of information, education and
communication in mobilizing people to participate in the
development processes, e.g. planning, implementation and
monitoring and evaluation of development programs and projects.
This also includes advocacy strategies and political negotiations
skills-building.
* International Development (INTDEVT) 3 units
A comparative study of development perspectives, trends and
patterns in the First World Countries, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
* Management of Development Projects (MANPROJ) 3 units
Discusses the project cycle, e.g. from identification to monitoring
and evaluation of development programs. The course is geared
towards skills-building in writing project feasibility studies, project
appraisal and monitoring and evaluation.

Major Year 2, Second Term
* Community Development (COMDEVT) 3 units
A course on community-based strategies for development such
as community organizing, cooperative-formation, community-based
enterprise development and leadership formation. This includes
discussion the theories and models of community organizing and
development.
* Action Research in Development (ACREDEV) 3 units
An introduction to theories, methods, techniques and research
processes. It also discusses methodological issues in the study of
development. The students are expected to come up with an action-
oriented research addressing major development issues in the
country such as poverty-reduction, promotion of social equity,
employment, among others.

Major Year 2, Third Term
* Practicum (PRCDSM1) 3 units 120 hrs.
This course aims to apply the learnings of
the students through actual practice in an NGO
or government-based development program or
project.
Prerequisite: Completed all major courses
Integration Requirements
The students are required to undergo a
practicum to earn their degree in AB
Development Studies.

Minor Courses
The Department also offers minor courses for both Political Science
and Development Studies that provide non-major students an overview and
understanding of the basic concepts of political science and development
studies. The courses are offered exclusively to students of the minor
program and are offered on a rotating basis.
1. Political Science
* Seminar in Legislation (LEGISLA) 3 units
This is an attempt to provide a detailed and comprehensive but non-
technical study of the background and phases in the making of Philippine
statutes, starting from the origin and development of an inchoate idea into a
legislative proposal through its enactment into a statute and its approval by
the President or Chief Executive, including its publication.
* Philippine Political Issues (PIPOISU) 3 units
The course deals with contemporary issues in politics, and governance
and development. Inasmuch as political issues cannot be treated in isolation
from socio-economic and cultural dimensions, the course will touch on
issues which have are of concern to the nation. External factors that have
direct or indirect impacts on domestic affairs shall be the subject of the
study.

* Political Language (POLLANG) 3 units
Political language is to be understood in the broader context of
political communication. Will examine, among others, the impact of
the post-Cold War ethos, ethnic awareness, post-modern influences
and cultural heterogeneity.
* Philippine Political Economy (PIPOLEC) 3 units
The course studies social relations in the process of production,
distribution, exchange and consumption.
* Environmental Politics (ENVIPOL) 3 units
The wanton disregard for the environment has affected global
plant, animal and human life on Earth. The ecology has emerged as
one of the main issues of the 1990s. The effects of the massive
destruction of the environment are now being felt worldwide and
ecological awareness, advocacy and activism are now permeating
global consciousness. This course will attempt to dissect the rise of
environmental politics in industrial and developing states.

* Political Personalities (FIGURES) 3 units
Aristotle noted that human beings are by nature political animals.
Politics is essentially a human activity situated within a societal context.
However, there are instances in which individual personalities rise to political
preeminence for one reason or another. Machiavelli points toward the
combination of virtù (political skills), necesità (the occasion for
greatness), and fortuna (fortune) as the necessary ingredients for the
emergence of political lions and foxes. This course is a study of selected
political personalities who have emerged and made an impact (whether
positive or negative) on the development of the Philippine nation-state.
* Political Parties and Party Systems (PARTIES) 3 units
Party politics is an integral part of liberal democratic polities. The
existence of political parties provides an avenue for the articulation of the
demands of diverse groups and interests in society and the legitimation of
the state. There are two major components in the study of political parties.
The first is the study of party "units" and characteristics as discrete entities
(e.g. various social bases, histories, goals and appeals, formal organizations
and actual power structures). The other involves party systems, the
competitive interaction patterns among party units or "the forms and mode of
their coexistence".

