Southeast Asia: Philippines

Philippines
Lelia N. Rabago 1
1. Community-Based Solid Waste Education
Background: The land area of the Dilliman Campus of the University of the
Philippines is 500 hectares. In addition to the academic buildings and college
grounds, it has several residential areas for the families of staff and faculty.
Students are housed in large dormitories.
As in all other communities, a major problem in the university campus is solid
waste disposal. The Universitys dumpsite is at the boundary of its Arboretum.
There are five open dump trucks doing the garbage round up, collecting 80 to
100 cu m of mixed waste per day. The garbage collected is currently dumped
openly and burned. There are several squatter families living near or within the
dumpsite; they are mostly engaged in scavenging activities. Some junk dealers
come once a week to buy recyclable waste materials from the scavengers.
The garbage situation in the campus is far from satisfactory. It was felt that
there was a need to set up a model community education program on solid waste
management for the university campus.
Role of Environmental Education: Environmental education is important to
make people aware of environmental problems, to make them more
knowledgeable about them, to provide them with skills and motivation to
resolve those problems and to prevent new ones from occurring. As part of a
community education program on solid waste management, environmental
education is expected to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the
members of the community towards proper handling of wastes.
The development of a community-based educational program on solid waste
management should consider the following significant aspects (Stapp, 1976):
The program should increase awareness of and knowledge about solid
waste management, impart positive attitudes, and motivate action
about it.
The program should provide continuity and progression, such that
understandings developed in one level should be elaborated on and
expanded in the subsequent levels.

No. 29 Atty. Pat. Senador Street, San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City, Metro Manila,
PHILIPPINES 1105
Telefax No.(63-2) 415-2706 (just ask for a fax tone)
E-mail: [email protected].

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The program should be linked with community realities, and cater to

community solid waste management problems as best as it could do
so.
The program should provide a comprehensive in-service training
program for program implementers. Such training should be directed
at helping implementers increase their understandings, interest and
skills in solid waste management.
The program should be evaluated periodically.

The Project: The project leader and principal researcher was Elenida del
Rosario Basug of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the
Philippine governments Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR). The study sought to evolve a developmental model of a community
education program on solid waste management for a university community. It
specifically investigated (1) the waste management scheme at selected sites of
the campus prior to the studys educational interventions, (2) the community
response to the suggested waste segregation strategies, and (3) insights from the
study that can be used to develop a model of an educational program on
community solid waste management for the chosen university.
The study sample consisted of residents of all ages children, teenagers,
househelpers, mothers, fathers and the elderly at five selected sites inside the
university campus. In this paper, they are referred to simply as Sites A, B, C, D
and E.
Several instruments were used in the study; a survey questionnaire, seminar tests,
an attitude scale and an interview guide.
The educational interventions employed included (a) holding of community
meetings and seminars; (b) showing of educational videos and transparencies;
(c) distribution of brochures, handouts and fliers to the residents; and (d) putting
up streamers, billboards, labels, stickers and neon signboards. The significant
events of the study were photo-documented.
Key Players, Activities and Funding Scheme: The project operation was made
possible through a working arrangement with a local non-governmental
organization that goes by the acronym AKKAP, with some assistance from the
EMB Presidential Task Force on waste management, in coordination with the
Local Government Unit (or Barangay) and the University Administration.
Coordination with the project sites was done with the help of AKKAP and the
respective area leaders through community letters and house-to-house visits.

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An initial survey questionnaire was administered in order to determine basic

information on the households (such as number of occupants, pets, if any, their
current waste disposal practices, etc.) to characterize the respondents.
Observations were also recorded and analyzed.
An attitude scale was administered to determine the respondents attitudes
towards garbage and solid waste management.
Evaluation sheets were periodically administered in order to elicit from the
respondents factors that must be considered in developing a model of an
educational program on community solid waste management.
Evaluation of the data was primarily concerned with the relative attainment of
the following subgoals of education on solid waste management.
Cognitive: helping the participants acquire basic understanding of
solid waste management,
Affective: helping the participants acquire strong feelings fundamental
to developing a concern for solid waste management and a motivation
to participate in activities for improving the quality of the
environment,
Psychomotor skill: helping the participants develop the skills for
proper solid waste management.
Accomplishments: The waste management scheme at the residential areas of
the University prior to the studys educational interventions was found to be
generally limited to mixed waste collection and disposal activities. Waste
segregation attempts were not effective since all collected garbage
biodegradables and nonbiodegradables alike ended in the same garbage truck
anyway. It was only when the AKKAP Solid Waste Management Project
started biodegradable wastes collection in 1998, which was later picked up by
the trailer truck of the Universitys Campus Management Office for the
Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule, did residents of the selected sites feel less
frustrated about the waste segregation effort.
Three waste segregation strategies were proposed by the project for the selected
sites and were accepted by residents during separate community meetings at the
sites. The residents generally responded favorably to the respective strategies
tried out for each: (a) separate collection schedules of biodegradable and
nonbiodegradable wastes for Site A and Site D; (b) separate triple
bins/containers for respective types of wastes - biodegradables, recyclables and
disposables for Site B and Site E; and (c) proactive drop-in scheme (meaning,
already segregated wastes) with a waste segregation center at Site C.

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The center in Site C has a composting area, a recycling section and a bin for
recyclable wastes, maintained by two eco-aides of the Barangay. Participating
residents, old and young alike, come with their segregated wastes in the morning
of Monday to Saturday, willing to pay PhP1.00 for the processing of every kilo
of biodegradable wastes. A garbage truck collects disposable garbage from the
center once a week. Some residents do not participate in the drop-in scheme,
and instead rely on garbage trucks that occasionally pass by or drop their
biodegradable wastes in a transfer station nearby. Majority of the residents,
however, have expressed acceptability of the drop-in scheme. Waste recovery is
observed to be high, and the wastes are generally segregated because of strict
monitoring by the Barangay eco-aides; they do not accept mixed wastes. Since
the biodegradable wastes are immediately composted in the nearby composting
area, there is no problem with foul smell.
The implication is that any of the three waste segregation schemes i.e.,
separate collection schemes for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes,
separate bins for respective types of wastes, and proactive drop-in scheme (of
already segregated wastes) at a segregation center may be applied for solid
waste management in a university community setting, as long as the residents
are properly trained in waste sorting.
Educational materials used in the project include print materials (posters,
primers, fliers, brochures, handouts, stickers, survey instruments, memoranda),
outdoor signs (streamers, billboards, neon signboards, labels, etc.), educational
videos, community seminars/fora and ringing bell (announcing garbage
collection)
Of these, specifically cited as useful by the residents are the print materials,
outdoor signs, garbage bins, community seminars/fora and bell ringing.
Certain factors appear to be indispensable for setting up a community education
program on solid waste management. In the order of importance, they are:
site-specific waste segregation and collection system (Such a system
has to be agreed upon by the residents and pilot-tested. This is
important because the educational interventions must be closely
synchronized with the site-specific waste segregation and collection
system.)
top-level commitment and endorsement of the program (by both the
local government, Barangay and the University Administration)
availability of print campaign materials
use of outdoor signs
conduct of community seminars/fora
use of survey instruments

