NSTP 2
MODULE 1
NSTP 2
Lesson 1:
COMMUNITY IMMERSION REQUISITE OF NSTP
“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but something I know; the ones among you who will be really
happy are those who have sought and found how to serve”.
Albert Schweitzer
Intended Learning Outcome:
At the end of the unit, the student should be able to:
1. Gain insights on community immersion as a requirement of NSTP;
2. Explain the significance of the community immersion in the purview of NSTP and national
development; and
3. Internalize the significance of community immersion as an effective tool in addressing
concerns of both the NSTP trainees and the communities served.
Introduction:
In this module, you would be able to learn about the basic information of Community Immersion.
In this way, the NSTP trainees will gained a better understanding and realization of the different
community concerns through the exposure on actual life condition in the community specifically in
the deprived communities
Activate Prior Knowledge
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Below are sample pictures of a community immersion, try to look at the picture carefully and
answer the following questions below;
1. Have you ever done any of these activities?
2. Which of their activities have you already experienced?
3. How do you feel as you do this? Why?
4. Are you willing to do it again, but you will take the lead?
Acquire New Knowledge:
Community Immersion is a strategy in community organizing that is sought to imbibe among the
NSTP trainees a better understanding and realization of the different community concerns through
exposure on actual life situations specifically in the deprive, depressed and the underprivileged
(DDU) communities. These experiences will allow them to integrate with other people who may
facilitate them to undergo certain changes that will make them civic conscious and socially
responsible citizens.
Corollary, community immersion, as a process, is aimed at developing among students-trainees,
through the training program, their appreciation of rendering community works which is
quintessential in affording for them the opportunity to experience and put themselves in real life
situations in the communities they serve. For this reason, each of you should have a genuine feeling
in living with the people in order that you may understand and relate with community concerns as
you go through a self- transformation and personal growth at the same time.
In more specific terms, the NSTP trainees are expected to initiate community based interventions
in the form of projects and activities meant to address the multi-faceted issues and concerns
supported by needs assessment/analysis study that maps out the problems there from which
impedes the important aspirations of the community people in the area of service.
The trainees, in their own little way, contribute in the uplift of the quality of life of the people in the
service areas and at the same time, develop their ethics of service imbued with the good citizenship
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values of maka-Diyos (Godly), makabayan (patriotic), makatao (humanitarian), and makakalikasan
(nature lover) thereby better preparing them as reservists in responding to the call of the times.
Community immersion is an approach of developing among the NSTP students-trainees the concept of
service and empowerment as they reach out to deprived, depressed and underprivileged communities
and the marginalized segments of the society.
The myriad of problems in the community can be addressed by the immersion projects and activities
specifically designed ti improve the different aspects of human development like economic, social,
spiritual, etc. these aspects cannot and should not be defined singly and separately, but must be viewed
interdependently and I totality. However for purposes of delineation, the economic aspect suggests
financial management while social aspect focuses on people interactions and relationship building. On
the other hand, the spiritual aspect is associated with religion and our relationship with the Supreme
Being, regardless of whatever name we call our God.
Translating the aforementioned aspects of human existence, NSTP had contextualized the said concepts
by determining the various dimensions of development along the CWTS component of the program, as
per guidelines of the NSTP Law, to wit:
- Education;
- Health;
- Safety and disaster management;
- Sports and recreation;
- Environmental services;
- Entrepreneurship and livelihood; and moral of citizenry and other social/general welfare
concerns.
In a nutshell, community immersion is an approach of bringing the NSTP trainees to DDU communities
and to underserved, marginalized sectors, providing them the venue where they may encounter
paradigm shifts from being mere spectators of community action, nonchalant and passive citizens to
responsible and effective change agents who are empowered to touch the lives of other people.
However, in as much as the principles’ involved in NSTP community immersion present a solid
foundation for the attainment of the common goal, the quality of the program implementation from
different institutions and schools m y vary depending on the NSTP implementers’ extent of knowledge
on concepts and level of understanding of the process and protocols on community immersion not to
mention the level of commitment in realizing the seemingly lofty yet noble goals of the program.
Moreover, generation of resources must be given an equal amount of attention and forging of
collaborative partnership with the community and organization is deemed necessary in forgoing a
successful community immersion program for NSTP students.
