Papers by Mark Anthony D . Abenir
Social Theories and Service Learning: Towards Building an Integrated Service-Learning Sociological Framework
Journal of community engagement and higher education, Dec 31, 2020
This theoretical paper anchors service learning (S-L) in three broad sociological theories. From ... more This theoretical paper anchors service learning (S-L) in three broad sociological theories. From there, discussions on the actual implementation of S-L based on these theories are explained to build an integrated S-L sociological framework. Four S-L modalities of community engagement are identified-namely transactional, transitional, transformational, and transcendental-with their corresponding respective levels of community participation-namely consultative tokenism, placation, partnerships, and citizen control. The application of such a coherent framework is discussed in the context of contemporary service-learning practices and community impact.
Even though community engagement is an important function of higher educational institutions (HEI... more Even though community engagement is an important function of higher educational institutions (HEIs), many HEI personnel across the world are in need of training in this area. In the extant literature, trainings for community engagement in an HEI context are well studied in countries of the Global North. However, there seems to be a dearth of literature about this field in the Philippines. Our research addresses this gap by delving into the certificate course on community engagement and organizing offered by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila. Specifically, this study describes the content and conduct of the course, presents the satisfaction evaluation results of course participants, and examines their learnings and insights. This study contributes to the literature by documenting efforts made by HEIs in the Philippines in mainstreaming community engagement in the fabric of academic life.
Community-based leadership in disaster resilience: The case of small island community in Hagonoy, Bulacan, Philippines
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2022
RIDAS. Revista Iberoamericana de Aprendizaje-Servicio, 2022
Studies have shown that for Service-Learning (SL) to be truly valuable and transformative, it mus... more Studies have shown that for Service-Learning (SL) to be truly valuable and transformative, it must employ participatory project management practices and is ideally conducted in a face-to-face setting. This case study aims to highlight the strategies used to make SL projects long-term and participatory. It also measures the effectiveness of such approach in achieving a valuable and transformative SL experience for students and partner communities. Qualitative results show that students were able to develop desired personal, professional, and civic competencies. On the part of the partner communities, qualitative results reveal that they appreciate the year-long participatory SL engagement with the students that brought about high quality SL projects. Quantitative data, on the other hand, indicate that the paired samples t-test resulted in a moderate practical significant difference in the pre-and post-test scores of students when it came to their personal, professional, and civic mi...
RIDAS Iberoamerican Journal of Service-Learning, 2021
Studies have shown that for Service-Learning (SL) to be truly valuable and transformative, it mus... more Studies have shown that for Service-Learning (SL) to be truly valuable and transformative, it must employ participatory project management practices and is ideally conducted in a face-to-face setting. This case study aims to highlight the strategies used to make SL projects long-term and participatory. It also measures the effectiveness of such approach in achieving a valuable and transformative SL experience for students and partner communities. Qualitative results show that students were able to develop desired personal, professional, and civic competencies. On the part of the partner communities, qualitative results reveal that they appreciate the year-long participatory SL engagement with the students that brought about high quality SL projects. Quantitative data, on the other hand, indicate that the paired samples t-test resulted in a moderate practical significant difference in the pre-and post-test scores of students when it came to their personal, professional, and civic mindedness skills. Finally, quantitative results indicate that partner communities reported that SL projects brought them a very favorable impact in terms of skills and competencies, motivation and commitments, personal growth and self-concept, and acquisition of knowledge.