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A model based on experiences, observations and insights gained from the

study is proposed in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Generic Model of an Educational Program for Community

Solid Waste Management

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Problems Encountered: Initially, the biggest stumbling block to waste

segregation was the existing garbage collection practice of having one truck pick
up all garbage segregated or not. In other words, it was clear to everybody that
there was no point in segregating wastes.
In 1998, the collection of biodegradable wastes at two sites (D and E) followed a
paying scheme of PhP1.00 per kilogram of biodegradable wastes to serve as
income for the out-of-school pedicab boys who were collecting them on a
Monday-Wednesday-Friday morning schedule. By the end of 1998, however, as
personnel maintenance, operations and materials cost for such a collection
scheme turned out to be too high and could not be sustained by the PhP1.00 per
kilogram rate, this was discontinued.
In other words, the scheme was not cost-effective. Hence, the collection
strategy had to be revised, accompanied by an intensive education campaign.
Reflections, Lessons Learned And Future Prospects: Insights gained from
the experiences and observations during the entire project and findings of the
research point to the advisability of doing the following in the future, the sooner,
the better. (See Table 1 for success criteria).
Even only within its campus, the University should strengthen its
implementation of the public education and information aspects of the
Ecological Waste Management Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9003, Sections
55 and 56) that, among others, will aim to develop public awareness of, and the
community-based solutions to, the solid waste problem; concentrate on waste
reduction, resource conservation and recovery, recycling, segregation at source,
reuse and composting activities; encourage the public to endorse and
patronize environmentally acceptable products and packaging materials; and
strengthen the integration of environmental concerns, particularly on solid
waste management, in the school curricula at all levels.
The University should strengthen its Task Force on Waste Management, under
the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs, with sufficient
manpower and resource allocation to catalyze expansion of the activities of this
project to all residential areas in the campus.
The University should institutionalize the periodic monitoring component of its
Community Solid Waste Management Program (i.e., this project). The
monitoring can be done by an appropriate community body (the membership of
which should be decided by the residents themselves) and by an Ad hoc
Committee to be designated by the University Chancellor and/or by the
Barangay Captain.

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Table 1: Success Criteria for Evaluation of a Community Solid Waste

Management Program (Basug, 2001)
Criterion

Indicators

1. Participation rate

University Chancellors/Barangay Captains endorsement of the program

(presence or absence)
Number of residents participating in the program
Number of committed implementers
Description of participants involvement in the program (active or passive)

2.Residents knowledge
and understanding level
of the elements of solid
waste management

Scores on written evaluation instruments to be administered (increase or

decrease in scores in pretests/post-tests).

3. Attitude toward
(a)waste management/
materials and
(b)conservation
among participants

Scores in attitude survey instrument

4. Integration of solid
waste
management
concerns
in
the
community
planning
and
purchasing
programs

Number of Barangay activities launched for the program

5.Resource mobilization
for the program

Money/materials of the Barangay mobilized for the program (increase or

decrease)
Money/materials of private sector support to the program (increase or
decrease)

6.Preparatory
organizing Work
participants
of
program

Number of orientations/seminars/fora conducted

Number of information materials (such as fliers, handouts, brochures, etc.)
issued
Number of outdoor signs prepared
Number of surveys/interviews conducted
Number of residents and other program implementers trained

for
the

7.Sustainability of the
program

Number of months of uninterrupted program implementation

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The University should initiate an external evaluation of its Community Solid

Waste Management Program to be undertaken periodically by an independent
group outside of its Task Force on Solid Waste Management, and/or nonofficials of the local Barangay. In the conduct of such an evaluation, the success
criteria proposed in Table 1 may be used.
The Universitys Task Force on Waste Management should (a) try out other
forms of information and education campaigns such as the possibility of a
category on the yearly Chancellors Award for the best (campus site/area) in
community participation in waste segregation; and (b) issue incentives to
communities that have high levels of participation, such as the grant of free
compost materials, stickers for garbage bins and the like.
Likewise, the Task Force should employ penalization schemes for
nonparticipation in the program such as noncollection of unsegregated wastes.
The Task Force should establish satellite composting stations in strategic areas
in the campus with large vacant lots.
The Task Force should conduct community surveys periodically for an update
on problems being encountered and suggest improvements, if necessary.
Finally, in the spirit of goodwill and community service, the University may
share with other universities and similar communities the generic model of an
educational program for community solid waste management (Figure 1) that
evolved from the processes and events of more than two years of operation of
the project.

2. GIS for Watershed Management

This is a case study about the use of geographic information system (GIS) in
watershed management. What is interesting about the project is the unique kind
of environmental education (the informal and nonformal levels) involved,
whereby the people (with their thorough knowledge of details about bodies of
water, surface features and built structures on the land they live in and with their
own traditional/indigenous resource management practices and institutions) and
the research team (with their skill in computer technology, in interpreting aerial
photographs and satellite images, in mapping and data management) engage in
extensive dialogue, thereby learning together in their multi-actor analysis of
problem situations in the Ifugao watershed management.
Background: The project was undertaken in the province of Ifugao, located
high in the Central Cordillera mountains in northern Philippines. The province
has a land area of 2,518 sq. km. It is the site of the world famous Ifugao rice

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terraces. The terraces, which drape a very extensive area of mountain slopes and
reach an amazing altitude of 1,600 meters, were constructed by the Ifugaos
centuries ago using only wooden spades, crowbars, digging sticks and bare
hands. In 1995, this magnificent engineering feat was inscribed in the UNESCO
World Heritage List of cultural and natural properties. And in 1997, the
American Society of Civil Engineers unveiled a marker in the town of Banaue,
in recognition of the Ifugao rice terraces as an engineering marvel.
The Problem: Behind the majestic view of the terraces lurk environmental and
economic problems that require immediate attention. Based on the research
teams interviews, personal observations and official documentation, the
underlying environmental problems of Ifugao are: (Gonzalez, 2000)
thinning forests as a result of heavy demand on local wood supply,
intensification of slash-and-burn farming,
erosion and landslides,
abandoned and crumbling terrace walls (a problem deeply tied up
with a larger social problem) and a growing preference of many
Ifugaos young people to move to the lowlands where there are
opportunities.
Historical Perspective: The project stems from the rapid deterioration of the
biophysical environment of Ifugao, with the specific problems cited in the
preceding sub-section. The degradation of the majestic rice terraces that the
Ifugaos have laboriously built and successfully maintained reportedly for over
2,000 years implies that the issue at hand is actually one of sustainability.
The system of terraces was built by the unique culture of a simple mountain
people in response to the challenging conditions of their fragile mountain
environment. Anything that would undermine that culture would likewise
undermine the sustainability of the terraces.
Gonzalez (2000) believes that this was exactly what must have happened in
Ifugao. Her search into historical materials pointed out that: the problem can be
traced to the incorporation of a once closed Ifugao society into a global
economic order since 1900, with the arrival of American colonizers, who took
over after Spains 350 years of failed domination. She suspects that the sudden
exposure to economic competition as monetary exchange took over barter, the
draw of new jobs at American mining sites and vegetable farms in the
neighboring province of Benguet, the introduction of a colonial religion and
educational system that are far removed from the realities of the place, the
relegation of backward and uncivilized local knowledge to the backseat of
community development, and the collapse of collective decision making through
ubbu and baddang (which are traditional community workgroups crucial to
terrace maintenance)these changes were most probably among the social