* Political Marketing (POLMARK) 3 units
The end of the current century has been marked by sweeping
transformations that have altered traditional structures of power relations.
This power shift is enhanced by socio-economic and political changes, such
as globalization and recent advancements in information technology. As a
result, traditional assumptions about electoral competition are continuously
being rewritten. Thus, the challenge of capturing the electorates' imagination
and support necessitates the need to effectively identify and target
segments of the political market.
* Political Contestation (CONTEST) 3 units
This course explores the interplay among various political forces such
as political elites, parties, groups and social and political movements.
* Politics of Sex (POLIGEN) 3 units
An examination of structures that influence relations among gender
groups in formal and nonformal decision making systems. It also covers a
discussion of an array of issues concerning the extent of representation and
participation of gender groups in the institutions of governance and the
processes of social change.

Women and Politics (WOMEPOL) 3 units
The course discusses the major debates concerning gender
scholarship in general, and the role women play in politics and development
in particular. It intends to trace the beginnings of the feminist discourse,
contemporary feminist theories, and their relevance to emerging gender
perspectives in the field of politics.
2. Development Studies
* Development Issues (DEVISSU) 3 units
This seminar course answers the need for a comprehensive and
intensive discussion of selected development issues and concerns at the
national and international levels. Special topics will focus on the
relationships between poverty and development, population and
development, gender and development, among others.
* Development Perspectives (DEVTPER) 3 units
An overview of emerging development models, trends and strategies at
the national and international levels. With emphasis on new development
models, implications of globalization, market-centered economy, donor-NGO
relations, bilateral agreements between debtors and donor-countries.

* Development Institutions (DEVINST) 3 units
A study of the dynamics and processes of development-oriented
institutions such as the NGOS, non-profit sector, international NGOs and
donor institutions.
Electives
* Peace and Development (PEACEDE) 3 units
This course looks at the origin, approaches and dynamics of conflict
and conflict resolution at the inter- and intra-state levels and discusses
traditional and non-traditional security issues.
* Sustainable Development (SUSDEVT) 3 units
The course explores the potential of sustainable development as an
approach to and strategy for total human development.
* Urban Development (URBADEV) 3 units
A discussion of the processes and dynamics of urban development.
This includes discussion of current problems brought about by urbanization
such as traffic congestion, pollution, rural-urban migration, and proliferation
of slums. Its main emphasis is on the concept of urban renewal as a
strategy for urban development.
* Development Advocacy (DEVADVO) 3 units
Analysis of the different arenas for advocating social reforms and
changes and political mapping key of forces in the development process.

The DLSU likewise offers Master of Arts in International
Studies; Master of Arts in Development Policy (36 units), which is
designed for professionals in the private and public sector who
require advanced knowledge of development issues viewed within
the context of competing theoretical and policy perspectives. With a
strong focus on the study of development theory, public policy
political economy, development administration, and policy research
methods, graduates are expected to contribute to professionalizing
and democratizing the process of formulating and implementing
development policies, programs, and projects.
It is further noted that the DLSU also offers Doctor of
Philosophy in Development Studies (60 units), which aims to
advance knowledge of teachers and researchers, as well as those
of development specialists who choose a career in policy
development, planning, and administration. It employs a multi-
disciplinary orientation in training students to address development
problems, design new research directions, and contextualize the
application of development theories.

B. Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU)
http://socsci.ateneo.edu/module.php?LM=programs.detail&id=1204130796259
ADMU - Development Studies Program
The Development Studies Program at the Ateneo de Manila University
provides systematic, multidisciplinary formation for individuals who want to
make effective contributions to the continuing effort to improve Philippine
society.
The Program draws on the traditional strengths of the University in
teaching, research and development practice. It brings together the faculty
of the constituent disciplines of economics, sociology-anthropology, and
political science as well as practitioners with extensive experience in
development work. It has also hosted international researchers interested
in various aspects of Philippine development.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts degree in Development Studies have
made significant contributions in development through multilateral and
bilateral development institutions, the Executive and Legislative branches of
government, the diplomatic corps, non-government organizations and
advocacy groups, development research organizations, law groups,
business, corporate foundations, and the academe.