Objectives of NSTP Community Immersion:
a. Define community immersion as an approach and strategy of developing projects in serving
people and communities;
b. Enrich knowledge and competencies as a process for development;
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c. Apply the principles and concepts of working in the community through immersion projects and
activities;
d. Expose in depressed, deprived and the underprivileged communities and marginalized groups of
our society;
e. Appreciate the values of community immersion as a means of developing themselves as citizens
and helping people improve their way of life and in improving their living condition;
f. Enhance civic consciousness and defense preparedness; and
g. Develop ethics of service imbued with good citizenship values.
Application:
Relate a story, whom you consider that, it is a community immersion:
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Assessment:
Choose the right answer by encircling the letter;
1. Community immersion is an important requirement among ___________NSTP students.
a. Male b. female c. both male & female d. none of the above
2. Community immersion is a requirement for students in:
a. NSTP 1 b. NSTP 2 c. OSP d. none of the above
3. Republic Act is the law that requires each students taking the NSTP to undergo community
immersion and implementation of community service projects and activities for a specified
number of hours.
a. 9163 b. 9003 c. 7077 d. 906
4. In Community immersion, trainees are expected to _________.
a. Initiate community based projects
b. be aware of the multi-faceted issues and concerns
c. promote their school
d. all of the above
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5. Trainees undergoing community immersion contribute in the -------------.
a. upliftment of the quality of life
b. enhancement of the economic condition of the families
c. empowerment of people especially the marginalized and underserved.
d. none of the above
6. Participation of students in community immersion deepen their ______.
a. Sense of oneness with the community
b. Community involvement
c. Self-awareness of the real life
d. All the above
7. Project components of community immersion include _______.
a. Health, safety education, sports and recreation
b. Environment and entrepreneurship
c. Social advocacies
d. All of the above
8. Community immersion is a means of developing the _______.
a. Community leaders
b. DDU communities
c. Underprivileged, marginalized sectors of the society
d. All of the above
9. The prescribed minimum and maximum number of training and implementation hours required
of the trainees to fulfill their community immersion requirements in the NSTP law and its
implementing rules and regulations is __________.
a. 36-72 hours
b. 54-90 hours
c. 4-9 hours
d. 48-72 hours
10. Community immersion provides opportunity for students to ______.
a. Experience real-community life
b. Identify true feelings of living with the people
c. Be actively involved in community undertaking
d. All of the above.
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Unit 2
UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY IMMERSION
Learning Objectives
At the end of this unit, the student should be able to:
a. Explain the concepts and principles underpinning community and community immersion;
b. Realize the importance of understanding the dynamics of community and community immersion
as a way to realize the objectives of NSTP; and
c. Practice the standard operating procedures and establish protocols governing community
immersion.
People involved in community immersion must be knowledgeable on the basics of community, i.e.,
its meaning, concepts, underpinning principles, and nature of problems and issues arising there
from. These will enable the trainees to have a good grasp of the local situation, thereby preparing
them to appropriately respond to the multifarious concerns in the community and properly carry
out immersion projects and activities that is so conceived to bring about long-term amelioration,
and not just over-night, cosmetic solutions, of the social menaces and ills.
What is Community?
Noted community development specialist Arlien Johson once wrote that the term “community”
refers to a group of people gathered together in any geographic area, large or small, who have
common interests, actual or potentially recognized in the social welfare field.
As per concept, a community may be categorized as geographical or functional. The term
geographical community is defined in the purview of group of persons living the same geographical
location like in a certain village, town, neighborhood, district, area or territory. Meanwhile,
community is said to assume the functional nature if the aggregate of people though not necessarily
based on living in the same geographical location is bonded by a common end such as fighting for
the same cause, having eh same interests and goals. These are people who hold common values,
share common functions or express common interests.
A certain type of community has recently emerged. Some refer to it as just social movements
but its definition points out that it surfaced out to the two other types of community. It is called a
relevant community that defines a group of people having similar interests and goals as the
communities around them. These population have common interests in changing existing
institutions to their advantage in order to achiever redistribution of resources. It is geared towards
organization of the poor.
ELEMENTS OF A COMMUNITY
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As a trainee, one should be aware of elements of a community in order to understand the
dynamics thereof. The important elements are demographics, history, culture, economy, and
structures.