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influences that brought about the current question of sustainability of the Ifugao
rice terraces.
Confluence of Factors. As if the challenges to the sociocultural system
underlying rice terracing agriculture in Ifugao, the growing population of the
province that exerts pressure on the land and the degradation of its biophysical
system were not enough, a great earthquake rocked northern Philippines in 1990
that triggered massive landslides. It accelerated erosion over vast areas and
increased the sedimentation rate of Magat Dam (the major source of electricity
and irrigation water of Luzon, the countrys largest island), which receives water
from major river systems in Ifugao. The result is a drastic decrease in the dams
years of service from 100 years to only about 43 (National Irrigation
Administration, 1996).
Even at the local level, water is of great value to the Ifugaos, not just for their
personal needs, but also for their agricultural practice of keeping the terraces
filled with water, all year round if possible, to prevent erosion. To them, water
is the main factor for the sustainability of terrace cultivation (Ifugao Terraces
Commission, 1995). There is therefore an urgent need to address Ifugaos water
problem through watershed management.
The Project: The research project started in 1998 when Prof. Rhodora Gonzalez
of the University of the Philippines (then a doctoral candidate at the Wegeningen
University, The Netherlands) was tasked to explore the possibility of
incorporating indigenous knowledge of natural resource management in a
geographic information system (or GIS), to assist in community-based
sustainable development programs being undertaken by the Philippine Rural
Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), a non-governmental organization that has
been doing development work in Ifugao since 1988.
The main objective of the research was to try the use of participatory methods
and Ifugao farmers participation in developing a GIS for facilitating multiple
actor learning about their problematic situation in natural resource management
at the local (i.e., community and municipal) level and articulating the same at the
provincial level.
The actual fieldwork was done in four adjacent barangays (communities) of the
town of Banaue in Ifugao province, and lasted 13 months.
Key Players and Activities: Among the key players in the natural resource
management are the Ifugao farmers, the principal researcher (Prof Gonzalez),
the Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Ifugao Terraces Commission (ITC).
ITC is in charge of the large-scale restoration and preservation of the rice
terraces. It also collaborates with the local offices of the pertinent government

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agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environment

and Natural Resources, the Department of Agrarian Reform, the local
government units as well as NGOs and local peoples organizations.
The research itself included the following activities:
Tracing the history of Ifugaos indigenous natural resource
management in order to learn about the traditional spatial information
system that the people used in maintaining their terrace ecosystem,
and how it evolved into its present situation.
Identifying the past and present actors in Ifugaos natural resource
management in order to determine their corresponding interests,
and/or changes in their interactions as a step towards understanding
individual and mutual interests in natural resource management
negotiations.
Participating in and observing natural resource management activities
of the different actors in order to better understand the processes and
interactions involved and identify those with potential applications for
GIS.
Using participatory methods with GIS techniques in developing an
natural resource management information system that integrates
qualitative and quantitative spatial information in order to make
visible the different knowledge processes and facilitate their
interaction in natural resource management at both local and
provincial levels.
Assessing the present outcomes and the potential of the participatory
GIS developed in Ifugao for effective natural resource management at
the local level and for articulation with provincial managers.
The strategy used by the researcher to address the complexity of natural resource
management is joint learning. It is the interaction of knowledge from different
perspectives in understanding and improving a problematic situation (Pretty,
1994). This kind of environmental education is special in the sense that the final
picture of a problematic environmental situation evolves from the individual
perceptions, assessments and interpretations of the multiple actors who happen
to have their own individual motives and Weltanschauung (Checkland, 1993) or
world view (Warren, 1975).
Accomplishments: With the support of PRRM and by using participatory
methods with GIS techniques, the principal researcher was able to develop a
GIS-assisted terrace monitoring system that is based on the traditional
monitoring system (mun-unod) of Ifugao. It demonstrates how data about
terrace problems can be put together to show the local situation in a barangay
and, later on, further aggregated to show the overall situation in the province.

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The project also established a new channel of communication between local and
provincial actors of natural resource management. With GIS, local views (such
as priority problem areas) can be communicated as mapped data for provincial
actors of natural resource management to consider in conceptualization and
planning projects. GIS facilitates this communication using the principle of data
aggregation and integration by overlay operations.
Problems Encountered: With a number of government agencies (primarily the
Department of Tourism, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources) and other groups doing development in the
same area (Ifugao), overlapping of program activities can be expected.
Furthermore, the strategies that the agencies/organizations employ naturally
depend on their respective development views and objectives. For instance, if a
group is interested simply in repairing destroyed terrace walls, it will just hire
anybody from the local menfolk for the job. On the other hand, if a group (say,
PRRM) believes that the Ifugao tradition of cooperation and responsibility
should be revitalized, it will utilize for the restoration job traditional workgroup
called baddang. Clearly, there is a need for strong collaboration among the local
offices of government agencies, local government units, NGOs and local private
organizations in formulating and implementing their programs of action in
Ifugao in order to minimize overlaps/conflicts and maximize the impacts of their
programs.
As for the use of computerized geo-information technology in Ifugao, one will
readily come to the conclusion that the greatest problem is poverty. Ifugao has
been identified as having the highest poverty incidence, the worst
underemployment rate, and the lowest life expectancy in the Cordillera
Administrative Region (Provincial Planning and Development Office, 1996).
The Ifugao terrace farmers have neither the financial capability to acquire
computers nor the knowledge and skill to use them.
However, the saving grace is the fact that there are now NGOs (such as Peoples
ACCESS and PRRM) that propagate the use of computers, computerized
information systems and electronic communication among themselves in order
to facilitate their development work. They share among themselves their
databases about social and environmental information and use them in drawing
up local development plans.
Reflections, Lessons Learned and Future Prospects: Geographic information
system is generally described as a computerized database about spatially
referenced (or geographic) phenomena on earth that provides the following four
sets of capabilities to handle the data: input, management (storage and
retrieval), analysis and display (Burrough, 1986; Aronoff, 1989; Goodchild