Proceedings of the Asia- Pacific Regional Conference on Community Development, 2011
Background of the Study From 1986 to 2000, the HASIK framework guided the extension and community... more Background of the Study From 1986 to 2000, the HASIK framework guided the extension and community service projects of University of Santo Tomas (UST). HASIK stands for Hanapbuhay (Livelihood), Asal (Character), Sikap (Perseverance), Isip (Thinking), and Kawanggawa (Charity). However, one weakness of the HASIK approach was its focus on piecemeal interventions such as relief operations and one shot-deal community services. This has resulted into a client-beneficiary type of relationship whereby the communities became highly dependent to the social services offered by UST, thus, creating and reinforcing a dole-out mentality. Realizing the need for a more holistic development, the Office for Community Development (OCD) in 2001 reoriented its work by transforming relief operations into organizing efforts. Thus, the TOMAS framework was introduced, which stands for Training and education for capability building, Organizing for empowerment, Management for program development, Advocacy, research and documentation, and Spirituality of transformation. The goal of TOMAS is not only to deliver social services, but also to make sure that targeted vulnerable communities become partners who are self-reliant, interdependent, and empowered towards contributing to a Philippine society that is maka-Diyos (God-centered), makatao (humane), makabayan (nationalistic), and makakalikasan (environmental friendly). The indicators used to measure these are the following:
Proceedings of the Quadricentennial International Philosophy Congress, 2012
The liberal and capitalist conception of development at the end of the 20th century has been the ... more The liberal and capitalist conception of development at the end of the 20th century has been the hegemonic paradigm for measuring the so called ‚progress‛ of third-world or developing countries. Such notion of development promotes a controversial belief that humankind has entered the ‚Hegelian end of history‛ since liberal democracy is the true expression of the human need for recognition and capitalism is only but a reflection of the human instinct for gain. However, many, including me, believe otherwise. Through the use of existing data sources concerning the ‘development’ literature, I have attempted in this paper to do a
historical, comparative, and critical analysis of the nuances of development since the beginning of the post-colonial era up to the present. First part of this paper will trace the origins of the post-
colonial hegemony of development, second part will explain the dialectics between the capitalist and communist ideas of development, third part will discuss the deconstruction of the meaning of development, and lastly, the fourth part will discuss the resulting typologies of development which proves that the ‚end of history‛ for humankind has not yet come, or will never come, but only with an assurance that the struggle to achieve human fulfillment is an endless and ongoing process.
Proceedings of the 2012 International Consortium for Social Development-Asia Pacific Conference, 2012
The social costs of labor migration, particularly on children who are left behind, are a cause fo... more The social costs of labor migration, particularly on children who are left behind, are a cause for great concern. Anecdotal evidence suggest that the social cost are juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, psychosocial maladjustments, the loss of self-esteem, early marriages, teenage
pregnancies, and family breakdown. But do these truly reflect reality? This study investigates on the matter by conducting a literature review of 16 empirical studies from the years 2002 up to 2010 which delved into the social cost of labor migration and its effects on left-behind children.
Using a synthesized conceptual framework of Berger’s child developmental domains and Brofenbrenner’s ecological systems approach, the study reveals that that there are no clear cut
positive or negative results as left-behind children are able to adjust to their situation. But it is in the area of psychosocial domain that the effects of labor migration are most problematic which is highly influenced by class and gender structures. The study concludes by giving
recommendations for future research on the need to review and fine tune existing psychosocial support programs for OFW families and left-behind children for the purpose of creating a systematic, sustainable, well-coordinated, child friendly, and gender responsive intervention
programs from the LGUs, NGOs, schools, Church-based organizations and private groups. The study also recommends for more research on highlighting resiliency strategies that left-behind children use in order to adjust to their situation.
Asia-Pacific Journal for Student Affairs, 2015
Securing the rights of the children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) is of vital importance in... more Securing the rights of the children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) is of vital importance in order for the gains they receive from their parent/s' migration be sustained, and for its negative consequences to be mitigated. However, present literature fails to capture children's voices on what those rights should be. Thus, through the use of mixed methods approach, this study used nationwide cross-sectional surveys and selected small group sharing sessions in order to reveal those rights based on expected duties and responsibilities of migrant parents by the children of OFWs. Quantitative results reveal that a majority of OFW children agree that their migrant parents are able to fulfill their duties and responsibilities towards their families but their age, level of education, which of their parent is abroad, and the type of schooling affects children's propensity to agree on this matter. Conversely, qualitative findings reveal four major rights of the children of OFWs that can serve as a basis for public and migration policies that can safeguard the social development of left-behind by migrating parents.
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 2020
Even though community engagement is an important function of higher educational institutions (HEI... more Even though community engagement is an important function of higher educational institutions (HEIs), many HEI personnel across the world are in need of training in this area. In the extant literature, trainings for community engagement in an HEI context are well studied in countries of the Global North. However, there seems to be a dearth of literature about this field in the Philippines. Our research addresses this gap by delving into the certificate course on community engagement and organizing offered by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila. Specifically, this study describes the content and conduct of the course, presents the satisfaction evaluation results of course participants, and examines their learnings and insights. This study contributes to the literature by documenting efforts made by HEIs in the Philippines in mainstreaming community engagement in the fabric of academic life.
Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education, 2020
This theoretical paper anchors service learning (S-L) in three broad sociological theories. From ... more This theoretical paper anchors service learning (S-L) in three broad sociological theories. From there, discussions on the actual implementation of S-L based on these theories are explained to build an integrated S-L sociological framework. Four S-L modalities of community engagement are identified-namely transactional, transitional, transformational, and transcendental-with their corresponding respective levels of community participation-namely consultative tokenism, placation, partnerships, and citizen control. The application of such a coherent framework is discussed in the context of contemporary service-learning practices and community impact.
Philippine Journal of Social Development, 2019
The Capabilities Approach was used in this study to understand the experiences of resilience and ... more The Capabilities Approach was used in this study to understand the experiences of resilience and vulnerabilities in the lives of children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the Philippines. It argues that the impact of family separation on the functionings and capabilities of the children left behind must be analyzed. This will provide the context for identifying what specific human capabilities should be safeguarded to ensure that migration benefits are sustained and vulnerabilities
are mitigated. Through focused ethnography, this study draws qualitative and quantitative insights from 2,446 workshop participants of ANAK (Anak ng Nangibang-bansa Aruga at Kaagapay or Nurturing and Support for the Children of Overseas Workers) held nationwide from 2011 to 2013. Three valuable capability sets were identified that reflected the voices of children of OFWs. Findings from this study can serve as a guide in crafting migration and development policies that are sensitive to meeting the needs of the program participants in particular, and left-behind children by migrating parents in general.
Philippine Journal of Social Development, 2010
There is limited literature on how government and non-government agencies conduct psycho-social s... more There is limited literature on how government and non-government agencies conduct psycho-social support programs and how effective these are in helping children left behind by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). This paper addresses the gap by analyzing the ANAK program of BUNGA Foundation Inc. It makes use of auto-ethnography since it draws from the author’s phenomenological experience as part of said Foundation for five years and as one who, from birth until graduation from high school, was an OFW child. Additional data gathering methods included desk review of documents, participant observation, and informal interviews with key informants. The study describes the components of the ANAK program of BUNGA, some of its gains from the perspective of the children themselves, and deviations from the design. It found the program to have had positive effects on the children, particularly in helping them regain familiarity and intimacy with their parent(s) and positively manage psychosocial ...
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2016
Abstract With the growing global concern on disaster, disaster risk reduction and management (DRR... more Abstract With the growing global concern on disaster, disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) has become part and parcel of the school curricula. In the Philippines, integration of the DRRM in the school curricula is done through the National Service Training Program (NSTP) but review of literature suggests that most DRRM efforts are not disability-inclusive. Hence, this study examines the perspectives of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) NSTP facilitators on disability, their experience in teaching DRRM and their insights in making the DRRM module disability-inclusive. Using a case study as a research design and focus groups as a means of gathering data, this research is able to generate important insights based on the perspectives of the participants. Findings reveal that making DRRM disability-inclusive remains a challenge and is further confounded by factors relating to student, curriculum, facilitator and community issues. However, hope remains for feasible and concrete ways in making the UST-NSTP DRRM module disability inclusive. This study contributes in enriching the literature on how the UST-NSTP program can truly imbibe disability inclusiveness in its mandate to integrate DRRM in the school curriculum.
Books by Mark Anthony D . Abenir
Diwa Learning Systems, Inc., 2020
This book is designed to make students appreciate the importance of community engagement, solidar... more This book is designed to make students appreciate the importance of community engagement, solidarity, and citizenship as applied in real life and in dealing with real-world problems. Through the varied learning activities, quality of discussions, and authenticity of assessment tools, this book equips students with the essential competencies and skills for life-long learning, employment, and socio-civic engagement.
UST Publishing House, 2015
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: UST Publishing House
Researching Student Affairs and Service... more Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: UST Publishing House
Researching Student Affairs and Services
This book charts the organizational history and provides a general profile of University-wide Student Organizations (USOs). It also describes the perceptions of faculty about their role as advisers and their self-evaluations regarding selected aspects of organization advising. Furthermore, it presents the views of administrators on student activities, student organizations, student leaders, and faculty advisers. This book is a must for student affairs practitioners and educators.