The Development Studies Program also offers a Minor in Development
Management and Minor in Health and Development for undergraduate
students, and Microfinance Capability Building Services for microfinance
practitioners.
Development Studies Course Descriptions
* DS 101 Perspectives in Development I 3 units
An introduction to the various competing perspectives in the analysis of
economic development and underdevelopment, laying the foundation for a
critical and theoretically informed understanding of contemporary issues in
Philippine and international development.
* DS 102 Perspectives in Development II 3 units
An introduction to various perspectives in the politics of development,
underlining the importance of the "political element" in the development
process. Theoretical concepts and issues provide the parameters for a
discussion of the nature of politics in the Philippines from a historical and
comparative perspective.
* DS 103 Perspectives in Development III 3 units
An overview of various socio-cultural perspectives on development and
modernization, thus laying the ground for a critical and theoretically informed
understanding of contemporary issues in Philippine and international
development.

* DS 112 Survey of Social Development Approaches 3 units
An overview of social development approaches used by various
development institutions. Inputs from development professionals
demonstrate how these frameworks are applied in practice. The course
also provides an overview of the evolving concept of poverty, from
income poverty to poverty as human insecurity.
* DS 120 Research Methods 3 units
An overview of the methods of social analysis and their relevance to
the interpretation of social data and the study of social
situations. Emphasis is on the practice of social research, rather than
the theory of methodology, and entails work outside the classroom.
* DS 120.1 Quantitative Research Methods 3 units
An introduction to the various quantitative methods in the social
sciences. The course begins with a discussion of the methodological
implications of the use of quantitative methods, then proceeds to a
discussion of the various quantitative methods including an assessment
of their strengths and limitations.

* DS 120.2 Qualitative Research Methods 3 units
An introduction to the various qualitative methods in the social
sciences. The course begins with a discussion of the methodological
implications of the use of qualitative methods, then proceeds to a discussion
of the various qualitative methods including an assessment of their strengths
and limitations.
* DS 122 Statistics for Social Sciences 3 units
An introduction to statistics using applications from the social sciences.
Instruction is supplemented by the use of computer statistical packages and
actual statistical research projects.
* DS 130 Community Development & Social Change 3 units
An introduction to the art of introducing and sustaining development
interventions on various levels. Inputs from development practitioners
demonstrate the basic principles discussed in the lectures. The course
frames development interventions as social change projects and draws from
change management literature.
* DS 130.8 Public Health & Social Change 1 unit
Public health interventions involve social change on various levels.
This case study course introduces the art of managing such interventions to
properly respond to the problems or concerns in an effective and
sustainable manner.

* DS 132 Project Management 3 units
Prerequisite: DS 130 or any DS 135.xx
A practical overview of the cycle of the development process involved
in the management of development programs and projects, including project
conceptualization, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
* DS 135.1 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Social Marketing 3 units
An overview of basic marketing principles and how these can and must
be used to support various development interventions. Case studies are
analyzed to illustrate the concrete application of social marketing theories.
* DS 135.2 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Social Entrep. 3 units
A course that shows how business principles can be integrated with
social responsibility and the application and contextualization of these
principles to social development. Case studies are analyzed to illustrate the
concrete application of social entrepreneurship concepts.

* DS 135.4 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Orgl. Mgnt. 3 units
An overview of the processes and dynamics of interpersonal relations
in organizations. Topics include the individual, group dynamics, and
problem-solving skills. Focus is on the unique dynamics of organizational
management and development interventions affecting the potentials of the
group and its members.
* DS 135.5 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Cooperatives & Devt. 3 units
An in-depth analysis of the cooperative movement. Various forms of
cooperatives and cooperative networks are examined, primarily through the
use of case studies. Focus is on examining the relative strengths and
limitations of cooperativism as a social development initiative.
* DS 135.6 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Community Org. 3 units
An in-depth analysis of community organizing as an approach to social
development, and the philosophy underlying this approach. Focus is on
examining the relative strengths and limitations of community organizing as
a social development initiative by assessing various community organizing
efforts.