In example, you were able to identify that it floods in a market area nearby the creek. During
rainy seasons, sales are very low because their merchandise gets soiled by the rain. They have
adapted by using improvised plastic covering to coat their merchandise but they are not so
attractive. What kind of projects do you think you can do by learning this information already? By
experience, the architecture and fine arts students training in the NSTP would usually think of
enhancing the features of the merchandise, covering the stalls to attract more consumers evens
during the rainy season.
IMMERSION AS AN IMPORTANT APPROACH IN GIVING COMMUNITY SERVICE
An old adage says that, “Experience is the best teacher.” Going though the immersion process
and conducting community service activities/projects will enable the trainees to understand how the
people feel, think, say, and behave as dictated by their conditions and situations in life as a means to
make feel and realize that they are more fortunate than many tithers and the students can do
something to improve he lives of the marginalized and underserved.
As the Holy Scripture tell us, “To whom much is given, much is required.” Since students have
been given the rare opportunity and the distinct privilege of being schooled that they are supposed to
better the living conditions of those whom were not as auspicious as they are.
The basic questions as “What is the relevancy of the immersion part of the NSTP?” and “Why
would trainees need to study the behavior of the people in and that which composed the community
where they serve?” Answer to these sorts of questions is provided for in NSTP Act and has served as the
mandate and core of recognizing the role of the in-nation building. Young people are vested with the
obligation “to defend the security of the State and in fulfillment thereof, the government may require
each citizen to render personal military or civil service,” (Section 2, NSTP Act of 2001) whether in times
of peace or war. Simply put, aside from becoming socially aware of the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats of their communities, trainees are believed to possess the qualities and
energies that, if properly channeled and directed, will yield results towards arresting, if not totally
annihilating, the innumerable dilemmas of man.
The next question that a trainee is bound to ask is the first step of the process of immersion,
“Are trainees, young as they are, capable of responding to the stringent requirements of community
building and meeting the skills and knowledge criteria of transforming communities?” Definitely, yes.
The role of the youth in national/local development cannot be overemphasized. To reinforce this are
the very words of our national hero, “The youth is the hope of the Fatherland.”
WHAT IS COMMUNITY IMMERSION?
Community immersion is a essential strategy in community organizing work that entails
understanding of the different community concerns, process, dynamics and lifestyle through exposure
and engaging in different activities. It is different from the actual organizing work. Immersion is just one
of the strategies in plunging into community organization. Venture undertaken may be integrated or
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specialized activities which entail entering, familiarizing and involvement of the self in the conduct of the
activities for community development.
PHILLIPINES: THE NATIONAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN (NDRRMP) 2011
TO 2018
Publication date: 2011
Source: Philippines
A plan which serves as the national guide on how sustainable development can be achieved through
inclusive growth while building the adaptive capacities of communities; increasing the resilience of
vulnerable sectors; and optimizing disaster mitigation opportunities with the end in view of promoting
people’s welfare and security towards gender-responsive and right-based sustainable development. It
outlines the activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of the national government and the local
government units (LGUs) together with partner stakeholders, to build the disaster resilience of
communities and to institutionalize arrangements and measures for reducing disaster risks, including
projected climate risks and enhancing disaster preparedness and response capabilities at all levels.
The plan highlights, among others, he importance of mainstream disaster risk reduction and
management (DRRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA) in the development processes such as policy
formulation, socio economic development planning, budgeting, and governance particularly in the area
of environment, agriculture, water, energy, health, education, poverty reduction, land-use and urban
planning and public infrastructure and housing among other. It also highlights the need for
institutionalizing DRRM policies, structures, coordination mechanism and programs with continuing
budget appropriation on DRR from national down to local levels.
Community immersion in NSTP is devised as a strategy in molding and ‘conscientizing’ students
just so that they may be socially aware and responsible to their communities. This manner of
transformation is bent on training the youth to becoming civic conscious and defense prepared
individuals. The nature of immersion efforts done is along the dimensions of, but not limited to
education, health, safety education, sports and recreation, environmental services, entrepreneurship,
morals of citizenry and other social welfare concerns.
In view of the fact that immersion is a major concern in development work, trainees may find it
significant to be guided by the following precepts:
- Trainees should immerse in actual community life to get to know the social, political and
economic situation of the people.