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Papers by Mark Anthony D . Abenir
historical, comparative, and critical analysis of the nuances of development since the beginning of the post-colonial era up to the present. First part of this paper will trace the origins of the post-
colonial hegemony of development, second part will explain the dialectics between the capitalist and communist ideas of development, third part will discuss the deconstruction of the meaning of development, and lastly, the fourth part will discuss the resulting typologies of development which proves that the ‚end of history‛ for humankind has not yet come, or will never come, but only with an assurance that the struggle to achieve human fulfillment is an endless and ongoing process.
pregnancies, and family breakdown. But do these truly reflect reality? This study investigates on the matter by conducting a literature review of 16 empirical studies from the years 2002 up to 2010 which delved into the social cost of labor migration and its effects on left-behind children.
Using a synthesized conceptual framework of Berger’s child developmental domains and Brofenbrenner’s ecological systems approach, the study reveals that that there are no clear cut
positive or negative results as left-behind children are able to adjust to their situation. But it is in the area of psychosocial domain that the effects of labor migration are most problematic which is highly influenced by class and gender structures. The study concludes by giving
recommendations for future research on the need to review and fine tune existing psychosocial support programs for OFW families and left-behind children for the purpose of creating a systematic, sustainable, well-coordinated, child friendly, and gender responsive intervention
programs from the LGUs, NGOs, schools, Church-based organizations and private groups. The study also recommends for more research on highlighting resiliency strategies that left-behind children use in order to adjust to their situation.
are mitigated. Through focused ethnography, this study draws qualitative and quantitative insights from 2,446 workshop participants of ANAK (Anak ng Nangibang-bansa Aruga at Kaagapay or Nurturing and Support for the Children of Overseas Workers) held nationwide from 2011 to 2013. Three valuable capability sets were identified that reflected the voices of children of OFWs. Findings from this study can serve as a guide in crafting migration and development policies that are sensitive to meeting the needs of the program participants in particular, and left-behind children by migrating parents in general.
Books by Mark Anthony D . Abenir
Publisher: UST Publishing House
Researching Student Affairs and Services
This book charts the organizational history and provides a general profile of University-wide Student Organizations (USOs). It also describes the perceptions of faculty about their role as advisers and their self-evaluations regarding selected aspects of organization advising. Furthermore, it presents the views of administrators on student activities, student organizations, student leaders, and faculty advisers. This book is a must for student affairs practitioners and educators.
historical, comparative, and critical analysis of the nuances of development since the beginning of the post-colonial era up to the present. First part of this paper will trace the origins of the post-
colonial hegemony of development, second part will explain the dialectics between the capitalist and communist ideas of development, third part will discuss the deconstruction of the meaning of development, and lastly, the fourth part will discuss the resulting typologies of development which proves that the ‚end of history‛ for humankind has not yet come, or will never come, but only with an assurance that the struggle to achieve human fulfillment is an endless and ongoing process.
pregnancies, and family breakdown. But do these truly reflect reality? This study investigates on the matter by conducting a literature review of 16 empirical studies from the years 2002 up to 2010 which delved into the social cost of labor migration and its effects on left-behind children.
Using a synthesized conceptual framework of Berger’s child developmental domains and Brofenbrenner’s ecological systems approach, the study reveals that that there are no clear cut
positive or negative results as left-behind children are able to adjust to their situation. But it is in the area of psychosocial domain that the effects of labor migration are most problematic which is highly influenced by class and gender structures. The study concludes by giving
recommendations for future research on the need to review and fine tune existing psychosocial support programs for OFW families and left-behind children for the purpose of creating a systematic, sustainable, well-coordinated, child friendly, and gender responsive intervention
programs from the LGUs, NGOs, schools, Church-based organizations and private groups. The study also recommends for more research on highlighting resiliency strategies that left-behind children use in order to adjust to their situation.
are mitigated. Through focused ethnography, this study draws qualitative and quantitative insights from 2,446 workshop participants of ANAK (Anak ng Nangibang-bansa Aruga at Kaagapay or Nurturing and Support for the Children of Overseas Workers) held nationwide from 2011 to 2013. Three valuable capability sets were identified that reflected the voices of children of OFWs. Findings from this study can serve as a guide in crafting migration and development policies that are sensitive to meeting the needs of the program participants in particular, and left-behind children by migrating parents in general.
Publisher: UST Publishing House
Researching Student Affairs and Services
This book charts the organizational history and provides a general profile of University-wide Student Organizations (USOs). It also describes the perceptions of faculty about their role as advisers and their self-evaluations regarding selected aspects of organization advising. Furthermore, it presents the views of administrators on student activities, student organizations, student leaders, and faculty advisers. This book is a must for student affairs practitioners and educators.