* DS 135.9 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: MicroFinance 3 units
An overview of the practice of providing financial services to
marginalized clients. Topics include the philosophy and methodology of well-
established models (Grameen, Village Banking) and emerging models
(financial services associations, cooperative savings). Existing Philippine
initiatives and standards are analyzed and juxtaposed with international best
practice.
* DS 135.10 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Alternative Dispute
Resolution Processes 3 units
An introduction to the theory and practice of alternative dispute
resolution methods. The course introduces a set of conceptual frameworks
and proven techniques that help students analyze and reflect on their own
experiences of conflict resolution and prepare them for dealing effectively
with future situations.
* DS 135.11 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Dev Comm 3 units
A course on the role of communication in social change, particularly in the
context of its potential to facilitate changes in knowledge and behaviors
among stakeholders in development programs. Students examine the theory
behind the tools employed in communication programs and identify patterns
in application.

* DS 135.12 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Training Mgnt. 3 units
A course that develops knowledge, skills, and capabilities to manage
training programs. Focus is on the training management cycle. Deeper
appreciation of the course material is facilitated by hands-on learning
exercises and an actual training conducted for target groups such as
members of people’s organizations
* DS 135.13 Spec. Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Resource Mobilization 3 units
An overview of the theory and practice of resource mobilization.
Resources are defined broadly to include financial resources, human
resources, and any other resource useful for achieving an initiative’s goals.
Various resource mobilization techniques are discussed and assessed.
* DS 135.14 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Bridging Leadership 3 units
An introduction to Bridging Leadership—a leadership style appropriate
to the complex development challenges of our time. Lectures, case-
discussions, and structured learning experiences immerse the students in
the three phases of the Bridging Leadership Framework. In the process,
students discover their personal leadership style.

* DS 135.22 Special Topics in Dev’t Mgnt.: Social Innovations II 3 units
A three-phase seminar on the necessary knowledge and skills to
enable students to develop their own social enterprise, broadly defined as a
social development initiative. The third phase involves the actual
implementation of the social development initiative.
* DS 140 Practicum in Social Development I 3 units
A course that allows students to participate in development
interventions and apply their learning to development situations. At the end
of the practicum, students assess the experience and articulate the
underlying development definition and strategy that motivates the agency to
which they were assigned.
* DS 140.2 Practicum in Social Development II 3 units

* DS 140.3 140.2 Practicum in Social Development III 3 units
* DS 150 Field Specialization II 3 units
Prerequisites: All required DS courses (DS 101, 102, 112, 120)
A synthesis of the courses taken for the AB Development Studies
degree program. Students are expected to complete a thesis or a project.
This course provides students with an opportunity to apply the lessons they
have learned from the AB Development Studies Program.
* DS 150.1 Field Specialization 3 units
Prerequisites: All required DS courses (DS 101, 102, 112, 120)
degree program. Students write a thesis proposal or project proposal. This
course provides students with an opportunity to apply the lessons they have
learned from the AB Development Studies Program.

* DS 150.2 Field Specialization III 3 units
Prerequisites: All required DS courses (DS 101, 102, 112, 120, 122)
degree program. Students are expected to complete a thesis or a project.
This course provides students with an opportunity to apply the lessons they
have learned from the AB Development Studies Program.
* DS 165.35 Special Topics in Dev’t Studies: Research in
Development Issues 3 units
A research course that requires students to undertake a critical review
of articles and examine the methodologies used in testing hypotheses within
a particular field of study. The required output of the course is equivalent to
a thesis proposal.
* DS 165.39 Special Topics in Dev’t Studies: Dev’t Policy 3 units
An overview of the development policy process including policy formulation,
implementation, and evaluation. Attention is given to the informational,
economic, bureaucratic, and political constraints that policy-makers face;
and to the process of policy reform.

