Over the years, civil society has emerged as a key player in shaping development policy and making strategic interventions in the development process. Civil society refers to those autonomous centers of organized citizen action undertaking initiatives to meet people’s needs. Increasingly, civil society organizations have been asserting their role in democratizing the state and the market by implementing their own development strategies, demonstrating alternative models, and spearheading a reform agenda into the mainstream for adoption into public policy

PRRM helps communities and civil society organizations plan for their development, manage their natural resources, pursue economic activities, address their health and other social service needs, participate in governance, engage the state and other actors in development, and sustain development gains beyond the period of direct assistance. PRRM’s approach also aims to help individuals, women and men, realize their full potentials, in their households, organizations and communities. The gender dimension is integrated in all aspects of PRRM’s development work.

PRRM has helped build sectoral associations, cooperatives and community organizations at the village level, sectoral and multi-sectoral federations and networks at the municipal and provincial levels, and national sectoral federations of small farmers, fishers, women and youth. These partner sectoral organizations at the national level form the People’s Organizations Leaders’ Caucus (POLAC):

• Pambansang Samahan ng mga Magsasaka para sa Likas-Kayang Pananakahan (SAKAHAN):federation of farmers for sustainable agriculture.
• Nagkakaisang Ugnayan ng Maliliit na Magsasaka at Manggagawa sa Niyugan (NIUGAN): federation of small coconut farmer organizations.
• Pinalakas na Ugnayan ng Maliliit na Mangingisda sa Luzon, Mindanao at Visayas (PUMALU-MV): federation of municipal fisherfolk organizations.
• Daluyan at Ugnayan ng Organisasyong Pangkababaihan (DALUYONG): a national women’s organization.
• Philippine Rural Reconstruction Youth Association (PRRYA): organization of Filipino youth mobilized as volunteers for community development.

Organizationally, the basic unit of the Movement is the provincial or city Chapter, to which each and every member of the Movement belongs. The highest policy making body of the Movement is the National Council, composed of accredited provincial/city Chapters, which elects the Movement’s Board of Trustees every three years. One Board seat of the Movement is reserved for a representative of PRRM’s partner people’s organizations through the POLAC.

PRRM shall organized a network of Provincial Rural Reconstruction Movements or ProRRMs, building them around and upon the PRRM chapter and the federation of PRRM’s partner people’s organizations in each province, as well as other local civil-society organizations (CSOs) that share PRRM’s philosophy and principles of development. PRRM will support these ProRRMs through training, publications, technical assistance and financial intermediation, so that they can develop, secure funding for, and implement sustainable development programs and projects in their respective provinces.

Related posts:

• Policy Reform and Convergence for Voluntary Action
• Philippine Rural Reconstruction Youth Association
• RP volunteer agency confers award to PRRM
• Organizing for Community Development
• Re-Imagining Civil Society