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and Gopal, 1989; Frank, 1993). Among various applications of GIS, one is to
provide data for decision making in natural resource management. Maguire, et
al. (1991) report, in fact, that GIS is now widely used in land use planning,
forest monitoring, biodiversity conservation and habitat protection in other parts
of the world. GIS technology, therefore, is not a solution by itself but, instead, a
valuable tool for several natural resource management actors learning together
about the environment or resource to be managed. Thus, the basic problem of
this research was: Can GIS provide a mechanism that would facilitate thinking,
negotiation and active social construction of natural resources in shared
learning and concerted decision making for natural resource management?
This research was not an attempt to prescribe a solution to Ifugaos deteriorating
forests, water supply and terrace walls but, with the help of GIS technology, to
speed up the process of joint learning by the various NRM actors, regardless of
their respective world views.
The issue of sustainability in this case has two fronts: that of the terraces and
that of utilization of GIS for natural resource management in Ifugao.
Considering the economic value of the Ifugao rice terraces to the countrys
tourism industry as well as their cultural value to the world (UNESCO, 1995),
the protection/preservation of the terraces is more or less assured.
Regarding the project output i.e., the GIS-assisted terrace monitoring system
based on the traditional monitoring system of Ifugao, the principal researcher
reports that the provincial government appreciated this approach, and has
decided to go ahead with this setup (Gonzalez, 2000, p.162). It must again
be pointed out, however, that although GIS has made use of participatory
methods (i.e., participation of multiple natural resource management actors and
the Ifugao farmers themselves) this is simply a tool for the construction of a
realistic picture of the environment to be managed; it is not the solution to the
problem at hand. Its utilization will depend largely on the understanding, vision
and determination of local and provincial natural resource managers. PPRM, for
one, will definitely use it. PRRM has, early on, expressed the need to harness
modern technology such as GIS to help organize the yearly collected data about
resources to be managed, particularly for planning and periodic assessment of
development projects. In fact, this research was intended to be the pilot phase of
a wider project where it will guide its replication in other PRRM branches across
the country.
References
Arnoff, S. (1989). Geographic Information System: A Management Perspective.
Canada: WDL Publication.
Burrough, P. (1986). Principles of Geographic Information Systems for Land
Resources Assessment. London: Oxford University Press.

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Checkland. (1993). Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. New York: John Wiley
and Sons.
Frank, A. (1993). The Use of Geographical Information Systems; The User
Interface is the System. In: Medyckyj-Scott and Hearnshaw, eds. Human
Factors in Geographical Information Systems. London: Belhaven Press.
Gonzalez, Rhodora M. (2000). Platforms and Terraces. Den Haag, The
Netherlands: CIP-DATA KONINKIJKE BIBLIOTHEEK.
Goodchild, M. and S. Gopal (1989). Accuracy of Special Databases. London:
Taylor and Francis.
Macguire, et al. (eds.) (1991). Geographical Information Systems: Principles
and applications. London: Longman.
Pretty, J. 1994. Alternative Systems of Inquiry for a Sustainable Agriculture. In:
IDS Bulletin, Vol. 12, No.2.
UNESCO. 1995. (http://www.unesco.org/whc/nwhc/pages/sites/main.htm)
Warren, D.M. 1975. Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Activating Local
Decision-Making Groups in Rural Development. Iowa: Iowa State
University Press.

3. Bantay Palawan
Background: This is a case study about a resource project that has a unique
environmental education component at the informal and nonformal levels. This
project relies heavily on the philosophy that management of natural resources
will be sustainable only if the people participate directly in the management
effort
The environmental education strategy employed is total immersion in the project,
i.e., the people are actors and/or participant observers, observing the situations
and events from inside the circle of action rather than from outside.
Locale: Palawan is an island province at the mid-western part of the Philippines.
It consists of many islands and islets with a total land area of 14,896 sq. km. It
enjoys the reputation of being one of the very few places in the country where
pristine forests and coral reefs still abound; it has been called an island paradise.
Underlying Problem and Conceptualization of a Possible Solution: In the
early 70s, as the countrys largest province (in terms of total land area) with a
low population density of 49.5 persons per sq km and, as mentioned, blessed
with marine and forest resources, Palawan proved very attractive to new settlers
and in-migrants who wished to start life anew. Unfortunately, the province also
became a magnet for unscrupulous persons who wanted to get rich quick,
regardless of whatever environmental damage their activities would incur.

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During the 80s, Palawan experienced the mounting problems of illegal logging,
slash-and-burn farming, indiscriminate burning of forests, squatting on public
and private lands and highly destructive fishing practices. Sad to say, the local
police and the military could not effectively apprehend the offenders,
constrained by limited logistical support and by the vastness of the territory to
patrol.
The light at the end of the tunnel came in the early 90s. The rapid decrease in
the provinces forest cover, from 98% in 1968 to 48% in the early 90s, or an
annual average vegetation loss of 19,000 hectares, made the people of Palawan
realize the gravity of the situation and the need for them to take a direct hand in
solving the problem. At the same time, environmental disasters in other areas
such as the Ormoc City flashflood in 1991 (which killed close to 7,000 persons
in the city in a span of just 20 minutes and almost wiped out the entire
population of 2,000 in the adjacent small island of Isla Verde), a major cause of
which has been traced to severe forest denudation of Ormocs surrounding
watershed, dramatically awakened the people to what could happen should
Palawans forests become denuded. Thus, Bantay Palawan (or Palawan Watch)
was conceptualized.
The Project: Bantay Palawan is essentially a movement for the protection,
conservation and sustainable utilization of Palawans natural resources. It puts
together under one umbrella organization the efforts of various local and
national agencies, private voluntary groups, non-governmental organizations and
the general public in the promotion of sustainable resource use and protection. It
involves a continuing environmental education primarily at the
informal/nonformal level to develop environmental awareness, recognizing the
reality that a long-lasting campaign for the environment is possible only when
the citizens are environmentally literate, responsible and committed.
The project came into official existence on January 18, 1993 upon the issuance
of Local Executive Order No. 04 by the Governor of Palawan. Its establishment
was guided by the provisions of the Local Government Code (Republic Act
7160), mandating that local government units shall share with the national
government the responsibility in the management and maintenance of the
ecological balance within their territorial jurisdiction as well as enhance the
right of the people to a balanced ecology. The promulgation of Republic Act
7160, therefore, enabled the provincial government to take direct action to save
its marine and forest resources. These resources serve as the foundation of
Palawans tourism industry as well as its lifeblood, inasmuch as the province has
no significant industrial or manufacturing base of its own.
The project has a three-pronged set of objectives:

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to minimize if not totally eliminate illegal and destructive extraction

of Palawans natural resources;
to develop among the people awareness of the need for resource
protection and conservation; and
to promote and enhance coordination between the government and the
people in mutually beneficial endeavors concerning the protection
and conservation of the provinces natural resources.