* DS 165.41 Sp Topics in Dev’t Studies: Globalization & Governance 3 u
An analysis of globalization as a constructed and contested terrain of
social meanings and relations, and of governance as processes of partial
steering and ordering in a multi-centered world with diverse but often
overlapping spheres or sites of authority.
* DS 165.55 Special Topics in Dev’t Studies: CSR 3 units
A discussion on the history of Corporate Social Responsibility, its
rationale, current trends both internationally and locally, actual practices,
and implementation issues. Emphasis is on its location within the discourse
of business ethics and corporate governance.
* DS 165.56 Special Topics in Dev’t Studies: ICT for Dev’t 3 units
A discussion on the role of information and communication
technologies (ICTs) in development. Topics include how ICTs are changing
organizations and how people work; important policy issues such as access,
privacy, content; and the role of government, private organizations, and
ordinary citizens.

* DS 175.80 Special Topics in Contemporary Dev’t Issues:
The Political Economy of Health & Dev’t 3 units
A course that situates public health issues in the broader discourses
of development and governance. Topics include the interaction between
public health issues and other social concerns, the various agents of
development and public health management, and the role they play in
public health management.
* DS 175.83 Special Topics in Contemporary Dev’t Issues: Survey of
Public Health Interventions 2 units
An overview of various public health interventions by situating these
interventions within various classificatory frames. Lectures on these
classificatory frames are supplemented by inputs from health
development practitioners.

Minor in Development Management
Development Management involves the application of management
principles and practices to the context of social development. The
Minor in Development Management is being offered by the Development
Studies Program in response to the increasing need for good managers
working with social development institutions – managers who do not only
have a mastery of development concepts but who also possess
management skills that will make them effective change agents. The minor
is open to all undergraduate students of the Loyola Schools.
Required Courses and Electives.
Students in the minor program are required to enroll in two core
courses and three electives. They are required to obtain a grade of C or
higher in these courses.
(1) DS 130. Development Management
(2) DS 132. Project Management
(3) Three Development Management electives. Choose from among
existing development management electives and other DS 135.xx courses
that may be made available in the future.

* Electives offered in the first semester
DS 135.2 Social Entrepreneurship
DS 135.10 Alternative Dispute Resolution Processes
DS 135.14 Bridging Leadership
* Electives offered in the second semester
DS 135.1 Social Marketing
DS 135.6 Community Organization
DS 135.9 Microfinance
* Other Electives offered occasionally
DS 135.4 Organizational Management
DS 135.5 Cooperatives and Development
DS 135.7 Seminar on Basic Management Concepts
DS 135.8 Strategic Leadership
DS 135.11 Development Communication
DS 135.12 Resource Mobilization
DS 135.13 Training Management
*Credited Electives
PoS 116 Fundamentals of Public Management
(Department of Political Science)
Accounting
(John Gokongwei School of Management) Finance
(John Gokongwei School of Management)

C. University of the Philippines (UP)
Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies. A four-year course that is
comparable to those being offered by DLSU and AdMU.
UP-CIDS
The then UP President Edgardo J. Angara envisioned the University of
the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP-CIDS)
in the early 1980s as a policy research unit that will harness the
multidisciplinary expertise of UP toward the solution of the nation’s critical
problems.
The UP President’s Committee for the Establishment of a Strategic
Areas Studies Unit submitted its recommendations as regards the creation
of a university-based think-tank. On June 13, 1985, the UP Board of
Regents (BOR) approved the establishment of the University Center for
Strategic and Development Studies (UCSDS). This was soon changed to
the University Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UCIDS) “in
order to reflect the center’s primary objectives and goals.”
http://www.up.edu.ph/content.php?r=7&c=7

III. The Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS)
The PIDS is a government corporation attached under the National
Economic Development Authority (NEDA). The PIDS was created by
virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1201 on September 27, 1977, as a
non-stock, non-profit government corporation. In this year’s budget
under the GAA 2011, the PIDS was allotted an amount of P25,300,000,
the amount of P13,793,000 of which is for research program expenses,
and the rest for general administration and operational support,
respectively.
The PIDS was established to respond to the critical and growing
need for research for planning and policy formulation.