- Trainees may also undergo certain changes like increase in knowledge about the social
realities, development of good values, empathy towards other people, improvement of
social skills, among others.
- Trainees should identify the community people’s interest and aspirations.
- Trainees must recognize people’s resiliency and does not rob them of their right to have
community participation and determination of appropriate course of action.
- Trainees should be aware of the gain-negotiated sanction – the acceptance derived from
community relations coupled with the right to conduct immersion activities.
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- Trainees must reflect on how their social analysis of the current situation is concretized in
community people’s lives. The analysis should have a much meaning for the trainees as for
the community.
The following are the forms of integration in community immersion:
- Home visits
- Living with selected families preferably with the key informants
- Informal discussions with individuals or groups
- Sharing in household and community activities (cooking with the community host, cleaning
drive)
- Attendance in social gatherings (fiestas, weddings, etc.)
- Assistance in production work (selling, farming, etc.)
WHOM DO YOU IMMERSE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY?
When one goes to a community, he/she associates with the people whom intends to work with
as partners, allies Community-based service projects must be premised on the principle of people
empowerment and not the ‘dole out’ mentality. The parents, youth, the differently-abled constituents,
professionals, members of people’s organizations, and other formal and informal group, and others who
can be a potential collaborator or your project or activities. We do not just work for and serve the
people but rather we encourage their participation. This practice of enjoining people’s support is
adherent to the Confucian’ Philosophy of “give man a fish and he will for a day; tech him ow to fish and
he will for a lifetime.” Community immersion is empowering the people towards development of the
locality.
CONDITIONS IN A COMMUNITY IMMERSION
It is desired that one fundamental pre-requisite qualification among those who intend or are
tasked to undergo community immersion is a full understanding of the concepts and theories behind the
dynamics of groups and community. In the same breath, knowing the very process of immersion is a
primordial condition. This is so because this endeavor requires a great deal of know-how and sills in
facilitating interventions planning and managing community service projects, among others.
Training-wise, community developers/organizers and social workers are most qualified because
it is assumed that they have more or less formal background on carrying out these kinds of undertaking.
As for NSTP, students enrolled in NSTP-CWTS/LTS 2 are mandated to undergo community
immersion for a period covering a minimum of 54 hours to a maximum of 90 hours as cited from CHED-
prescribed Program of Instruction (POI), 2007 edition.
WHAT PERSONAL GAINS FROM COMMUNIT IMMERSION?
The community immersion aspect of NSTP will be able to benefit not only the communities
served but more so the student-trainees who may be accorded with the following advantage:
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- Opportunity for the trainees to comprehend people’s lives because of the chance given to
them to see real life situation, live identify and associate with the people therein;
- Gain social acceptance derived from community relations coupled with the right to offer
services;
- Enhance experiences in conducting asset mapping such as identifying geographic coverage,
point out resources and the use, and the relationships of people with the existing resources;
- Establish rapport and relationship with different people who may be of help to them at
some future time;
- Develop their conscientization ability. It helps them realize issues that will help solve
problems in the community. It is important for them to do something that can change their
situation.
- Acquire first-hand experiences in dealing with community work; and the
- Chance to learn life skills that will enrich and better their persons.
Most important of all, community immersion is in consistent with the innate and ultimate
intention of helping people as immortalized in the words that spell the extension creed by Dr. Y.C. James
Yen of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction.
The Extension Creed
Go to the people.
Live with the people. Learn from them.
Plan with them. Work with them.
Start with what the know.
Build on what they have.
Teach by showing, learn by doing.
Not by showcase but a pattern.
Not odds and ends but a system.
Not piecemeal but integrated approach.
Not to conform but to transform.
Not relief but release.
DOS AND DON’TS IN COMMUNITY IMMERSION
It is a basic rule that trainees must be well-versed with the area, skilled to communicate with
community people and disciplined to keep yourself from responding indifferently towards diverse types
of personalities.
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Prudence, therefore, orders that community “immersionists” must be well-informed of the
prescriptive and prescriptive and proscriptive norms in the conduct community immersion.
Hereunder is a guide prepared by Dr. Florida C. Labuguen and Ms. Emily Rose M. Bautista in
manuscript form entitled ‘Essential Protocols When Visiting Community.”