Description of Activities: At Bantay Palawans inception, an Executive

Committee and six operational committees were created to carry out the
projects mandate. These were composed of people from both the government
and private sectors. Notable among the participating NGOs are the Tubattaha
Foundation, Environmental Legal Assistance Center, Palawan NGO Network,
Palawan Nature Conservation Foundation, and Nagkakaisang Tribu ng Palawan
(or United Tribes of Palawan). Also included are some private volunteer groups
and the business sector.
Chaired by the Governor, the Executive Committee is composed of the
WESCOM Commander as Vice-Chairman, the chairman of the Provincial
Councils Environment Committee, the Provincial Administrator, the Provincial
Attorney, the Executive Office of Bantay Palawan and its various committee
chairmen as members. Its main task is to coordinate all efforts as well as plan
the direction and approaches to make the program function most effectively
towards its objectives. It meets regularly every quarter.
Various committees include (1) the Education, Information and Training
Committee; (2) the Community Development Committee; (3) the Logistics and
Finance Committee; (4) the Law Enforcement Committee; (5) the Monitoring
and Evaluation Committee; and (6) the Prosecution and Adjudication Committee.
These committees implement the defined strategies of Bantay Palawan through
specific projects and activities.
The Education, Information and Training Committee is concerned with
developing, among the public, awareness on the importance of nature
conservation, biodiversity and the dangers of deforestation, marine siltation and
other threats to Palawans forest and marine resources through information
dissemination. It conducts training, and is also in charge of production of
information campaign materials on various environmental concerns. It also
documents and publicizes the projects achievements.
The main concern of the Community Development Committee is to reduce the
temptation for people to commit illegal acts by offering alternative livelihood
programs to deserving beneficiaries. Corollary to this function is that of

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organizing the people in rural communities in accordance with the livelihood

program requirements.
The Administrative Staff Office provides secretarial support to the Executive
Committee. It coordinates the preparation of Bantay Palawans annual plan and
budget. The annual budget of the project, primarily for staff salaries and field
operation expenditures, regularly comes from the 20% development fund of the
province. The Administrative Staff Office also coordinates and documents the
activities of the six operational committees. It also coordinates Bantay
Palawans field operations with the different municipal chapters.
Accomplishments: For eight years now, Bantay Palawan has been operating
with a very significant degree of success, so much so that it has become a byword among the people of Palawan. The concept of Bantay Palawan has also
been copied or replicated by many local government units (LGUs) all over the
country. So many missions to study the project has been received by the
Provincial Government over the years that it has become possibly the most
studied project on resource protection by any local government unit in the
country so far.
The projects accomplishments include numerous cases of apprehensions
involving various types of offenses, court convictions, and confiscation of
illegally obtained lumber and tan bark.
Bantay Palawan has also contributed heavily to Palawans Clean and Green
Program, which garnered for the province top environmental awards for three
consecutive years.
Problems Encountered: Bantay Palawan faced numerous problems, which are
summarized below:
Initial lack of public acceptance: Prior to the implementation of the project, the
people had the impression that the NGOs, idealistic and patriotic as they may be,
were the only ones striving for environmental protection. The idea of the local
government doing the same and not just talking but actually doing something
about the problem was too incredible to them. However, reports of illegal logs
confiscated and the loggers charged with the crime, illegally caught fish found,
the fishermen incarcerated and the vessels impounded and other such
accomplishments helped turn public opinion around, so that today the problem is
more of the unreasonably high public expectations from the program.
Moreover, the project was perceived from the start as a police program
specifically for law enforcement. As a result, some politically powerful
individuals and groups with vested interests in the extraction of Palawans

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natural resources took an adversarial stance, and reacted by erecting obstacles in

almost every manner possible.
Operational constraints:
Palawans large geographic size, archipelagic
composition, thin population, and inadequate transportation and communications
facilities make it difficult for a relatively small group to monitor efficiently.
Moreover, the provinces meager budget hampered the projects critical
activities including operational expenses for hauling confiscated lumber,
subsidies to witnesses etc.
Policy gaps: Bantay Palawan operates within the general framework of the
Strategic Environment Plan (SEP) of Palawan (Republic Act 7611), which
defines the general policies and operational framework and strategies for the
sustainable development of the province. However, Republic Act 7611 in many
instances overlap, come in conflict with or contradict other national laws such as
those of DENR. Arguments have arisen, for example, between DENR and the
Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) on the apparent
inconsistencies of the Strategic Environmental Plan with the National Integrated
Protected Areas System (NIPAS Act of 1992), so that other agencies including
Bantay Palawan have for a time failed to act decisively on matters, pending the
resolution of the argument.
More importantly, however, the duplication of functions on the national and
local levels, pertaining to the protection and sustainable management of
forestlands and other areas for protection, engender policy conflicts within a
given jurisdiction. It is not clear who or which should have the final and
definitive say on any matter. Is it DENR or the local government? Thus,
confiscated illegally cut lumber deposited with the local DENR offices are often
released because of different interpretations of the same law or because of
application of different provisions of different laws. The result is that the public
is confused as to which or whom to follow.
Failure in prosecution and adjudication: Despite inadequate budget, Bantay
Palawan operatives are able to arrest perpetrators of illegal logging and fishing,
confiscate illicit materials and equipment and seize contraband products as
evidence. But convictions of arrested suspects are few. This is due largely to
the ability of big-time operators to provide experienced counsels for the defense
of their accused henchmen as well as to offer incentives to witnesses and even
some prosecutors to withdraw from the case. As a result, some cases filed in
court are dismissed even before a preliminary hearing is conducted or the
accused are acquitted on technicalities.
Unsustained support by some municipal governments: The initial operations of
the Bantay Palawan Municipal Chapters were given financial support, with the