Development Studies: An Academic Approach (DSAAP)

In general, PIDS research is envisioned to help government
planners and policy-makers in the executive and legislative
branches of government. Its primary clientele consists of the
network of agencies which make up the National Economic and
Development Authority. http://www.pids.gov.ph/
A. Roles and Goals
Broadly stated, the goals of PIDS are:
1) To develop and implement a comprehensive and integrated
research program that will provide the research materials and
studies required for the formulation of national development
plans and policies;
2) To serve as a common link between the government and
existing research institutions;
3) To establish a repository for economic research information
and other related activities.

B. Programs, Activities & Organization
To carry out its mandate, the Institute has maintained three basic
programs, namely: Research Program; Outreach Program; and
Dissemination and Research Utilization Program.
The Research Services Department provides both technical and
management support to all the research undertakings of the Institute,
particularly those conducted by the Research Staff. The RSD is comprised
of two units, Project Services and the Management Information Services.
Each unit is composed of four highly dedicated personnel.
The Project Services unit undertakes all the components of research
management, from proposal development to contracting to monitoring and
review of research outputs. The PSS likewise facilitates the formulation of
the PIDS research agenda and coordinates its implementation. It also
maintains continuous liaison with other departments within the Institute and
with external contacts, such as current and prospective donor agencies and
clients. The Management Information Services unit, meanwhile, takes care
of all the computing services required by all the departments within the
Institute. It manages the PIDS information systems and services all the IT
requirements of the Institute. The MIS also provides training to PIDS staff on
various software applications and manages all the IT and computing
hardware of the Institute.

The Research Information Staff (RIS) markets the research
outputs of the Institute to promote their utilization and sets up
appropriate fora to encourage dialogues between researchers
and other key sectors, especially the policymakers.
To carry out this task, the department handles and
maintains two programs, namely, the Publications and
Circulation program, and the Public Affairs program. The
Library Services unit of the Institute is an integral part of the
Publications and Circulation program.
As an important part of its mandate, the department
includes fora and papers that delve on issues which may not
necessarily be part of a completed or ongoing PIDS research
study but are critical components of the country's overall
development thrust. By focusing on these issues, the Institute is
able to immediately respond to the growing demands of the
concerned sectors even before it actually undertakes a
comprehensive study.

The Operations and Finance (Staff) Department takes charge of
providing effective, timely and facilitative auxiliary and logistical services to
the day-to-day operation of the Institute and its research projects. It also
provides technical advice and assistance in various areas of the
administrative services such as personnel management and development,
financial management and control, accounting, property and supply
procurement and management, records management, general utility,
housekeeping and transport. The department also monitors the investment
operation of the Institute's Endowment Fund in order to maximize the returns
to be generated from its investment and at the same time preserve the value
of its principal. The department is also responsible for providing PIDS
management with the financial status of the Institute's various research
projects to enable them to formulate the necessary courses of action in
order to maximize the utilization of its resources.
Finally, the Administrative and Finance Department provides the
necessary linkage, cooperation and working relationship with various
government agencies like the Commission on Audit, Civil Service
Commission, Career Executive Service Board, Department of Budget and
Management, Presidential Management Staff/Government Corporate
Monitoring and Coordinating Committtee, Senate, House of epresentatives,
etc.. The Department has 3 divisions, namely: the Administrative Division,
Finance Division and Accounting and Control Division.

IV. Concluding Statement
Having scanned and studied the many write-ups on the Development
Studies, I can therefore conclude that the DS, just like any research and
development input and output is as only good as those in Authority
supports it. Without the honest-to-goodness support and political will and
moral ascendancy of the powers that be, no amount of “outstanding DS
inputs and outputs” can be put to reality.
While a lot of constraints are at stake such as financial viability,
population explosion, commercial and trade competition in the domestic
and foreign markets, technological advances, moral and spiritual
dimension, and a host of potential threats to national and global
developments must be transcended.
Inasmuch as the patterns and features in the bureaucratic processes
and workings are concerned, the various DS may be utilized to fully assist
and guide the policy-makers and framers--minus the political trappings and
power plays that are out of context of nation-building. How will this be? It
needs maturity and selfless transcendence on the part of the
politicians/partisan politics, the Government, and the citizens to rally
behind and throw extra baggage of wastes: emotionally, physically, and
spiritually.