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understanding that the municipal local government units would eventually

sustain the chapters through their local funds. But a number of local government
units were not able to do this primarily due to financial constraints and thus,
their municipal chapters became non-operational.
Reflections, Lessons Learned, Spin-Offs Initiatives and Future Prospects:
The people at the helm of Bantay Palawan have taken their job seriously with
selfless commitment and dedication. Steering their ship through a rough sea of
countless problems and obstacles (from apathy to harassment, if not downright
opposition), they have persevered, and they continue to tackle challenges, one
after another. Some problems were solved and some simply accepted as given
factors in the equation. All along the way they have undertaken additional
initiatives for greater effectiveness of the project. For example, they created
Bantay Bayan (or Municipal Watch) and Bantay Barangay (or Village Watch)
organizations all over the province to act as watchdogs against illegal logging,
illegal fishing, poaching in municipal waters, trading on banned animal species
and other activities harmful to the environment and deleterious to the welfare of
the people.
Other related activities include, among others, the following: providing adequate
funding support to priority environmental programs, creation of a multi-agency
Technical Working Group on Resource Management that helps address some of
the key policy issues affecting resource use, and establishment of stronger
linkages with PCSD and DENR to harmonize both policy and procedures for the
issuance of permits such as those related to the operation of municipal
communal forests and sand and gravel quarrying.
Aside from the monumental achievement of protecting the forest and marine
resources of Palawan, Bantay Palawan has made a giant stride in environmental
education. By participating in the various activities and directly observing the
events during the long years of the projects operations, the people of Palawan
have developed confidence in their ability to do something big for their province
the task of protecting and saving Palawans natural resources. This attitude of
stewardship is clearly evident even among school children and the youth.
Visitors to Puerto Princesa (the provincial capital) never fail to notice it even
among the tricycle drivers, who pick up candy wrappers, cigarette butts and
other trash that some of them (the visitors) unconsciously throw on the street.
It seems that the sustainability of Bantay Palawan is, in itself, an achievement.
The Provincial Government is committed to continue the project, despite the
ever-present challenges, as a potent force for the protection and development of
Palawans patrimony for the coming generations. There is currently a series of
consensus-building dialogues to review the mandate, redefine strategic

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directions and streamline operations of the project. It is expected that the results
of this review would provide Bantay Palawan a fresh mandate.

4. Environmental Sensitivity and Children

This is a study that (a) assessed the environmental sensitivity of elementary
school pupils in the Schools Division of Aurora, (b) determined if certain
personal factors such as age, sex, grade level etc. are related to environmental
sensitivity, and (c) identified which of the home, school, experiential and media
factors influence the development of environmental sensitivity.
Background: The study was conducted in Aurora, a province at the eastern side
of Luzon (the largest island of the Philippine archipelago).
The Problem: One of the questions that intrigue Filipino educators involved in
environmental education is this, At what age do most Filipino children develop
environmental sensitivity?
What is environmental sensitivity? Peterson and Hungerford (1982) define
environmental sensitivity as a set of affective attributes (i.e., appreciation,
concern, caring and valuing) that results in an individuals viewing the
environment in emphatic perspective. Agustin (1994) describes it as ones
emphatic view of the environment, encompassing the belief that humans must
live in ecological harmony with the environment. Knapp (1997) associates it
with environmental appreciation and Argury and Johnson (1987), with
environmental concern.
The phrase environmental concern is usually
understood to comprise affective and inactive attitude toward the environment
(Bordon & Schettino, 1979). Rabago (1988) identifies environmental sensitivity
with (a) appreciation of nature and (b) concern for environmental protection.
Why environmental sensitivity? Most educators agree that the goal of EE is
the acquisition of responsible environmental behavior, i.e., developing learners
who are knowledgeable about environmental issues/problems and who are
willing and able to take necessary actions to resolve them (Sia, 1987).
Tomeras (1986) study reveals that the best predictors of responsible
environmental behavior are: (1) ones level of environmental sensitivity, (2) his
knowledge of environmental action strategies and (3) his skill in using those
environmental action strategies. In Sivek and Hungerfords (1989) study, these
are: (1) the persons skill in using environmental action strategies, (2) his level
of environmental sensitivity and (3) his perceived locus of control. Thus, he
recommends that these variables be addressed in formal and nonformal
environmental education programs where appropriate. Similarly, Rogus (1997)
recommends that (1) environmental sensitivity and (2) action strategies be

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considered in a comprehensive environmental education program. Even the

Tbilisi Declaration (1978) affirms that sensitivity to the environment must be
the first category of objectives to be developed.
Hungerford (1986) equates responsible environmental behavior with
environmental literacy. Thus, variables that promote environmental literacy
would likewise foster responsible environmental behavior; these are: (1) ones
knowledge of environmental issues, (2) his values and attitudes, (3) his beliefs
concerning environmental issues (which affect his values), (4) his perceived
locus of control, (5) his level of environmental sensitivity and (6) his knowledge
of and skill in using environmental action strategies.
Roth (1992) defines environmental literacy as the capacity to perceive and
interpret the relative health of environmental systems and take appropriate action
to maintain, restore or improve the health of those systems. Almost parallel to
Hungerfords variables cited in the preceding paragraph are Roths specifics of
literacy level: (1) knowledge, (2) skills, (3) attitudes and values, (4)
environmental sensitivity, (5) personal investment and responsibility and (6)
active involvement. Putting together No. 3 (attitudes and values) and No. 4
(environmental sensitivity) under the term affects while putting together No. 5
(personal investment and responsibility) and No. 6 (active involvement) under
the term behavior, Roth proposes that knowledge, skills, affects and behavior
be addressed in education for environmental literacy.
The Project: The project leader and researcher was Mary Jane Aurelio Nicer, a
science teacher (elementary level) in the Schools Division of Aurora. The study
sought to gather basic data about the environmental sensitivity of elementary
school pupils in Aurora. Specifically, it investigated (1) the level of
environmental sensitivity of the pupils in central schools (i.e., in
towns/municipalities) and in barrio schools (i.e., in the local communities); (2)
the relationship between certain personal factors (e.g., age, sex, etc.) and
environmental sensitivity; and (3) the school factors, home factors, experiential
factors and media factors that contribute to the development of environmental
sensitivity as perceived by the pupils.
The sample consisted of 400 elementary school pupils (200 boys and 200 girls)
of ages 9-12 (100 per age group) from 10 schools (5 central schools and 5 barrio
schools) in the province of Aurora.
The needed data were obtained by using an information sheet, an Environmental
Sensitivity Instrument (Rabago, 1988 and revised 1998), and a questionnairechecklist.