DS authorities must push for genuine reforms that are not
just within the realm of “sloganeering” and of the “icing on the
cakes.” DS must assert its palpable and empirical
computations and scientific research findings that will make life
easier.
I am just in the quandary hitherto as to why is it that the
Monetary Board and the BSP, since its rebirth from its erstwhile
Central Bank of the Philippines (CBP)—has not been successful
in bringing back the “Anti-Usury Law” and the “disparity on the
interest rates on lending and loaning”—which it and the
NEDA/PIDS can ably and strongly endorse for a law in favor of
the Filipino sovereign. These policy inputs whenever enacted as
a law, together with the Anti-Trust legitimization (that will rectify
monopoly and cartel) shall surely make the playing field much
better not only to the traders, industry, and government, but to
the citizens as well. O, a great propeller to nation-building are
those policies that will empower the people towards
cooperativism, tourism, and educational enterprises, among
other worthy endeavors.

V. Epilogue
Development Studies is in the forefront of developing countries which
transcend the entire gamut of developmental efforts. These are the likes of
development communication, management development, research and
development (R&D), international relations, community development, project
and program development, development finance, social studies, sustainable
development, ODA, millennium development, exchange programs, policy
analysis and research, grants in aid, etc., can be summarily stated in the
mellieu of social and economic development.
On this note, we are reminded by Mr. Kenneth J. Arrow, a Nobel
Prize winner in economics, who has pointed out that technical knowledge is
not costless. But once developed, it can be used repeatedly without
extra cost. In other words, it yields increasing returns. Ideas can
emanate from various sources.
Likewise, the DS as an educational curricular offering, I can profoundly
understand that schools, just like any other non-profit organization must also
generate funds in order to pursue its cause for academic excellence. While
I find the curriculum responsive to the foreign labor market, the compelling
needs for this country to produce entrepreneurs that will propel countryside
development is an imperative link of schools, government and other
stakeholders.

The government, may replicate the IRBD, turned World Bank
(replicated by ADB and our DBP) to extend loans to the educated mass
acting as entrepreneurs in nation-building. Lest, graduates will just end-up
in a pool of under-employed in the call centers or really find themselves in
the unemployed sector—unproductive, remaining consumers of WTO-driven
goods and services that flood the country with much lowered prices that we
produce. The question of loyalty and patriotism in contrast with the
practicality or economy will determine one’s lot.
As DS is basically a tool or device of developing countries, this doesn’t
mean that the NICs or HDCs do not utilize it. The NICs and HDCs are
stakeholders and participants to the DS being proposed or offered by those
developing nations who are partnering to them vis-a-vis the current
treaty/ies specially on economic and trade agreements such that of WTO,
regional and bilateral agreements, and other twinning agreements as well.
While it necessitates a miracle, development studies cum Research &
Development must be strengthened at all cost in order to compete in the
community of nations. DS just like the bureaucracy must be propelled with a
spirit of fortitude, prudence, justice, and temperance that will generate true
and lasting social and economic development that shall be genuinely felt by
the citizenry who can say that “we have already attained genuine” national
development.

VI. References
Assessment of Development Results (ADR) Evaluation of UNDP
Contribution, 2009
Evaluation on Japan’s Development Studies, 2007 International Cooperation
Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
Humanitarian Development Studies in Europe Assessment of Universities’
Training and NGOs Needs, edited by July Gonzales, et al., University of
Deusto, Bilbao, 1999.
Philippines: Critical Development Constraints, Asian Development Bank,
December 2007 & 2008.
The General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2011
The New York Times Almanac, edited by John w. Wright, Penguin
Reference, New York, 2002
Webliography: www.neda.gov.ph; www.pids.gov.ph

Development Studies: An Academic Approach (DSAAP)

Development Studies: An Academic Approach (DSAAP)

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