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As mentioned in Section I of this paper, the Rabago Environmental Sensitivity

Instrument is based on two constructs: appreciation of nature and concern for
environmental protection. It is a Likert-type scale with three options: true of me,
not sure, and not true of me. It consists of 20 items. Each positive response gets
a score of 1. A total score of 16 to 20 is interpreted to mean environmentally
sensitive, 10 to 15 moderately sensitive, and 0 to 9 not yet sensitive, based on an
arbitrary categorization of scores and validated (by expert judgment) by
professors of environmental education at the University of the Philippines and
by environmental education consultants at the Environmental Management
Bureau (EMB) of the Philippine governments Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR).
The study was conducted during the academic year 1998-1999. The research
data were processed (analyzed) using the following statistics:
Descriptive statistics (i.e., frequencies, percentages, means and
standard deviations) were used to summarize and describe
demographic variables and respondents environmental sensitivity.
One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to find out if there
is a significant difference in the mean scores of the 10 respondent
schools. And to compare the 10 schools in order to identify
specifically which among them have significant differences in their
pupils mean environmental sensitivity scores, the Duncan Test was
used.
The t-test was used to find out if there is a significant difference in the
level of environmental sensitivity between pupils from the central
schools and those from the barrio schools.
The chi-square (x2) was used to compare the observed and expected
frequencies in each category and test whether all categories contain
the same frequencies in relation to some selected personal factors
(e.g., age, sex etc.).
The Pearson Product-Moment correlation coefficient (r) was further
used to find out if environmental sensitivity scores have a significant
correlation with the independent variables.
Key Players, Activities and Funding Scheme: The study was done in close
coordination with the University of the Philippines (College of Education) and
the Philippine governments Department of Education, Culture and Sports
(DECS-Region IV), Division of Aurora.
The activities during the fieldwork consisted of the following:
Getting official approval from the Schools Division Superintendent.
Initial meeting with the school heads/principals of the 10 respondent
schools to present the communications from the Division Office and
to solicit their approval of, and assistance to, the project.

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With the help of teachers handling Grades 3-6 in each of the schools,
the subjects were selected at random --10 pupils (5 boys and 5 girls)
from each age group of 9-12.
Administration of the Personal Information Sheet and the
Environmental Sensitivity Instrument in phase one.
Administration of the questionnaire-checklist to the pupils who made
it to the environmentally sensitive category in Phase One.

Accomplishments: In general, the level of environmental sensitivity of

elementary pupils in the Schools Division of Aurora is moderate.
Environmental sensitivity is relatively higher among pupils from the central
schools of ages 11 and 12 whose fathers are engaged mostly in skilled work like
driving, carpentry, mechanic, etc. or professionals whose mothers are also
engaged in skilled work or professionals whose fathers have at least some
college education whose mothers are college graduates from families with
relatively higher monthly income from farming and commercial communities
Majority of the respondents who fall under the category of environmentally
sensitive are 11 years old. Thus, it can be said that, in terms of number, the age
at which Filipino children in this study become environmentally sensitive is 11
years old.
However, in terms of the mean score of all the 11 year-old pupils, they still
belong to the moderately sensitive category.
A significant correlation exists between age, grade level, parents educational
attainment, parents occupation, family income and type of community, on one
hand and environmental sensitivity on the other hand. Birth order and sex are
not related to the pupils environmental sensitivity.
Two factors identified by majority of the pupils in the central schools as most
influential to the development of their environmental sensitivity, are parents and
teachers.
On the other hand, the factor identified by the majority of the pupils in the barrio
schools is parents.
As a whole, the top five factors identified by all the environmentally sensitive
pupils in the sample are: (1) parents, (2) teachers, (3) camping, (4)
brothers/sisters and (5) involvement in pro-environment community projects.

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Problems Encountered: The researcher encountered two difficulties in

undertaking this project: One is the difficulty of working with a large number of
children (of ages 9 to 12) from 10 schools that are widely scattered over a large
territory, and without a private vehicle at her disposal. The other difficulty is
lack of financial assistance for the fieldwork.
Reflections, Lessons Learned and Future Prospects: Inasmuch as the
majority of the pupils in this study have only a moderate level of environmental
sensitivity (based on the arbitrary classification of levels of environmental
sensitivity described in Section II of this paper), plus the strong influence of
teachers in the development of environmental sensitivity, the school should
make efforts to include in the teaching process some outdoor experiences (e.g.,
walking tours around the school grounds, field trips, camping, etc.) where pupils
are exposed to those factors that promote environmental sensitivity. Likewise, it
would be beneficial if the school could provide the classrooms with television,
books on nature/environment and periodicals in order to achieve the same end.
Inasmuch as parents were found to be most influential to the development of
environmental sensitivity, the school and the community should take the
initiative to organize pro-environment community programs where parents can
join and acquire more scientific knowledge and practices significant to
environmental protection, which they can later share with their children.
Again, inasmuch as teachers were found to be the second most influential to the
development of environmental sensitivity, teachers should be given training in
environmental education, including skills for community education.
The activities recommended above are not difficult to implement, and the
expenses to be incurred are well within the capability of the school system and
the local government.

5. Developing Critical Thinking

Background: The study was conducted in a public high school in one of the
towns of Laguna Province, at the southern part of the island of Luzon, the largest
island of the Philippine archipelago.
The Problem: To explain the special attention that the Philippine educational
system is giving the higher order thinking skills, particularly critical thinking,
Rabago and Mingoa (2001) cite the 1989 Enclosure No. 2 of the Philippine
governments Department of Education, Culture and Sports (renamed
Department of Education in 2001) that the New Secondary Education
Curriculum (NSEC) shall put emphasis on critical thinking skills to promote
creativity and productivity at all levels. This educational policy is in line with

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the findings of various research studies including those of de Bono (1983),

Beyer (1988), Hernandez (1990) and Reyes (1997) which recommend that
thinking skills must not be left to chance but must be taught deliberately.
What some educators say about critical thinking: It refers to logical thinking
that is focused on deciding what to believe in and do (Ennis, 1985). It is also
said to involve mental operations of middle-level complexity used to judge,
evaluate or assess (Beyer, 1987). It is usually used in the analysis of issues
(Ramsey, 1989). In critical thinking, the person analyzes statements, claims or
arguments (i.e., their accuracy, validity, logic, etc.) before he decides on what
course of action to take (Rabago & Mingoa, 2001).
What science teachers can do to promote critical thinking: Rabago and Mingoa
(2001) recommend that science teachers can, and should, deliberately teach
critical thinking through (a) laboratory work, (b) various teaching strategies
during the lecture portion of the science class, and (c) tests that utilize high-level
questions, both essay and objective types, as well as alternative/nontraditional
forms of assessment of student learning.
For the lecture portion of the science class, the inquiry approach has been found
to be most effective for promoting critical thinking. This refers to teaching in an
investigatory mode by asking questions, and encouraging the students to ask
questions using any of several stimulus materials including case studies, issues
(e.g., environmental issues), research findings, news items etc. Teaching in an
investigatory mode is the opposite of teaching whereby facts/natural
phenomena and definitions are simply presented to the class without giving them
the opportunity to apply critical thinking skills. Stimulus materials such as those
cited here are rich sources of excellent opportunities for applying critical
thinking skills.
Norris (1989) and Moore (1992) add that, while teachers are advised to train
their students to think critically, they are likewise reminded to explain to the
students the importance of practicing it not only inside the class but also outside,
because this is the practical justification for teaching it. Furthermore, one cannot
assume that what is taught inside the class will automatically transfer to the life
outside.
The Project: The researcher was Lea Cabauatan Garcia, a teacher of high
school biology and environmental science. The main objective of her study was
to find out how critical thinking can be developed/improved in an
Environmental Science class using local environmental issues as stimulus
materials. Specifically, it tried to (1) determine if there is an improvement in
students analysis of local environmental issues before and after class
discussion; (2) find out the thinking processes that take place in the students

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mind when an environmental issue is presented to him/her before and after class
discussion on the topic; and (3) find out the teaching strategy that students find
most helpful in analyzing environmental issues.
The study consisted of six case studies. The six students were selected based on
stratified random sampling, that is, two each from the high, middle and low
groups (in terms of grade point average).
The instruments used in the study included pre-test and post-test questionnaire,
interview guide, researchers journal and students journal.
Data gathering procedure was done as follows: Three to four open-ended
questions about four local environmental issues were administered to the
students during the pretest and posttest, followed by an interview to verify their
analysis.
The intervention was a form of class discussion involving the use of seven
teaching strategies, namely issue analysis, lecture discussion, small group
discussion, concept mapping, film showing, role playing, and combination of
film showing and small group discussion.
Data analysis and interpretation were done in a descriptive manner. The study
was conducted during academic year 2000-2001.
Description of Activities: The project has been divided into three phases.
Phase One: This phase consisted of four steps.
(1) Identification of four local environmental issues: This was based on personal
interviews with key officials from the Regional Office of the Philippine
governments Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and
the municipal office of the town.
The local environmental issues recommended for this study, together with their
corresponding teaching strategies are as follows:

Burning as means of solid waste disposal (Teaching strategies

included concept mapping through newspaper clippings of
Philippine/global environmental issues (issue analysis) and lecture
discussion).

Illegal occupancy in the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve (Teaching

strategies included small group discussion through newspaper
clippings on the issue and lecture discussion).

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Laguna de Bay pollution from livestock (Teaching strategies included

pollution film showing and small group discussion)

Effects of the Mak-Ban Geothermal Plant/Philippine Geothermal

Plant (Teaching strategies included role playing and lecture
discussion).

Securing permit from the school for the conduct of the study.

Coordination with the subject teacher and the case students.

Classroom observation by the researcher.

This was done for a week prior to the start of the intervention for the purpose of
establishing rapport between the researcher and the case students.
Phase Two: This phase consisted of the following activities. Pre-test in which
the students were asked open-ended questions on the local environment issues
one week before each regular class schedule and immediately after the pre-test, a
clinical interview with the case students on each environmental issue was
conducted.
Intervention: Class discussion using seven teaching strategies, namely: issue
analysis; lecture discussion; small group discussion, concept mapping, film
showing, role playing, and combination of film showing and small group
discussion.
For analyzing each of the four local environmental issues, the researcher used
Ramsey, Hungerford and Volks (1989) model of the components of issue
analysis listed below:
1. Problem (A condition in which the status of someone or something is
at risk)
2. Issue (A problem or its solution about which differing beliefs and
values exist)
3. Players (The individuals or organizations having a role in the issue)
4. Positions (The positions of the players concerning the issue)
5. Beliefs (Those ideas concerning the issue, whether true or false, held
by the players)
6. Values (Those guides that tend to reflect the relative importance of
beliefs in a given situation)
7. Solutions (The various strategies available to resolve the issue)
Post-test: The same open-ended questions asked during the pre-test were given.
The same interview questions asked after the pre-test were also asked.

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Analysis of the students responses before and after class discussion: To find out
if there is an improvement in the students analysis of the issues after having
been exposed to the intervention, the researcher compared the pretest and
posttest responses using an evaluation guide based on Freedmans (1994) Rubric
Model for grading answers to open-ended questions. The evaluation guide
assessed two general areas: (1) knowledge of the issue and (2) critical thinking
strategy used. The starter questions for the rubric levels are as follows:

For knowledge of the issue: What facts, concepts, illustrations,

descriptions and examples have the student understood while
studying the major idea?

For the critical thinking strategy:

does the student employ?

What critical thinking strategies

And to determine if there is an improvement in the students critical thinking

skills, the researcher compared the number of critical thinking strategies
employed by the student before and after the intervention, this time based on
Freedmans list (Freedman, 1994) of thinking strategies associated with each
critical thinking skill (see list below).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Perceiving several points of view

Weighing evidence
Making logical conclusions
Identifying relationships and patterns
Identifying main ideas
Identifying errors/detecting mistakes in logic
Making value judgments based on facts and figures, not on opinions
and conjectures
Organizing information and making firm judgments
Clarifying issues and terms
Setting standards for judging the value or logic of ideas
Verifying means confirming or proving the truth of an idea
Recognizing a problem using a variety of courses
Synthesizing information
Clarifying issues and terms
Making generalizations

In Freedmans model, the critical thinking skill analysis employs strategies No.
1-6; evaluation, No. 1-11; and problem solving, No. 1-15.
Phase Three: In this phase, the students were asked to rank the seven teaching
strategies used in the intervention according to their usefulness for analyzing
environmental issues.

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Accomplishments: Evaluation of the students responses to the open-ended

questions shows that the students analysis of environmental issues has improved
after the intervention, demonstrating greater knowledge of the issues.
The students employ many critical thinking processes (strategies) in analyzing
environmental issues in both the pre-test and post-test. Improvement in their
critical thinking is noted as more concepts, ideas and reasons are observed after
the intervention.
Based on the critical thinking strategies (processes) used by the students from
the high, middle and low groups, it can be said that their ability to answer
divergent questions does not depend on their academic standing.
Among the seven teaching strategies employed, the students ranked role playing
as most helpful for analyzing environmental issues. This is followed by the
combination of film showing and small group discussion, and then by film
showing.
On the whole, the results of this study indicate that the use of local
environmental issues in an Environmental Science class is indeed very effective
in developing critical thinking in the students.
Problem (Difficulty) Encountered: What the researcher considers difficult in
this project is having to deal with voluminous data, considering that this is a
qualitative research about thinking that takes place in the students mind as
he/she studies an environmental issue.
Reflections, Lessons Learned and Future Prospects: Based on the
researchers observation of the students positive reaction to open-ended
questions and considering their effect on critical thinking, teachers should have
more of these during class discussions as well as evaluation of student learning.
Since role playing has been found to be the most effective strategy for analyzing
environmental issues, teachers should include this strategy in planning lessons,
perhaps as culminating activity for each quarter.
School administrator should initiate seminar and workshops for teachers on
strategies (e.g., inquiry approach) for developing critical thinking in their
students.

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